In her novel Like Water for Chocolate, Laura Esquivel intertwines two themes that go hand in hand to encourage readers to follow their hearts. Esquivel motivates readers to love who they want to and shows that taking control of one’s own life can lead to happiness. During the novel, Tita is oppressed by her mother, Mama Elena, because Mama is so keen on following the tradition in which the youngest daughter must serve her mother until her mother’s death. Mama Elena is tyrannical and controlling, which brings great unfairness and sadness to Tita’s life. Eventually, Tita is so fed up that she yells at her mother, so her mother kicks her out of the house. However, from this point on Tita realizes that no one controls her life, and from this freedom, she decides she can love who she wants. When she sticks up for herself and follows what her heart wants, which is Pedro, she is so much happier in her life. Although she is happy being with Pedro, she cannot let Rosaura, hold her daughter Esperanza, which is Tita’s niece, to the same enslaving tradition. After Rosaura passes away, Esperanza is able to carry out her marriage with Tita’s help in preparing the wedding to ensure they could live and love each other for the rest of their lives. Earlier in the novel, Tita reads Mama Elena’s old journal, in which she finds Mama was forced to marry someone she did not love, which can illuminate that being forced and controlled by others only leads to hatred and sadness. Through Tita’s liberating love story and Esperanza’s marriage, the theme in which having the freedom to love who one wants and changing tradition for the better to seek a better life is revealed. Esquivel informs readers to follow what feels right in their heart, no matter how hard it may be, to achieve happiness.

As previously established, Like Water for Chocolate is a magical realistic novel that embodies magical elements to bring the story of Tita de la Garza to life. Tita has a strong love for Pedro, but she has been denied the right to be with him by her mother. Esquivel uses literary devices like hyperbole, symbolism, imagery, foreshadowing, and irony to convey Tita’s deep love and passion she has built up that is dismissed by her mother.

Through her use of magical realism, Esquivel exaggerates everyday activities in Tita’s life on the ranch through hyperbole. For example, after eating Tita’s dish of quail in rose petal sauce, Gertrudis was over come with an intense lust and passion for a rebel soldier, who she had seen in the plaza. Esquivel exaggerates this intense passion saying, “Her body was giving off so much heat that the wooden walls began to split and burst into flame” (Esquivel 55). Obviously, a person’s body would not be able to burst walls into flames; however, it allows readers to understand how intense the feeling that came over Gertrudis was. The hyperbole used in Like Water for Chocolate connects readers to the story line on a deeper level by revealing the intensity of the characters’ feelings.

Esquivel utilizes many symbols throughout the novel to reiterate Tita’s intense passion that is built up inside of her. For example, heat and fire, tears, food, and Tita’s bed spread all appear multiple times throughout the story to convey a deeper meaning. As an example, when Tita and Pedro find each other’s eyes, Esquivel writes, “Tita knew through her own flesh how fire transforms the elements, how a lump of corn flour is changed into a tortilla, how a soul that hasn’t been warmed by the fire of love is lifeless, like a useless ball of corn flour” (Esquivel 67). When fire is mentioned in the book, it refers to the fervent love and desire that Tita has Pedro. Esquivel’s use of symbolism provides readers with an understanding of the feeling of a strong love, or even the feeling of despair, when tears appear in the novel.

Furthermore, Esquivel uses imagery to present a clear scene to readers, which makes it feel as if the reader is in the story. For instance, when Tita is left to deliver her sister’s baby, Esquivel describes the scene vividly saying, “She pried her eyes open, the dark tunnel of a moment before had been transformed into a red river, an erupting volcano, a rending of paper. Her sister’s flesh opened to make way for life” (Esquivel 72). Laura’s ability to create the scene vividly through imagery helps readers to comprehend the setting and the characters better.

Laura also uses foreshadowing throughout the novel, which can create suspense for readers. For example, Pedro and Tita have several intimate moments together. Esquivel describes the scene in which they meet in the night saying, “While she was receiving a kiss on the lips, Pedro took her hand in his” (Esquivel 98). Esquivel repeatedly has Pedro and Tita meet in scenes, which show that they have an undying love for each other, which in turn foreshadows Tita’s split from John because she will never love any man except Pedro.

