An Analysis of Tortilla Soup Tortilla Soup is a film that does more than give the viewer a good feeling. Tortilla Soup is a film with many uplifting qualities that the viewer can relate. The opening scene draws the viewer in as the main protagonists, Martin Naranjo played by Hector Elizondo, prepares a large meal with many different dishes for his family. The way that Naranjo manipulates the kitchen cutlery demonstrates that he is more than a cook. His skill demonstrates that he is a fine chef. The opening scene of Naranjo preparing the meal is very relaxing to watch his culinary skills at work. It was interesting that one of the dishes was a melon blossom soup. The author had never heard of or observed this dish being served, so it required some investigation. Tortilla Soup is an enjoyable film that introduces romance and comedy during the preparation and sharing of a special meal. This film has many protagonists. The main protagonist is Martin Naranjo. He is an accomplished chef who is a widower. He lives with his three adult daughters who are very beautiful, but remain single. Naranjo lost his wife approximately ten years prior to the setting of the film. Since then he has assumed the role of father and mother. Naranjo works as a chef fulfilling is fatherly role and he also does all of the cooking, cleaning and laundry fulfilling his motherly role. Naranjo maintains that on every Sunday, the family shares a meal to share their life experiences of the week with each other. The meal seems to be a tradition in that family that has been a part of the family’s ritual prior to the passing of the mother. Some of the daughters find the meal to be more of a punishment than an enjoyment. Martin for most of the film has lost his ability to taste the flavor in the food he creates. He relies at work upon his best friend and fellow chef, Gomez played by Julio Mechoso, for taste. Martin is the main protagonist as he demonstrates the most change. He lets go of his adult daughters, one at a time while gaining two more daughters, Eden the daughter of his much younger bride than he and his unborn child with the same, Yolanda. Another protagonist of the film is the oldest of the daughters is Leticia Naranjo, played by
Elizabeth Avila’s is Mexican American middle age, divorced mother and employed as an elementary school teacher; also ex-wife to Javier Avila’s. She prepares Thanksgiving dinner for her family. Elizabeth and the ex-husband Javier Avila’s have a distant relationship and he no longer lives in the house; they are divorced. Elizabeth appears to be a strong mother who has moved forward with her life. She works with a teacher who appears to be a nice gentleman that cares for her. The boyfriend has never met the family until the Thanksgiving holiday. As a single mother, Elizabeth continues to advise her two young adult children on how to live their lives and how she is going to lead her own life. She has fused relationship with her mother, Emma, Anthony and Gina; they all have a great connection. Elizabeth and the children get along without the father Javier, who left without any contact and never
Although there were not many women in the film, those who were portray held important roles. The first being Dona Isabel or Tecuichpo, the interpreter for Hernan Cortes and sister of Topiltzin. She is first introduced when Topiltzin is brought in front of Cortes. As is stated in the film, she is the replacement for La Malinche or Dona Marina. As is stated in Socolow’s The Women in Colonial Latin America, “She (La Malinche) showed her gratitude to the
When most people hear the word “Mexican”, a person instantly thinks of food. This is because Mexicans have been known through out America as a culture to have a variety of some of the best dishes. Hispanics males take pride in working, just as the females take pride in cooking. The women don’t do it just for the heck of it, they make a form of art and also competition. Every Mexican family has a person who competes with another, to see who can make the best dish. Mexicans have different dishes from soups to rice. The one soup you will here in the Mexican generation is pozole. This is a soup that consists of pork, hominy, and spicy herbs. This recipe has been in my family for a more then a decade, and now I share it with you. In
Taiwanese-born American filmmaker Ang Lee tells the story of a closely knit family with repressed emotions in Taipei, Taiwan during a time of rapid modernization. Aging master chef Chu, Old Chu, who has lost his sense of taste and his three unmarried adult daughters have a tradition of eating elaborate Sunday dinners together. The eldest is Jia-Jen a schoolteacher and a converted Christian. Jia-Chien, is the beautiful middle daughter who is a successful businesswoman. Finally, the youngest is Jia-Ning, a college student who also works at a fast food restaurant. Initially this tradition is portrayed as a tortuous experience which the three daughters dread, but later becomes an important forum for the family’s life-changing announcements. Using food as a medium Lee’s film Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) explores the themes of gender roles, family and globalization.
“A Family Supper” by Kazuo Ishiguro has an interesting twist on love and family, albeit grotesque to some, the literature is meaningful. The characters played a major role in how the family dynamics played against one another. The family home sets the reader up to understand the isolation the father felt. The conflicts the characters experience have shaped them into the people they are presently. The lack of an ending also plays a major role in the way love and family is portrayed by the author and will conclude how love and family relate to this piece of literature.
