Analysis Of Tita 's ' Like Water For Chocolate '

This suspicion leads to more conflict between Tita and her mother, ultimately causing Tita to be

Tita was born in a family with strict rules and traditions. It is tradition that keeps Tita and Pedro apart. Even though Tita and Pedro are madly in love with each other. However, because tradition demand that Tita the youngest daughter does not marry in order to take care for her parents. “For generations, not a single person in my family has ever questioned this tradition, and no daughter of mine is going to be the one to start”. (10). Tita mother makes this statement to shows that she has power over Tita life, she’s not going to let anybody come between her decisions and explained to her that tradition could not be broken. Later in the story, Pedro fails to gain Tita’s hand in marriage when he speaks to her mother. Instead Elena offer Rosaura the middle sister to marry Pedro in which pedro agrees. “When you’re told there’s no way you can marry the women you love and only hope of being near her is to marry her sister”. (15) This news leaves Tita broken-hearted because she imagines this could have been her, marrying her true love, having a future with him, and probably having children with him. Instead she is doomed to served her

Cruelty and violence have been often a solid influence with Mama Elena towards Tita. The psychological damage that Mama Elena cause Tita took effect after, Tita heard news of the death of her nephew Roberto. According to the chapter five (99) in the month of may. Mama Elena took a wooden spoon and smashes Tita across the face. The act of cruelty and the violent behavior of Mama Elena. In addition to Mama Elena attitude toward the death of her grandson being callous and tactless. This causes Tita to hide in the dovecote overnight. Where the psychological damage began to surface. When the Dr. Brown came to retrieve Tita from the dovecote, only to find Tita there naked with a broken nose and holding a dead pigeon. Tita then became suffer in silences for the next coupled of months. Instead of Mama Elena seeking professional help for Tita to get better, Mama Elena suggested that Tita be taken to the asylum.

1) Tita was born to serve her Mama Elena until her death, in which affected her deeply. These emotions of hatred for such stupid tradition made her life worst ever since he met Pedro. After the death of Mama Elena, Tita began to realize that hers and her family's value and honor wasn't what people thought, but more as a mess. She strongly opposed the tradition idea that Rosaura had in mind for Esperanza, she said,"There's one thing for sure, I'm not going to allow you to poison your daughter with those sick ideas you have in your head. I'm not going to let you ruin her life either, forcing her to follow some stupid tradition,"(pg 215). She doesn't want Esperanza to suffer the same misery that she felt.

The only one who resisted, the only one who said the word without the proper deference was Tita, which had earned her plenty of slaps. But how perfectly she had said it this time! Mama Elena took comfort in the hope that she had finally managed to subdue her youngest daughter. “(Esquivel 13)

For example, she quoted “I’ve never needed a man for anything; all by myself, I’ve done all right with my ranch and my daughters” (80). Her statement to Father Ignacio indicated that she is not dependent on men and she can protect her family. Mama Elena displays her seriousness and toughness that women can express as well as she handles with a tough job and family. As being the only woman, who has the knowledge to run the ranch, Mama Elena also displays the qualites of a leader such as, interrupting Tita’s opinion, “You don’t have an opinion, and that’s all I want to hear about it” (11). As Mama Elena cuts off Tita’s opinion, she establishes that she is the dominant person and ensures that her daughters obey her commands. Mama Elena does not tolerate mistakes when her daughters are assigned a chore, so work will be completed, efficiently by the end of the day. Most of Mama Elena’s actions towards her daughters are harsh and ruthless and is not a sympathetic character. She uses her vigorous attitude to rebel against the soldiers, who invaded her ranch. For example, “Her gaze met that of the captain in charge, and he knew immediately from the steeliness of [Mama Elena’s] eyes that they were in the presence of a woman to be reckoned with” (89) Normally, soldiers would raid buildings and rape women with ease,

Tita-youngest daughter of mama elena and also the protagonist of the novel. She is barred from getting married as per family traditions in the understanding that she would care for her mother till death. She faces many struggles such as not being able to marry her desirer Pedro and also watch him get married to her sister. The book progress with her life and shows a main focus on her disturbed relationship with pedro and also displays her hardships in her life to pursue love and distinctiveness from others. The purpose of her upbringing was to be excellent in the culinary arts.

In the Esquivel’s book, Like Water For Chocolate, Mama Elena is one of the antagonist character who tries to keep family tradition even though it is good or not. For expressing it, the magic realism attempts to it with her passion. To keep the family tradition, Mama Elena makes Pedro, Tita’s love, marry with her second daughter, Rosaura. Even though Pedro marries with Rosaura, Tita and Pedro are still loving each other. After Mama Elena’s death, they can love without being oppressed. However, the passion of Mama Elena unveils. After Rosauro gives birth to Esperanza, she worries about

Secondly, Mama Elena’s control over the ranch makes it so not only people’s health is damaged, but also other problems. This is shown when Mama Elena makes the decision of marrying Pedro to Rosaura instead of Tita “Mama Elena came into the kitchen and informed them she had agreed to Pedro’s marriage--to Rosaura”(14). This of course becomes a problem when Tita and Pedro’s love still exist.

