Gao-Like+Water+for+Chocolate

**__Like Water For Chocolate __**
"No, it's not that. I can't marry or have children because I have to take care of my mother until she dies" -Tita De la Garza (78).

 **Laura Esquivel (1950- ) ** Laura Esquivel, a novelist, screenwriter, and teacher has made an impact on Latin-American literature by creating a compelling collection of novels during her career. Born in Mexico, Esquivel incorporates her Spanish background and society into her works. Her most famous novel, //Like Water For Chocolate,// won the ABBY award and continued to gain Esquivel fame in the film industry. Esquivel was nominated for the Ariel Award twice for her screenplays in //Chido One// and in the film version of //Like Water for Chocolate// (247). In 1993, Esquivel's film went on to become the biggest grossing foreign film ever released in the United States. Today, Esquivel lives in Mexico ("Laura Esquivel").

**Lau****ra Es****quivel's //Like Water for Chocolate//** The story of "Like Water For Chocolate" takes place during the [|Mexican Revolution] of 1910-1917. It is a tale of true love, family traditions, and the search/struggle for independence.The book begins by unfolding the life of the protagonist, Tita De la Garza. Tita is the last of three girls in her immediate family and lives with her mother Mama Elena, on their family ranch. According to traditions, the youngest daughter of the family is predestined to take on the responsibility of caring for her parents until their death and is forbidden to marry.

Despite her predestined future, Tita eventually finds her true love, Pedro Muzquiz, who arrives at the family's ranch to ask for her hand in marriage. Mama Elena refuses the proposal toward Tita and offers her eldest daughter, Rosaura, instead. Defeated, Pedro agrees to the marriage and heads home with his father, Pascual Muzquiz. Pascual, confused by Pedro's haste decision asks if he's truly going to accept the marriage to Rosaura instead of Tita. Pedro, in a depressed state, then replies to his father, "Of course I"ll keep it. When you're told there's no way you can marry the woman you love and your only hope of being near her is to marry her sister, wouldn't you do the same?" (15).

Pedro and Rosaura then get married. They both then live at the De la Garza's ranch which fulfills Pedro's wish of being near Tita. After awhile, Pedro and Rosaura have their first child named Roberto who Tita becomes attached to and cares for greatly. Tita's care for her nephew is expressed through Dr. John Brown's exclamation to Tita when he says, "He isn't even your own son. Imagine how pretty you will look with one of your own" (78). Overtime, Mama Elena senses the romantic tensions between Pedro and Tita and arranges for Pedro, Rosaura, and Roberto to live in San Antonio. Tita soon becomes depressed with the separation, loneliness, and the constant tension and conflicts between her and her mother.

News of Roberto's death soon reaches the family's ranch, and Tita can no longer deal with her depression and anger. Mama Elena sends her off to Dr. John Brown to be entered into an insane asylum. However, Mama Elena was unaware of the admiration that Dr. John Brown feels for Tita and he secretly lets Tita live with him for awhile until she recovers. She eventually does and he asks for her hand in marriage. Despite Mama Elena's strict refusal, Tita accepts the proposal but the wedding because "she hopes that her spirit will eventually be kindled by the presence of John" (128). The wedding is then held off until John comes back from his trip to America.

While John is gone, Pedro and Rosaura arrive in town once again to attend Mama Elena's funeral. Rosaura is pregnant with another child. Tita has already promised her hand in marriage to John but over the long stay, old flames start to rekindle with Pedro's stay and tensions rise (Chapters 8-10). Tita and Pedro's love affair soon starts to swirl out of control and Tita is faced with the difficult decision of whether she should continue her love affair with her sister's husband and her true love Pedro, or go on with a man that truly loves her, Dr. John Brown.

The overall structure of the book itself was very unique and interesting. There were 12 different chapters, each dedicated to a certain different Mexican recipe that was incorporated into the story by Tita. The recipes were then performed by Tita and became an introduction to each chapter and tied to the events that occurred after each recipe was introduced. The recipes tied with the constant fact that cooking was Tita's passion in life and through Tita's food, she could express herself and her emotions to the other characters in the story.
 * Criticism/Thoughts/ Recommendations **

Esquivel also incorporated a variety of emotions from each character into her novel. She brings life into characters as they express their varying emotions from scene to scene. One moment the character would be sweet during a happy family gathering, and then later, a character would be cold and harsh during an intense scene. An example of her realistic abilities to build her characters would be through Pedro. In one scene he expresses his love to Tita and says, "I am a man of few words, but my word is my pledge. I swear that my love for you will last forever" (18). Then Esquivel takes a 360 and portrays him in a different light when he's mad and jealous. In this scene, Pedro says, "So, is that it? Now I see what's going on. You don't want to talk to John because you're starting to have doubts about whether to stay with me or marry him, right? You aren't tied to me anymore, a poor sick man" (211). Esquivel is very good at bringing her characters to life by creating realistic and ample expressions.

Overall, Laura Esquivel was very effective in creating a dramatic plot that included very realistic and unique characters. Her incorporation of recipes during every chapter was very interesting in the fact that all the recipes related to certain events in Tita's life and climaxed to an amazing point in the story. In my opinion, I believed that she did a tremendous job throughout the plot, but the end wasn't as satisfying as I had hoped for. Otherwise, it was a great book that I would recommend this book to any person seeking an extremely interesting love story that stays true to it's promise.

In my opinion, I believe the book has a very strong rising action, climax, and falling action. The overall plot was extremely interesting. So interesting in fact that I could not put it down once I had started reading it. Esquivel's skill of developing extremely realistic characters and providing an extremely twisted love affair catches the reader's attention without even trying. Her incorporation of Mexican recipes and preparations for them also serves as as attention grabber for cooks who would like to try the recipes. Laura Esquivel brings with her the knowledge of a diverse cultural background and opens the eyes of the reader into a whole different cultural atmosphere. Overall, the book has an amazing plot, recipes, and realistic scenes and characters that can catch a reader's attention in an instant. It brings insight of a different cultural background that informs the reader of diverse lives that exist outside of their own.
 * Why is the book placed on the [|Outstanding College Bound Booklist?] **

**Literary Information** Genre/Style: Romance ([|Magical Realism])

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** Works Cited ** Coffin, Amy. "Like Water for Chocolate". 17 Mar 2009. [] "Laura Esquivel". __Absolute Astronomy.__ 2009. 10 Mar 2009. [|http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Laura_Esquive] "Laura Esquivel Biography". __Biography.__ 2006. 10 Mar 2009. []