Besides her love for Pedro, one other thing is constant in this film and that is Tita’s love for cooking. Learning how to cook from the ranch’s elderly maid Nacha from a very early age, Tita becomes known for her delicious dishes and eventually becomes the head cook of the ranch after Nacha dies. It’s almost as if seems Tita was fated to become a master in the kitchen. One of the very first scenes of the movie is of Mama Elena giving birth to her on a kitchen table where
When first beginning this assignment, I thought of choosing Vietnamese food because I miss having Vietnamese food for most of my meals, which was a luxury when I lived at home with my parents. Also, I have not fully prepared a Vietnamese dish or meal myself, as cooking never appealed to me. However, as I thought more about it, I would just be returning to the comforts of what I had already known instead of challenging myself and expanding my experiences. Eventually, I decided to pursue learning more about the Hispanic food culture because I greatly enjoy Hispanic food, whether it is Americanized Hispanic foods such as burritos or enchiladas from restaurants like Taco Bell or La Paz, or traditional, authentic foods I have had at my Hispanic friends’ houses. I love exploring the infinite variety of ethnic dishes this world has to offer, but I do not pay much attention exactly to what I am eating, what is in it, and how to prepare it myself. This assignment gave me the opportunity to go out and adventure into Guerrero’s Market on 11th and G street. I brought David with me, a friend from Honduras who has exposed me to most of the authentic hispanic foods I have eaten. I decided to make ceviche, and the two ethnic ingredients not used in mainstream American cuisine I selected were avocados and tostadas.
Christy Walton, and Mark Johnson as the producers is a coming-of-age film. It focuses on a boy who is a Mexican-American by the name Antonio Marez as well as his family in the mid-1940s during the World War II in New Mexico. In the movie, a folk healer or Curandera (Ultima) joined Antonio family and lived together. Despite of Antonio been a young boy he is anxious and ambitious on the future and what it mean to him.
Have you ever read the cultural story “A Family Supper” by Japanese author, Kazuo Ishiguro? Generally, it’s the conflict between generations in changing Japan, one can understand that this story depicts a young Japanese man (the narrator) who lived in America and has come back to Japan, his motherland to attend the funeral of his mother. He had dinner with his family at the first time of the year. With emphasis on generational conflict, the three aspects that are relationship between the son and his father from their conservation, the cultural property mentioned in the story and how the father’s disappointment affects his son, the narrator of the story.
A young, married couple, part of this family also, is also struggling because the man is thinking on leaving. His wife is pregnant, but he believes the child is not his. She was rape, and this has drawn them apart. Two more women, are part of this family. They come to the island from the main land on the day the movie describes. One of them is religious; she believes in Jesus Crist. This is another struggle between religious traditions. The other women left the Island long ago to live in the main land. In this day she was coming back to her land to stay, to rediscover herself. However, she got rejected by many women in the family. They consider her a traitor because she left. The younger women accept her because they are more open-minded.
While culture is prevalent in everyone 's lives, the way that culture is interpreted can drastically vary depending upon the generation a person grew up in. In both Madeleine Thien 's “Simple Recipes” and Kazuo Ishiguro 's “A Family Supper” the way in which the children view culture is significantly different from their parents views. While the children in each story grew up in different countries, the similarities between the children and their families are strikingly similar. The cultural views of the father and son in each story leads them in separate ways, which ultimately causes major rifts within the families and creates significant tension between father and son. The fathers in each story are authority figures to their children. Although the level of authority each father has over their children is drastically different due to the age of their children, it is clear both fathers demand a certain level of respect from them. The suppers in each story, while seemingly insignificant at first, actually carry a much deeper meaning. The suppers play a large role in how each story plays out. Although there are differences in regards to how each story conveys the message of cultural divide, the point remains the same. Culture is always evolving, and while this is generally viewed as a success for society, if those involved do not have a firm grasp on what is changing, it can lead to disagreements within society and in some cases disagreements within
The author lets us experience the conflict and choose the sides of the family that best describe our own sense of belonging. We become accommodated with the protagonist early on, it is the one dreaming for a better life...fortunately, dreaming about success is the motivation that keeps this family sleeping at night and working during the day. Its a story of a dysfunctional family that works together for a common cause, and
When two people appreciate different values, it will eventually lead to conflicts. If they cannot get to a compromise, as a consequence, their relationship will collapse. The family bond between the father and the brother in “Simple Recipes” is destroyed because of their conflict about values. In the story, the competing values in shown when the two characters unable to identify themselves, in terms of cultural identification. The father, representing the family’s cultural roots, is trying to preserve the Malaysian heritage and culture in his immigrated family, in the image of his anger towards his son forgetting the native language, while his son does not identify himself with the Malaysian roots at all, with his rejection of eating the fish (501). These competing values, consequently, incites conflicts between
Hassan’s goals are to use to use his talent for cooking and make a lucrative restaurant wherever his Grandfather takes him. After his restaurant in India was no more he needs to find something to supply enough money to his whole family. Hassan tries to use his talent and make a lot of money, but later after tragic events, Hassan realizes that he must go back to the restaurant and support his family.
The focus of this assignment is on the geography of chicken soup. For purposes of this particular assignment, the “claimed” country of origin in Cuba. The reason the term “claimed” is used is due to the fact that this particular dish may be believed to have originated in many other countries as well. As such, the recipe, and more specifically the ingredients used, will most likely differ based upon the country and region that it is originated from. With regard to the Cuban version of chicken soup, the same is comprised of thirteen (13) ingredients, to wit: olive (oil); onion (red and green); cilantro; cumin (ground); wheat (flour); chicken (stock and thigh); cassava; calabash; potato (red); plantain; lemon (juice); salt; and, pepper. Notwithstanding the fact that these ingredients are customarily used to make the Cuban version of chicken soup, these same ingredients were not all domesticated in the region that Cuba is located in.