essay for like water for chocolate

Like Water for Chocolate

Laura esquivel, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Laura Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Water for Chocolate: Introduction

Water for chocolate: plot summary, water for chocolate: detailed summary & analysis, water for chocolate: themes, water for chocolate: quotes, water for chocolate: characters, water for chocolate: symbols, water for chocolate: theme wheel, brief biography of laura esquivel.

Historical Context of Like Water for Chocolate

Other books related to like water for chocolate.

• Full Title: Like Water for Chocolate (Original Spanish: Como Agua Para Chocolate )
• When Written: 1989
• Where Written: Mexico City, Mexico
• When Published: 1989 (Mexico) 1995 (United States)
• Literary Period: Contemporary Fiction; Magical Realism
• Genre: Magical Realism
• Setting: Near Piedras Negras, Northern Mexico. 1895-1920.
• Climax: The climax of the novel occurs in Chapter 11, when Tita confesses to her fiancée, John the truth of her affair with her brother-in-law, Pedro. John reacts by telling her he will still marry her, but that she must first decide for herself what life will make her happiest. Tita has never had so much control over her own destiny. Now, she must choose whether to marry John and start a new life with him or break off their engagement and remain as Pedro’s mistress.
• Antagonist: Mama Elena
• Point of View: The novel begins and ends in first person, but most of the story is in close third person.

Extra Credit for Like Water for Chocolate

Like Water’s Inspiration: The stories in Like Water for Chocolate were inspired by Esquivel’s experience growing up and her close relationship with the grandmother who taught her to cook. Many of the female character’s stories were inspired by stories passed down from her mother and other women in her life. In her memoir Between Two Fires , Esquivel discusses her own thoughts on the magical relationship between food and emotion through the lens of her own experiences.

International Acclaim: Like Water for Chocolate was Mexico’s bestselling novel in 1990.

Film: The novel was adapted to a Spanish-language film released in Mexico in 1992.

Like Water for Chocolate

by Laura Esquivel

Like water for chocolate study guide.

Like Water for Chocolate , published in 1989, is Laura Esquivel ’s first novel. Part cookbook, part fiction, this best-selling work retells the story of the De la Garza family with a specific focus on Tita de la Garza. Every chapter begins with a recipe, and every major event in the story has a direct tie to food and food preparation.

The early nineties ushered in literary success for minority women of cultural histories. Shortly after Esquivel first published the book, it soon inspired a Spanish-language movie adaptation. The work was then translated from Spanish into English in 1992, and the novel became a best-seller.

Like Water for Chocolate is best known for its use of magical realism and its focus on female characters. Magical realism, developed by Alejo Carpentier in 1949, is a literary style that incorporates fantasy, myth, and supernatural themes into an otherwise realistic plot and setting. Magical realism is a common style among Latin American writers, partly because it expresses the fusion of cultural myths originating in Latin American countries and the European colonial standards of the Catholic Church.

Like Water for Chocolate Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Like Water for Chocolate is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

the exchange between pedro and his father don pascal,as overheard by nacha

Chapter please?

How has the revolution touch the lives of the people on the ranch?

For a large part of the novel, the revolution seems far away... the people on the ranch are uninvolved adnd their only connection to the revolution is through the stories they hear. Later, the revolution makes its way to the ranch... Gertrudis...

• Mama kept it a secret that she was hiding the family's chickens.

• Captain Juan kept it a secret that he was responsible for taking Gertrudis.

• Captain Juan kept it a secret that he had a romantic relationship with Tita.

Study Guide for Like Water for Chocolate

Like Water for Chocolate study guide contains a biography of Laura Esquivel, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Like Water for Chocolate
• Like Water for Chocolate Summary
• Character List

Essays for Like Water for Chocolate

Like Water for Chocolate essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel.

• Mothers and Daughters in Like Water for Chocolate and Therese Raquin
• Analysis of Chapter 5 of Like Water for Chocolate, the Scene in Which Tita and Pedro Meet in the Dead of Night
• The Portrayal of Women as Consumable in Tina Howe's 'The Art of Dining' and Laura Esquivel's 'Como Agua Para Chocolate'
• A Venture into Womanhood: The Unveiling of Tita through Rosaura
• Latin America, Native America and Magical Realism

Lesson Plan for Like Water for Chocolate

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Like Water for Chocolate
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Like Water for Chocolate Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for Like Water for Chocolate

• Introduction

Like Water for Chocolate

69 pages • 2 hours read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-9

Chapters 10-12

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Examine Laura Esquivel’s exploration of feminism in Like Water for Chocolate . How does feminism come into conflict with the traditions of the patriarchal Latin American culture she depicts? How do women participate in or resist this culture in the novel?

