Characters in Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

1213 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Literature review on the topic of women empowerment

1. Tita Quote: "Tita was so sensitive to onions, any time they were being chopped, they say she would just cry and cry; …" (Pg. 5) Write-up: Tita is the main character of the story, also the narrator, who suffers from unjust oppression from Mama Elena, her mother. She is raised to excel in the kitchen and many entertaining arts where she is expected to spend her whole life taking care of her mother. This is following the family tradition that the youngest daughter takes care of the mother until she dies. With her frivolous wants, Mama Elena denies her marriage and happiness to any man especially Pedro. She eventually breaks down and meets John Brown, the family doctor, who recovers her until she finds happiness again after Mama Elena's death with Pedro. Overall, Tita goes through a very dynamic change in the story which obviously entitles her to be a main character. 2. Mama Elena Quote: "Besides insisting that Tita taste the food in front of her, she [Mama Elena] always had a glass of warm milk… to counteract the effects of the bitter poison that according to her was dissolved in the food." (Pg. 135) Write-up: Mama Elena is a stern and bitter woman who oppresses Tita to be her caretaker through the family tradition. She keeps Tita from her true love, Pedro, and it is later revealed that Mama Elena herself once suffered from a lost love, embittering her for the rest of her life. Any child of her is deemed unworthy when he/she does something that is against her "rules." She takes this to the extreme where the rules are imposed on her more "public family," John Brown and Pedro included. Her stern stature is noted when her daunting gaze makes the Revolutionary general Juan Trevino uneasy. Eventually, her pride and distrust is revealed to be her major flaw which causes her death. 3. Gertrudis Quote: "She [Gertrudis] had come back with the intention of showing Mama Elena how she had triumphed in life. She was a general in the revolutionary army… Leadership was in her blood…" (Pg. 178 - 179) Write-up: Like all the daughters of Mama Elena, Gertrudis despised her very oppressive mother. She escapes her mother by running off with a rebel soldier, Juan Trevino due to a reaction of Tita's Quail in Rose Petal Sauce recipe.

Show More
Related

  • Like Water For Chocolate - Movie versus Book

    1224 Words  | 3 Pages

    The story begins with Titas birth prematurely when Mama Elena was chopping onions. Tita grows up with Nacha the most dominant figure in her life, and follows Mama Elenas routine of cooking, cleaning and sewing. At every incident she can, Mama Elena criticizes Tita and even beats her if she tries to speak up. One day Tita tells her mother that Pedro wants to come and ask for her hand, but according to the family tradition she cannot marry because she is the youngest daughter. Mama Elena tells Pedro he can marry Rosaura- one of her older daughters, and Pedro agrees to the arrangement just to be closer to his true love- Tita.

    Read More

  • Confetti Girl Tortilla Sun

    875 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “Confetti Girl”, the narrator disagrees with her father and questions how much he cares about her and in “Tortilla Girl”, the narrator questions if her mother was taking her into account of her new plans. Tension is shown to be caused in the stories “Confetti Girl” and “Tortilla Sun” due to the parent and narrator not having the same point of view. In this story, a young girl named Izzy lives alone with her mother. One day, the mother surprises her by explaining that she is going to Costa Rica to do some research, and that Izzy is going to her grandmother’s house while she is away.

    Read More

  • The Archetypal Hero in Like Water for Chocolate

    1331 Words  | 3 Pages

    “A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with [their] freedom” (Dylan). However, though heroes face complications throughout their quest, in the end they often accomplish an important rask. In the book, Like Water for Chocolate, the main character, Tita shows a perfect example of a hero. Tita is in a continuous emotional quest throughout the entire story, but proves along the way she is indeed one who will not fail. Many characteristics of a hero certainly fit Tita’s character, however, there are some very important ones, she: suffers an unusual childbirth, yields a special weapon, goes through a traumatic event that leads to an adventure, has supernatural help, experiences atonement with mother, and when she dies she is rewarded spiritually.