Through Tita one is able to see the relationship between women and the society she and most women live in. Tita obeyed her mother without question, because it is what’s expected of her to do as her family said. It was a model presented by society for children to under no condition disregard their parents. Yet at the end of the story Tita managed to be with the love of her life.

Sadly for Tita, she only saw yes or no as her option and thus chose the one that would leave her in tears and agony. Her feelings of sorrow even went as far as to be displayed in her cooking that she made for her sisters and Pedros wedding. Her tears that dripped onto the cake batter, left everyone in the ceremony “flooded with a great wave of longing” (39). Tita made this choice to continue to love Pedro knowing full well she would not be able to be together with him. As a result, her pain not only affected her, but reached the many other people who had a taste of her baking. Even strangers sympathized with her, as one of the guests said “‘The poor thing, her sister is going to marry her sweetheart!”’ (37). Nonetheless, no matter how melancholy and lonely Tita felt, she didn’t let the fact that Pedro was with her sister to stop her from loving him. She continued to love him and hope for opportunities for them to meet as he also continued to pursue after her and keep her within his sights. Their forbidden love carried on in secret. Tita was brave in doing so, knowing the consequences of her actions, especially if her mother were to find out. Tita made another choice, when she encountered Pedro in the kitchen and he began to stare at her chest. Instead of telling him to look away Tita “stopped grinding, straightened up, and proudly lifted her chest

Mama Elena, sensing Tita's reluctance to participate in her sister's upcoming wedding, warns her, "I won't stand for disobedience... nor am I going to allow you to ruin your sister's wedding, with you acting like the victim. You're in charge of all the preparations starting now, and don't ever let me catch you with a single tear or even a long face, do you hear?" (27). At the wedding party the following day, although Tita keeps a perfectly calm demeanor, her true feelings about her sister's marriage to Pedro are revealed in the guests' first bite of the Chabela wedding cake. "The moment [the guests] took their first bite of the cake, everyone was flooded with a great wave of longing... [T]he weeping was just the first symptom of a strange intoxication that seized the guests" (39), all but Tita, on whom the cake had no effect. The author uses the cake's effect on the guests to reveal first, Tita's grief over her loss of love through the guests uncontrollable weeping and second, her disgust over her sister and Pedro's

The phrase “mother knows best” refers to maternal instinct and wisdom. It is often used to describe how mothers are the most knowledgeable when it comes to their children’s needs. This cliche is frequently used by mothers who try to guide their children on the path towards success, especially when the child protests. Tita’s mother, Mama Elena, embraces this expression fully, and always pushes Tita towards what she believes is the road to achievement. Mama Elena is perhaps one of the best portrayals of “tough love” in a character in literature. Like Water for Chocolate’s author, Esquivel, depicts Mama Elena as a strong, independent woman who does not bother with things she deems insignificant. This translates to the reader through the decisions and actions Mama Elena makes throughout the book. Her disregard for emotions is often the reason why her actions are misunderstood by readers who claim that she is a cruel, unrelenting mother who is apathetic to her daughter’s suffering. However, this is not the case, as Mama Elena never acts without reason and only goes out of her way to discipline Tita when she believes that Tita is in the wrong. The readers see her go to great lengths to protect Tita numerous times, although these instances are often hidden behind her less than pleasant words, such as when she tries to shield Tita and Nacha from the rebels who were known to frequently terrorize families and rape women. Despite being a strict and unforgiving mother, Mama Elena’s

Throughout their lives, Tita and Harrison struggles of enforced asymmetrical power and are often enforced by threats and abuse in different situations. Tita’s mother, Mama Elena penitentiaries her love life due to strict family traditions that the youngest daughter is to be unmarried which Tita must sacrifice her entire life for Mama Elena’s wellbeing until she dies. Mama Elena is extremely stern for this nonsense tradition of the De La Garza family to continue the tradition so that the society doesn’t gossip about them. Tita’s mother oppresses her with violence by brutally beating her up and threatens her. Though, Rosaura, her sister and her love one, Pedro is having a wedding. Tita was making wedding cake for Rosaura and Pedro’s wedding day. She spent all her time to make the cake to be perfect and delicious. However, the cake poisoned the guest and Tita couldn't understand how that happened.

Since Tita was unable to stand up to Mama Elena, she felt helpless, which she then realized how strong her fate for an identity would be nonexistent; however, Tita would not accept that fate. From the day Tita was born and past off to Nacha, the cook, Mama Elena formed resentment towards Tita, while attempting to make Tita obedient through force, cruelty and mistreatment. The physically punished Tita endured, multiple times, by the hands of Mama Elena, forced her to live the life as a servant and a house cook; as well as, arrange the wedding of her love, Pedro, to her sister, Rosaura (26-29). While under Nacha’s care, Mama Elena bounded Tita to the kitchen and constrained her to cook for the family, and if Mama Elena saw signs of Tita disobedience, she would strike Tita in rage. The preparations for Pedro and Rosaura’s wedding was Tita’s responsibility, which Mama Elena placed Tita in charge just to lower her spirits and eliminate any hope she may have within, causing Tita to have a weak moment that triggers her to hallucinate. In the opinion of