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Analysis Of 'February : Christmas Rolls'

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Latin America is a hub of two worlds: it blends the cultures of the Old World and the New World and creates the unique Latin American culture from this fusion. Its unique history is paralleled in a unique genre originating from it, namely magical realism, which clings to reality yet adds magical details (Carpentier 83). On the other hand, Latin American writers have widely included romance in their stories. These two genres are both present in “January: Christmas Rolls” by Laura Esquivel. The elements of magical realism characterize Tita in a unique way that differs the story from an archetypal romance. Apart from the presence of magical realism, the story follows the traditions of romances closely and can be identified as a tragedy. As …show more content…

How funny and lovely was the young girl who tried hard to cover her crush! However, this recollection of the sweet memory only emphasizes the bitterness of separation from her loved one, which is again a common theme of romances. This incorporation of comedy also falls in the characteristics of romances, as “comedy blends insensibly … into romance” (162). The magically realistic descriptions, nonetheless, embody Tita in a unique way not present in traditional romances. A characteristic of magical realism is the narrative style that has an abnormal event “happened and … accepted by the other characters as an almost normal event” (Flores 191). Through the exaggerating distortions of reality followed by the absence of surprises, Tita’s characteristics as a tragic character tied to kitchen have strong first impressions. Her introduction is utterly surrealistic, as she was “literally washed into this world on a great tide of tears that spilled over the edge of the table and flooded across the kitchen floor” (Esquivel 340). Anyone with common sense would question the possibility of such a dramatic birth. Unexpectedly, the story skips an account for this impossible event or any amazement from the family to the mundane consequence of Nacha’s sweep of the tears in the afternoon. Readers, facing this

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