Like Water for Chocolate: Feminism’s Fire
In 1989, Mexican author Laura Esqiuvel wrote Como Agua Para Chocolate, or Like Water for Chocolate in english. The piece follows a young woman living and working on her family’s ranch in Mexico. Tita, as she is called, falls in love with a man whom she is forbidden to marry as per an old familial tradition, which her mother enforces harshly. Pedro, her love, agrees to marry Tita’s sister, so he can remain close to her. Her love and opinions suppressed, Tita finds a way to communicate supernaturally through her cooking, along with many other examples of magical realism that appear throughout the novel. A tale of love, rebellion, and of fate, yes...but underneath what is already a very moving and entertaining novel lies an acute and critical portrayal of the Mexican society of this era, and an articulate reflection of the culture. Esquivel’s portrayal of historical events and attitudes, backed up by the reviews of several academics, feed the novel’s theme that duty and tradition often clash with passion and progress. …show more content…
Laura Esquivel’s articulate portrayal of Mexico’s history, elucidated by the works of Tyrer, Cheyne, etc., shows the book's themes as well developed and explained, even under close examination. The book portrays the idea that duty and tradition clash with passion and progress in its full magnitude, showing that this conflict, this friction, creates a spark, and this spark cooks food, fuels desire, and lights bodies, marriage beds, and countries on fire. Like chocolate sizzles in hot water, so the power of the feminist movement bubbles over into the future of Mexico and the world. Como agua para chocolate, passion churns the melting pot of societies
In 1989, Mexican author Laura Esqiuvel wrote Como Agua Para Chocolate, or Like Water for Chocolate in english. The piece follows a young woman living and working on her family’s ranch in Mexico. Tita, as she is called, falls in love with a man whom she is forbidden to marry as per an old familial tradition, which her mother enforces harshly. Pedro, her love, agrees to marry Tita’s sister, so he can remain close to her. Her love and opinions suppressed, Tita finds a way to communicate supernaturally through her cooking, along with many other examples of magical realism that appear throughout the novel. A tale of love, rebellion, and of fate, yes...but underneath what is already a very moving and entertaining novel lies an acute and critical portrayal of the Mexican society of this era, and an articulate reflection of the culture. Esquivel’s portrayal of historical events and attitudes, backed up by the reviews of several academics, feed the novel’s theme that duty and tradition often clash with passion and progress. …show more content…
Laura Esquivel’s articulate portrayal of Mexico’s history, elucidated by the works of Tyrer, Cheyne, etc., shows the book's themes as well developed and explained, even under close examination. The book portrays the idea that duty and tradition clash with passion and progress in its full magnitude, showing that this conflict, this friction, creates a spark, and this spark cooks food, fuels desire, and lights bodies, marriage beds, and countries on fire. Like chocolate sizzles in hot water, so the power of the feminist movement bubbles over into the future of Mexico and the world. Como agua para chocolate, passion churns the melting pot of societies