    Read More

  • Food as a Metaphor for Unexpressed Emotions in Like Water for Chocolate

    1255 Words  | 3 Pages

    The story begins with Tita passionately in love with Pedro Muzquiz and he with her. "She would never forget the moment their hands accidentally touched as they both slowly bent down to pick up the same tray" (18). Their romance is cursed from the start, however, because of an old family tradition, stating that the youngest daughter must remain unmarried and care for the mother as long as either may live. Pedro, unaware of the tradition, comes to the ranch to ask Tita's mother, Mama Elena, for Tita's hand. Mama Elena tells Tita, "If he intends to ask for your hand, tell him not to bother. Heíll be wasting his time and mine, too. You know perfectly well that being the youngest daughter means you have to take car...

    Read More

  • Theme Of Colonial Ideology In A Tempest

    1787 Words  | 4 Pages

    The novel begins by “Abena, my mother, was raped by an English Sailor on the deck of Christ the King one day in the year 16** while the ship was sailing for Barbados. I was born from this act of aggression. From this act of hatred and contempt,” (Condé 1). Her mother Abena was a slave and Tituba was born into slavery. Tituba was concemption is due to a white sailor raping her mother, an example of a white man dominating a black woman. The hierarchy is clearly established between the black people like Abena and Tituba, and the white slave owners. The policing of this hierarchy causes Tituba to see the very dramatic deaths of her mother Abena and a father like figure in Yao. Tituba’s early life experiences is only the beginning of despicable acts done to her and the people she cares

    Read More

  • Food In Laura Esquivel's Like Water For Chocolate

    983 Words  | 2 Pages

    Taking place during the Mexican Revolution, Tita who is one of the main cooks in the household is not allowed to marry her true love Pedro. Mama Elena strictly forbids her from marrying Pedro which pushes her further into emotional distress. The day of Pedro and Rosaura 's wedding, Tita tears fell into the cake batter and had a sorrowful effect on anyone who ate it. Esquivel shows us that emotion can have a positive or negative influence on

    Read More

  • Essay Outline for Conflict in Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun

    521 Words  | 2 Pages

    1.  Walter - His dreams of owning a licquor store conflict religiously with Mama's value system. The conflict between Mama and Walter is amplified by the fact that it is Mama's apartment in which the family lives and Walter is unable/unwilling to make decisions because Mama is so domineering. Ironically, it is the one decision that she eventually lets Walter make which nearly destroys the family.

    Read More

  • In the Time of the Butterflies

    736 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... Evidently, Maria Teresa is being selfish and failing to recognize her sister’s bold act in hoping to achieve freedom. Focusing on her own freedom and safety, Maria Teresa loses sight of the kind consideration that she developed in her childhood.

    Read More

  • Analysis of Dona Barbara

    746 Words  | 2 Pages

    Doña Barbara a female caudillo, is the owner and ruler of El Miedo, a hacienda in Aruca Vally Venezuela as well the low lands surrounding the Orinoco river. Barbara is known as the man-devourer as she uses men to enrich herself and then disposes them, this was the case of Lorenzo Barquero a properly owner whom she marry to take possession of his land; and then left him to become an alcoholic. Doña Barbara is known and respected in the land she is said to be as fierce and strong as any man; along with her kinsmen and the corrupted authorizes she has been stealing cattle and land from Altamira a neighborhood hacienda. The climax of the story is reached when Santos Luzardo; a well manner lawyer and the rightful owner of Alatamira arrives to Aruca Vally to address Altamira’s mismanage and ongoing financial problems. The peones (working man) in Altamira do not believe Santos will be a match for Dona Barbara corrupted actions, however, as true llaneros they swear loyalty to their patron (boss). Barbara and Lorenzo had a daughter Marizela, who reminds Barbara of herself before she was raped. This is the reason why she has left the girl penniless living on a hut with her alcoholic father as punishments for not been strong like her. Upon his arrival Santos takes Lorenzo and his daughter t...