Another device used by Esquivel is irony, which helps create some hope for Tita in the novel. There are several instances in which irony is used in Tita’s favor. To illustrate, Esquivel writes, “Delightedly he went over to them, bent down, and kissed Tita on the forehead. Tita took the child, now satisfied, from her breast” (Esquivel 76). Because Tita is able to feed her nephew, while Rosaura, the mother and wife of Pedro, is unable to, Tita is  able to grow closer to Pedro, when she was denied to marry him. This is ironic because it is as if Tita is the mother to Pedro’s child.

Overall, Laura Esquivel uses literary devices like hyperbole, symbolism, imagery, foreshadowing, and irony to illuminate the message in the story, which is that true love can not be oppressed. She especially illustrates the fiery passion Tita’s story contains through the hyperbole, symbolism, and imagery. Laura’s passionate writing style allows readers to experience the intense feelings of the characters, which keeps readers engaged throughout the novel.

 

 

In Latin America, magical realism is a popular genre as it is an important aspect in the culture of many of these southern countries. Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate is a popular work of fiction, which contain elements of magical realism. This genre is significant to these cultures because “The use of Magical Realism as a means of artistic and literary expression continues to prevail for now, because while there exist problematic situations or changes in normal life in the countries of Latin America, there will always be inspiration for the creators and a motive to express their feelings” (Rave ii). Magical realism provides elements to the work that go beyond reality and the natural world, and it “describes a genuine, spontaneous extraordinary event, experience, or even an object often found in daily life” (Rave 7). Novels with this genre are found to be very relatable because “These are stories of people just like us going about things we do every day–but with the addition of a slight hint of magic running along the edges” (“Elements of Magical Realism”). Unlike fantasy, the magical elements are provided as ordinary for characters.

Furthermore, authors often use it to express their views on political or social  wrongdoings. During the time the novel was written, there was a financial crisis happening in Mexico. Also, the story is set during the time of the Mexican Revolutionary War, which is a time where the citizens had to find the tyrannical control. Therefore, this novel can show characteristics of fighting oppressive ways, which can potentially symbolize stepping up against political and social injustices.

Although magical realism is often seen in Latin American novels, it is not exclusive to these cultures. It is the elements and not the specific location that makes up the magical realism. In regards to the elements, “Perhaps the most essential of those are atmosphere and small-town feel…it needs that feeling of community where everyone knows everyone else” (“Elements of Magical Realism”). Like Water for Chocolate is a well-known novel for bringing enthusiasm to an everyday life activity, cooking, by adding magical elements to the story. Other popular novels containing magical realism are Dreaming in Cuban, The House of Spirits, Let it Rain Coffee, etc. Similar to Like Water for Chocolate, Dreaming in Cuban tells the story of a girl and her family during the Cuban Revolutionary War, which exposes the reality of love and loss with a hint of magical elements.

Overall, magical realism depicts events in everyday life in an extraordinary way. In this way, Like Water for Chocolate makes for the perfect magical realistic novel because of its ability to take cooking beyond the realms of this world.

 

 

 

 

 

References

“Elements of Magical Realism.” Michelle Witte – Read. Write. Edit., 10 Apr. 2017,

       michellewittebooks.com/2015/09/elements-of-magical-realism/.

Rave, Maria Eugenia B., “Magical Realism and Latin America” (2003). Electronic Theses

       and Dissertations. 481. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/etd/481/

 

After teaching kindergarten for some time, Laura Esquivel discovered she wanted to write. In 1988, she began writing Like Water for Chocolate. During this time in Mexico, her native country, the government started to lose control, and the country was in a financial crisis. A few years before, in 1985, there was a horrible earthquake that killed nearly 10,000 citizens and left Mexico City, Laura’s hometown, greatly damaged. Many people crossed the border into the U.S. to seek refuge and to escape the country’s failing economy. In the novel, the setting takes place during the time of the Mexican

Revolutionary War, which started on November 20, 1910, and continued on for almost 10 years. The war resulted from the mestizos, which are half-indigenous and half-Spanish blooded citizens, rising up against the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz. The people fought the war for social reform, so that those who put in the labor would receive the wealth, rather than the wealthy land owners gaining the profit. The people fought to establish a democratic republic much like the United States. It was a brutal, violent war, which forced people to flee, and those who did went to the United States.

