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Importance of preserving family traditions
Importance of preserving family traditions
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Despite many people’s beliefs, all families have culture. Therefore, any traditions your family may have count. Whether those traditions be something like special family recipes passed down from generation to generation, or just going camping every summer, it does not matter. Within my family, a personal favorite tradition of mine is every year when my mom, my sister, and I, paint pumpkins for Halloween. In Laura Esquerel’s novel, Like Water for Chocolate, a major theme is that family has the potential to hold you down, and I cannot relate to Tita’s experiences with tradition and family issues based on my own with non-oppressive tradition and lack of family ties. Specifically, conflicting feelings Tita had for her family, pinned her down and
The book that I chose to do is Street Pharm by Allison van Diepen, the book has 297 pages, the reason I chose this book is personally I am tired novels taking place years before I am born. This novel pertains to urban problems and one kids' attempt to survive in the pressures of present day Brooklyn. Within the novel, there are several subplots, one being his love interest, Alyse, and Ty's fight to stay in school. As well as, his fight not to lose money or control of his territory. It is interesting to watch this young man, balance these things in his life and not let them interfere with each other.
In “The Boat” by Alistair MacLeod, the mother shows the importance of tradition to her, which has been cemented in her since youth. Throughout the piece, the reader realizes that the mother comes from a large traditional family of fisherman, which in effect the mother’s most defining characteristic was that she “was of the sea, as were all her people, and her horizons were the very literal ones she scanned with her dark and fearless eyes”. Tradition and her inherited family values shaped her personality that was shown throughout the piece, such as her diligence during her husband’s fishing excursions to her stubbornness throughout the family’s hardships. In a sense, a large part of her identity came directly from her traditions, which she felt
The novel Like Water for Chocolate, published in 1989, was written by Laura Esquivel who is of Spanish heritage. She lives in Mexico, and Like Water for Chocolate was her first novel. I feel that in the story Laura Esquivel gives a lot of magical elements that are treated as real in order to evoke emotions about love, but it also employs many features of sublime literature.
A strong maternal bond is crucial in one’s life; however in both Paradise of the Blind by Duong Thu Huong and Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, the authors portray the distant relationship between the mother and the daughter as a tool to critique the ‘inhuman’ traditions imposed upon the family members in their respective societies. Though Houng’s and Esquivel’s novels are set in Vietnam and Mexico respectively, they assert that family traditions are unjust and forbid family members to pursue their own dreams, ambitions, and desires as portrayed by the two teenage protagonists and their mothers, who are obligated to sacrifice their own lives for others. In order to gain their freedom, the protagonists have to detach themselves from their oppressive, domineering mothers to break away from the undesirable family traditions in their culture.
The early Cajuns did not have a social life as we know it today. Occasionally, they would attend dances, but family and friends were their main source of fun and relaxation. Because of the hardships of not being able to travel long distances, the Cajuns would gather with family for Sunday dinners and special occasions such as birthdays and holidays. One of their favorite pastimes was to gather, play cards, and sing. The families spent an extreme amount of time together. They shared their thoughts, feelings, and experiences with each other. Most importantly, they needed each other. The desire to be with family is one of the unique factors that has kept the Cajun identity so strong through time and troubles (Hebert, 1997).
Regretfully, though readers can see how Mama has had a difficult time in being a single mother and raising two daughters, Dee, the oldest daughter, refuses to acknowledge this. For she instead hold the misconception that heritage is simply material or rather artificial and does not lie in ones heart. However, from Mama’s narrations, readers are aware that this cultural tradition does lie within ones heart, especially those of Mama’s and Maggie’s, and that it is the pure foundation over any external definition.
shows that women had probably stay at home most of the day and do all
Her book also includes sections on the roles of gender, religion, birth order, and culture to show the importance these play in shaping family traditions and inherent beliefs over periods of time. On immigration, she says, “When you have access to details of family history, it makes a great difference why the family came, what it left behind, and what dreams or fears it brought with it (McGoldrick, 264). Indeed, traditional roles and strict cultural value sets can have a powerful and lasting influence over family
Sometimes the best family members are not joined by blood, but rather joined by similarities. In Barbara Kingsolver’s “The Bean Trees”, there are many types different forms of families. The Traditional families live together and are related to each other by blood or in some way. However, some of the best families in the story happen to be non-traditional, for example the motherhood of Taylor, the main character, to Turtle, a child who had been abused by her biological family. There is also several forms of families that are a blend of traditional and non-traditional. Traditional families and non-traditional families, as well as a mix of part traditional and part non-traditional is prevalent throughout the book.
As a helpless girl living under the power of an evil mother, Tita’s character in Like Water for Chocolate can be viewed as another Cinderella. However, unlike other Cinderella fairy tales, the novel tells a mystical fantasy portrayed in a realistic setting. Magical Realism is a literary tool that incorporates fantastic or mythical elements into a realistic fiction. This style of writing roots from Latin America and is commonly used in Hispanic stories today. The novel is written by Laura Esquivel, who is a writer from Mexico that creates a romantic tall tale about her great-aunt’s life during the Mexican Revolution. Although the book may contain unrealistic events, the author makes them believable by combining them with things
Laura Esquivel is best known for her first book, Like Water for Chocolate, a compelling story and cookbook. Laura Esquivel was born in Mexico City, Mexico. Esquivel began writing while she taught as a Kindergarten teacher. She wrote plays and children’s television shows in the ‘70s and ‘80s. She wrote her first book, Like Water for Chocolate, in 1990. The book became an instant best seller all over the world, selling 4.5 million copies. Like Water for Chocolate was made into a movie in 1992 and was also loved. Laura continued to write books such as: The Law of Love (1996), Between the Fires (2000), and Malinche (2006). (Laura Esquivel). Like Water for Chocolate is a book about a forbidden love story between a young Mexican woman named Tita
Food has the power of changing one’s emotions which can affect the behaviours of people in many different ways. In Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, food became of the main building blocks that made the story interesting. Tita De La Garza, the main protagonist usually shows her emotions through the food that she prepares for her family. Be attentive and analyse well the way Tita describes the food, how she prepares it and her reactions after her family tastes it. The novel also revolves around women which represents different version of femininity. Mama Elena De La Garza which is considered as the main antagonist is the head of the family who has the right to make decisions that she thinks and believes will be beneficial to all. As
My family has lots of traditions on holidays, we usually get together at my grandparents house. The first right of passage is if you are passing on a tradition you need to be committed. The story says “ I never thought that grandpa
Events happen throughout every family’s life, from family members brawling in historical battles, to the gaining of one’s cultural identity, the reciting of family stories, and the handing down of a descendant’s precious heirloom. I have been told many stories about my family, and my culture through my eighteen years of life. My family has also preserved a few pieces of our legacy to hand down from generation to generation.
Traditions cultivate connection between immediate family members and between generations. Family scholars Nick Stinnett and John DeFrain say that traditions are the "we always" of families, like "We always make snow ice cream at the first snowfall," or "We always have games and popcorn on Saturday night." Because such traditions have meaning that is special to an individual family, they create feelings of warmth and closeness. By spending time together in a fun and s...