How does the author portray motherhood? Consider Mama Elena and Rosaura as well as Tita’s relationships with Nacha , Morning Light, Chencha, and Gertrudis . How does Tita become a mother despite never bearing any children of her own?

Compare and contrast Pedro and Dr. John Brown. Who do you think is the better match for Tita, and why?

Don't Miss Out!

Access Study Guide Now

Featured Collections

Books Made into Movies

View Collection

Books that Feature the Theme of...

Brothers & Sisters

Daughters & Sons

Hispanic & Latinx American Literature

Historical Fiction

Magical Realism

Pride Month Reads

Valentine's Day Reads: The Theme of Love

Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Like Water For Chocolate — Symbolism in Like Water for Chocolate

Symbolism in Like Water for Chocolate

• Categories: Like Water For Chocolate Symbolism

About this sample

Words: 641 |

Published: Mar 20, 2024

Words: 641 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Verified writer

• Expert in: Entertainment Literature

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

6.5 pages / 2866 words

5 pages / 2217 words

10.5 pages / 4766 words

3 pages / 1291 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Like Water For Chocolate

"Like Water for Chocolate," written by Laura Esquivel, is a captivating novel that explores the intricate relationship between tradition and personal transformation. Set in Mexico during the early 20th century, the story [...]

Love is a strong, undefined emotion with no wrong definition because it is different for every person. This emotion is overwhelming and can be experienced in many ways, whether it’s between family, friends or lovers. Like Water [...]

Throughout the novel, Like Water for Chocolate, by Laura Esquivel, Tita, the struggling protagonist wages an emotional battle with herself. Given that the tale takes place in early 20th century Mexico, the concepts of [...]

The literary canon is comprised of texts said to be of considerable value, texts regarded as experimentally profound and which may even be said to change the way the reader perceives the world. A Clockwork Orange can be [...]

Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange is a novel pervaded by a multifaceted and intrinsic musical presence. Protagonist Alex’s fondness for classical music imbues his character with interesting dimensions, and resonates well [...]

Following the publication of his most notable work, A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess commented on the function of literature in a mutable society. There is not much point in writing a novel unless you can show the possibility [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

Feminism in Laura Esquivel’s “Like Water for Chocolate” Essay

Laura Esquivel’s ‘Like Water for Chocolate’ is a novel that was published in 1989 (Esquivel, 1993). The story brings out a typical Mexican home that strictly follows the traditions passed down by the forefathers. At the center of this story is Tita, a young woman who is the last born in her family. According to the Mexican tradition, the last born girl in a family is expected to take care of her mother until the mother dies before she can marry.

Tita finds herself in such a worrying situation where she has to take care of her ailing mother. As she blossoms into a young beautiful woman, she falls in love with Pedro. Unfortunately, the two lovers realize that they cannot be together because of the responsibilities laid on the young woman. Feminism is brought out in this book in a unique way. It strongly advocates for the freedom of women from unfair traditional practices. Using the character Tita, the author of this book clearly explains how women are sometimes forced, by the archaic traditions, to forego joy and success to take care of this family.

The author also shows that when women are subjected to suffering, it is not just these women who end up suffering but also men. In this case, society has placed a lot of responsibilities on women, some of which are unfair. However, when she falls in love with Pedro, we also see him undergoing the same pain and suffering. The novel demonstrates that that the pain of women is sometimes shared by men. Pedro and Tita both suffer because tradition makes it possible for them to be together. Feminism in this story also comes out based on the setting.

De la Garza kitchen is the setting of this story (Skipper, 2010). According to the Mexican tradition, women were expected to spend most of their time in the kitchen preparing meals for their families. Tita is no different. She is expected to prepare good meals for her aging mother and ensure that she is always comfortable. However, she is demonstrated as a person who is capable of more than just preparing meals. She is a successful and intelligent woman who is capable of achieving greater success given opportunity. The author makes it clear that women can be very successful if the issue of tradition is not used retrogressively to deny them the opportunity to achieve their ambitions.

