Like Water For Chocolate, Section 1

FYI: My copy of this novel might be different than everybody else's, so the page numbers could also be different.  

The dish prepared in each chapter plays a pivotal role in the story. It always seems that the most important events that occur are connected to eating or preparing food, and these events are important because they allow repressed desire to be fulfilled. A few examples of this are when those attending the wedding vomit uncontrollably, and when Gertrudis runs off with a man. What happens in both of these moments reflect Tita’s desires or emotions, which are infused into the food she prepares. Tita was very upset that her sister was going to marry Pedro, so she cried and her tears went into the cake’s icing. The icing then took on Tita’s state of despair, and when people ate the cake, they reflected this overwhelming despair by being physically sick (vomiting). Also, when Tita makes the quail, the rose petals she puts in it have soaked up some of her blood. So again, a part of her goes into the dish, but this time, it represents her sexual desire. So when Gertrudis eats some of this, she burns with uncontrollable passion and runs away with some man. It appears that in a way, food allows a freedom of expression for Tita that she otherwise can’t have because her mother is always watching and ready to punish for her disobedience. Her safe haven becomes the kitchen because it is the only place where she can exercise any control.  

From the moment Tita is born, we sense that her life will contain a great element of sadness because she was “washed into this world on a great tide of tears…” (4). When she grows older, this sadness comes from the fact that the man she loves (Pedro) is going to marry her sister (Rosaura). This comes about because Mama Elena claims that Tita is bound (as the youngest daughter) to care for her until she (Mama Elena) dies. Of course, Tita strongly resists the idea that she can’t marry. Therefore, we find that Tita is the character that questions and defies tradition in this story. She cannot accept the role that Mama Elena tries to force her into because it makes no sense. So, in a way, Tita displays some characteristics of a feminist. She is constantly struggling to gain a sort of independence and suffers at the hands of Mama Elena for this. She has no outlet for her intense emotions besides the kitchen, which is the traditional realm of women. But we see that she uses this traditional setting to express herself and challenge her limited status.

Mama Elena comes off as very authoritarian and not very loving. She is the antagonist in this story because she constantly prevents Tita from leading the life she wants to lead. The reason behind her repressing Tita is tradition, which is hardly logical. Nonetheless, Mama Elena embodies the conservative attitude of sticking to tradition because it’s been around for so long. She represents women that oppress other women by upholding patriarchal tradition. The ironic thing about this is that Mama Elena claims that she has never needed men in her life even though they have determined the tradition she abides by (79). Like the stereotypical male who runs the household, she treats her daughters like objects. This is especially evident when Pedro comes to ask to marry Tita, and instead gets permission to marry Rosaura. Mama Elena clearly doesn’t consider how Tita and Rosaura feel, but substitutes one for the other to be a wife for Pedro.