In the story, the family lives on the De la Garza ranch in northern Mexico during the time of the war. In this time period, the youngest daughter was forbidden to marry and was expected to take care of her mother. Just as the government is under tyrannical control, so is Tita by her mother, Mama Elena, who forbids her to marry her love, and instead, gives Tita’s older sister’s hand in marriage to Tita’s love. Laura Esquivel made a connection of her story with the culture and oppression of this time in Mexico. While during the time the book was written, there was need for reform as well, which could have brought about the thoughts for connecting the political culture to the social culture in the novel. The harsh realities of the war help make for a tear-jerking love story, which illuminates the effects of war.

 

 

    Furthermore, even though the war was harsh, it brought new forms of art, literature, and food. Laura Esquivel starts each one of her chapters out with a new recipe, which can show how the food was (and still is) a big aspect in the Mexican culture, and how it was important in the household. Further, the literature birthed during the time of the war could have posed as inspiration for Esquivel’s novel, as it is about Tita fighting the oppression by her mother, which is highly fought by the mestizos against the government

    Overall, Laura Esquivel found she wanted to write, and she related the story to a crucial time in Mexican history, in which the people fought for change, which is was Tita has to do against the traditional, oppressing ways of her mother. In the time Laura wrote the novel, the government during that time also was not functioning as well as it should have, and Mexico was in a financial crisis. Laura brought to light a story about changing tradition, when it is not right, and finding a path of one’s own.

References

History.com, A&E Television Networks, http://www.history.com/topics/mexico/mexico-timeline.

“The Mexican Revolution: November 20th, 1910.” EDSITEment! The Best of the

      Humanities on the Web, edsitement.neh.gov/feature/mexican-revolution-november-

20th-1910.

 

    Laura Esquivel is a beloved author because of the way she inspires others through the simple things in life, such as cooking. In 1950, Laura Esquivel, the third of four children, was born to parents Josephina and Julio Caesar Esquivel. Laura grew up with her family in a lower middle-class home in Mexico City, Mexico. Laura studied at the Escuela Normal de Maestros, or National Teachers’ College, and it is here she pursued studies of education and drama with a focus on children’s theater. After teaching kindergarten, she realized that she wanted to write. Around this time, Laura met her husband, Alfonso Arau, who was an actor and producer, and he taught her aspects of the film industry. Together, they collaborated on the work, Chido Guan, el tacos de oro, which won an Ariel award in 1985. After this, Esquivel went to work on her popular novel, Como Agua para Chocolate, or Like Water for Chocolate. She began writing in 1988 and published her novel in Mexico in 1989. It instantly became a hit and rose to the top on the best-sellers list. No more than two years later, her novel was produced into a film with the help of her husband.

    As shown through her writing, Laura Esquivel relishes in time spent with family and learning lessons through life experiences. From her experiences, she gains her inspiration. Esquivel said, “It wasn’t books that inspired me to write, for me, inspiration was simple, immediate: I got it from eating, dancing, talking. I got it from life lived, things touched from sensuality, from love of life, from our irrefutable connection to earth” (Arana-Ward). Something that Esquivel is always brought back to is learning to cook from her grandmother, which is reflected in her writing that uses symbolism and magical realism involving food. Esquivel stated, “I watch cooking change the cook, just as it transforms the food” (O’ Neill). Laura is passionate about the little things in life, and she thrives in experiencing new life lessons. All of her writing illuminates the love she has for family and the connection from earth to all people. Not only in Like Water for Chocolate, but in her other works of fiction, she writes with a magical twist to bring excitement to her novels, which can show her passionate and elevated emotions for the simple things in life like cooking, dancing, etc. As she continued to be inspired and from the praise for her novel Like Water for Chocolate, Laura Esquivel completed more novels and films that increased her popularity, especially in Mexico. For example, she wrote The Law of Love and Swift as Desire, which became popular as well for the heartfelt stories they entailed. Laura’s works can remind readers or viewers to appreciate the simple experiences in life. 

References

“Donquijote.” Mexican Writers | Don Quijote, http://www.donquijote.org/spanish-language/mexican-writers/laura-esquivel/.

O’NEILL, MOLLY. “AT DINNER WITH LAURA ESQUIVEL; Sensing the Spirit In All Things, Seen and Unseen.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 31 Mar. 1993, http://www.nytimes.com/1993/03/31/garden/at-dinner-with-laura-esquivel-sensing-the-spirit-in-all-things-seen-and-unseen.html.

The Washington Post, WP Company, http://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/1994/05/08/laura-esquivel/9598a3af-623b-4591-b3f6-68e7.

 

 

 

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