I strongly believe that Laura Esquivel has used her skills in the literature to champion for the rights of women in a very unique way. She clearly portrays the true challenges that women face in a society that is characterized by archaic traditions. In this novel, the author skillfully intertwines the fate of women to that of men (Taylor, 2003).

The author tells her readers that the fate of a woman directly affects the fate of a man within society. If a woman cannot marry because she is the last born her family, she will share her pain and sufferings with a man who will fall in love with her. This is a very unique way of championing the right of women (Willingham, 2010). I like the fact that she is not begging her audience to re-evaluate some of these traditions that make women suffer. Instead, she tells her audience that if women are to suffer, then men should be ready to share their pain.

Esquivel, L. (1993). Like Water for Chocolate . London, UK: Black Swan.

Skipper, E. (2010). A recipe for discourse: Perspectives on Like water for chocolate . Amsterdam, Netherlands: Rodopi.

Taylor, C. (2003). Bodies and texts: Configurations of identity in the works of Griselda Gambaro, Albalucía Ángel and Laura Esquivel . Leeds, UK: Maney.

Willingham, E. (2010). Laura Esquivel’s Mexican fictions: Like water for chocolate, the law of love, Swift as desire, Malinche: a novel . Eastbourne, UK: Sussex Academic Press.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2020, August 25). Feminism in Laura Esquivel's "Like Water for Chocolate". https://ivypanda.com/essays/feminism-in-laura-esquivels-like-water-for-chocolate/

"Feminism in Laura Esquivel's "Like Water for Chocolate"." IvyPanda , 25 Aug. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/feminism-in-laura-esquivels-like-water-for-chocolate/.

IvyPanda . (2020) 'Feminism in Laura Esquivel's "Like Water for Chocolate"'. 25 August.

IvyPanda . 2020. "Feminism in Laura Esquivel's "Like Water for Chocolate"." August 25, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/feminism-in-laura-esquivels-like-water-for-chocolate/.

1. IvyPanda . "Feminism in Laura Esquivel's "Like Water for Chocolate"." August 25, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/feminism-in-laura-esquivels-like-water-for-chocolate/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Feminism in Laura Esquivel's "Like Water for Chocolate"." August 25, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/feminism-in-laura-esquivels-like-water-for-chocolate/.

• "Like Water for Chocolate" by Laura Esquivel
• Cosmic Love Story in "Like Water for Chocolate" by Laura Esquivel
• Palahniuk’s “Invisible Monsters” and Esquivel’s “Like Water for Chocolate”
• Hispanic Culture in “Como Agua Para Chocolate” by Laura Esquivel
• Literacy Analysis of “Like Water for Chocolate” by Laura Esquivel
• Analyzing the Main Character in Two Latino Films
• Como Agua Para Chocolate: Like Water for Chocolate
• Magical Realism. "Pedro Paramo" by Juan Rulfo
• The Theme of Tyranny in "Pedro Paramo" by Rulfo and "Gilgamesh" by Mason
• Rebellion in “No Name Woman” by Maxine Kingston
• Black Feminist Perspectives in Toni Morrison’s Works
• Women as Victims of Social Codes: Literary Analysis
• "Why Boys Don't Play with Dolls" by Katha Pollitt
• The Play "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" William Shakespeare

Feminism In Like Water For Chocolate

Like Water for Chocolate is a 1990 historical fiction novel written by Laura Esquivel. The story follows the life of Tita de la Garza, who is born with an intense love longing; she can literally feel everyone’s emotions and sense everyone’s feelings. This proves to be most difficult when she falls in love with Pedro, who is not only her first cousin but also her best friend, the man she has been promised to since birth. Like Water for Chocolate  demonstrates what can happen when patriarchy meets matriarchy, and the patriarchy wins.

About Like Water for Chocolate : The Novel that Inspired the Motion Picture Like Water for Chocolate  is a novel following the life of Tita de la Garza and her passionate love affair with Pedro while living in Mexico during the early 1900’s. As we follow Tita through life we learn that she is doomed to turn into stone if she does not get married by the age of twenty-four and that she can sense others’ feelings. Like Water for Chocolate  is a tale of forbidden love, family secrets, and ultimately one woman’s struggle against traditional gender roles.

