Magical and Realist Elements of Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

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Magical and Realist Elements of Like Water for Chocolate

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 as well as some realist elements in order to evoke emotions about love.

While reading Like Water for Chocolate, I thought that how the girl named Tita was not allowed to marry the guy she loved and how she had to watch her sister marry him was interesting. However, I thought that the element was somewhat magical when she was making her sister Rosaura's wedding cake, and at the same time, she was thinking of Pedro whom she is in love with and he is now marrying her sister. As she was thinking of him, she began to cry. As she was crying, a tear drop went into the cake, and they were afraid that it messed up the meringue. I have not baked much, especially using meringue, but I felt that part was a little magical to me.

On the other hand, I found the fact real that a person can be in love with somebody else while he or she is getting married. However, I am not sure if there are people out there who marry somebody just so they can be closer to their family member. The fact that her mom did not want Tita to get married was real because people can and do sometimes get upset when they do not want their child getting married. She showed a lot of emotions. Also, preparing for the wedding was a realist element. Many things appeared to be real. One does argue with family members, and daily events happened. Doing chores and cooking are obviously realist elements.

However, many realist elements are brought up. Havi...

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...on will see magical as well as realistic elements. If one is interested in Like Water for Chocolate, there are many websites he or she can go to. There is plenty of information on Like Water for Chocolate.

Works Cited

Chanady, Amaryll. "The Territorialization of the Imaginary in Latin America: Self-Affirmation and Resistance to Metropolitan Pilgrims." Magical Realism.

Theory, History, Community. Ed Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durkham, N. C: Duke UP, 1995: 125-141

Esquivel, Laura. Like Water for Chocolate. New York: Doubleday, 1989.

Love and Other Illegal Facts. Esquivel, Laura. October 1996. 19 Jan 2001. http://www.salon.com/oct96/interview961104.html

Smith, Joan. Laura Esquivel on "Like Water for Chocolate," destiny and the thoughts of inanimate objects. The Interview Love and Other Illegal Acts. October 1996. 19 Jan 2001

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