    Read More

  • Like Water for Chocolate, by Laura Esquivel

    1285 Words  | 3 Pages

    Out of the three sisters, the eldest sister is Rosaura who is almost like a copy of Mama Elena. Just like her mother, she locks herself up in the cage of family tradition. The De La Garza family had a tradition that the youngest daughter in the family could not marry as she was supposed to take care of her mother all her life. This is the tradition that Mama Elena conforms to and Rosaura follows her footsteps. This makes the reader feel that even after Mama Elena’s death, her character is still living through the body of Rosaura.

    Read More

  • Role Reversal In The Crucible Analysis

    1575 Words  | 4 Pages

    Although Tituba is mostly minimalized through her race, there are other females who grasp ahold of the situation and use it to their advantage. As the servant girls overtake the trials and the town, the traditional male character’s authority is challenged as the trials are no longer in their hands. Although Danforth and Hale are no longer the town’s self-proclaimed saviors, salvation is not far away. Growing from a man with reservations to a man who must shed his tears and bear his heart, Proctor loses control of himself and, martyr-like, dies a different

    Read More

  • The House of Bernarda Alba

    563 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this story it can be easy to point out who were the protagonists, the mother (Bernarda) and Poncia. Poncia had worked for Bernarda for several years and became an important part of the household. In the first act Poncia is speaking with the other maid about how she has been with Bernarda for thirty years, washing her sheets, spending nights watching over her, peeking through cracks to spy on the neighbors to bring her the gossip (195). She has been a loyal servant, although she is just doing her job and doing what she is told. Poncia, later in the play, even tries to help Bernarda realize what has been going on under in her own house (253-256). Even when there was a lot of gossip on Bernarda's house that could have been spread through the town Poncia keeps it from spreading; as she told Bernarda; "I cover up more than you think" (275). Poncia is clearly a protagonist in this story, although she tries to pick sides.

    Read More

  • Claire Water Character Analysis

    1046 Words  | 3 Pages

    First there is the incident at the sink (near water) when Claire pushes the dishes onto the ground. Also the girl’s body was found in water. Then as Claire and Stuart pull up to the picnic ground the reader becomes aware of the creek running under the bridge. It is at this stage that Claire is thinking about why Stuart and his friends had to travel so far to go fishing, when there was so much water close by (again suspicious of Stuart). Also at the creek, Claire identifies with the dead girl and water plays a significant part again, ‘I look at the creek. I’m right in it, eyes open, face down, staring at the moss on the bottom, dead.’ Another incident involving water is when Claire is driving to the funeral. She pulls over and a man knocks on her window. This is important as Claire fears that she will be raped by the man and at the same time she can hear the river below the trees. Water is also mentioned near the end of the story when Stuart is opening Claire’s blouse. It is obvious that Claire doesn’t want to have sex with Stuart (for the second time) and he is forcing himself on her but Claire ‘can’t hear a thing with so much water

    Read More

  • The Role of Social Class and Society

    2433 Words  | 5 Pages

    Set in the time of the Mexican Revolutionary War, the De la Garza family consisted of Mama Elena and her three daughters. “The most significant, life-changing activities women carried out in the Revolution at the outset were related to their families” (Monk). The oldest daughter was Rosaura, followed by Gertrudis and then the youngest, Tita. Tita’s father had died shortly after Tita’s birth. They lived on a self-serving farm where all members were expected to help. Each female had chores that were to be completed without complaint. Even though the fictional story revolves around recipes, other gender based ideals are revealed. “These activities were no longer carried out inside four walls, causing family survival to become essential” (Monk).

    Read More

  • The Role of Mama in A Raisin in the Sun

    1004 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mama is a powerful, strong witted person. She has a lot of control in this play and dominates as a woman character. This is unusual because this is usually a male’s position in life. She is a woman, “who has adjusted to many things in life and overcome many more, her face is full of strength”. In this play she is illustrated as taking over for the head of the family and controls the lives of everyone in her house. Rules are followed to Mama’s extent. She controls what is said and done in her house. After Walter yells, “WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE LISTEN TO ME TODAY!” (70). Mama responds in a strong tone of voice saying, “I don’t ‘low no yellin’ in this house, Walter Lee, a...

    Read More

More about Characters in Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

Open Document