Synopsis: Like Water for Chocolate  follows the life of Tita de la Garza from pre-birth to death and provides an intimate glimpse into her emotional world, where food is used not only as nourishment but also as communication and familial bonds are never severed despite distance or time. The patriarch of Tita’s household passes away shortly after Tita is born; this leaves his wife (Tita’s mother) in charge of the domestic affairs inside their home.

In accordance with tradition, each daughter in their family is allowed to marry only after the oldest daughter ( Tita) has been married. Because of this, Tita’s mother is determined to find a suitable husband for her and ultimately chooses Pedro, with whom Tita shares a close bond with and who happens to be both her first cousin and childhood friend. Like Water for Chocolate  follows Tita and Pedro throughout life as they struggle with their forbidden love-affair that seems doomed from the start due to their family ties.

Plot: Like Water for Chocolate takes place in Mexico in the early 1900’s during a time when patriarchal tradition was still heavily influential. As such, women were expected to marry men who they shared no familial ties with in order to future problems within the home. This is why Tita’s mother forces her to marry Pedro after the death of her father, as he is not only Tita’s first cousin but also her best friend. Like Water for Chocolate  is a tale that demonstrates the strength and endurance of women as well as their ability to adapt within a patriarchal society.

Main Characters:

-Tita de la Garza – protagonist throughout Like Water for Chocolate , often referred to as “la dependienta”, or “the store clerk” because she works at the family chocolate shop; forbidden love with Pedro; has an intense ability to connect deeply with others (can feel their emotions, sense their feelings)

-Pedro Muzquiz – childhood/first cousin of Tita; other half of Tita/Pedro relationship; forbidden love with Tita

-Gertrudis “Tru” Chan – sister of Pedro, youngest daughter in the family; also quite fond of Pedro

-Mama Elena – matriarch, very traditional woman who holds to old Mexican customs and superstitions yet is strong-willed underneath it all

-Papa Julio – patriarch, dies shortly after Tita’s birth, leaves his wife (Tita’s mother) to take care of the domestic affairs inside the home

-Rosaura Almanza – stepsister of Tita, eldest daughter in the family; married off to a wealthy man at a young age only to be divorced years later for an unknown reason

-Gertrudis “Tru” Chan – stepsister of Tita, youngest daughter in the family

Minor Characters:

-Mama Elena’s parents (Tita’s paternal grandparents)

-Rosa Luz Aurora Esperanza de la Garza aka Mamá Dolores- mother to Mama Elena; dies during childbirth while bearing another daughter after Tita is born

-Don Fernando Muzquiz aka Grandfather – father to Pedro and Gertrudis; dies while working on his farm when Pedro is very young

The feminist subtext of Like Water for Chocolate is rather pronounced. Like Water for Chocolate is not only the story of love and loss, but also that of women’s liberation (Esquivel 10). Tita de la Garza (the protagonist) begins Like Water for Chocolate as an elderly woman, reflecting on her life where she has remained chaste despite marriage proposals from countless suitors because she was never able to bear children due to Pedro’s decision to not consummate their marriage after their wedding night (de la Garza 59-60).

Like Water For Chocolate largely concerns itself with the lives of Mexican women in the early twentieth century. Due to the fact that men held power over land ownership, Mexican women were often married off into other families in exchange for food, money, or land. Like Water For Chocolate explores the ways in which women are oppressed by society’s gendered expectations that focus on their role as child bearers and servants within the domestic sphere (Esquivel 4). Women are valued according to this standard of womanhood since without men they would have no power at all (de la Garza 20-21).

Like many other Latin American societies, Mexican society at the turn of the twentieth century is patriarchal. Women are only respected if they marry and raise children properly. While Tita is still a young girl her mother tells her, “you’re going to be my right hand” (de la Garza), but once she is married off to her older sister’s fiance, Pedro, Tita becomes the main servant of her mother-in-law. While Like Water For Chocolate is not intended as a work of radical feminist literature, its strong thematic presence allows it to be interpreted as such.

It was very common for young women in Mexico at this time to be married off by their parents without consulting themselves because they are seen as part of the property that belongs to their fathers until they are given away in marriage (de la Garza 20-22). Like Water For Chocolate exhibits the way in which many Mexican families were organized around patriarchal structures where men controlled all aspects of life including family finances and community resources (Esquivel 4).

Women have no choice but to submit to their fathers’ mandates in order to gain a better life provided they are lucky enough to have a family that cares about them (de la Garza 20-21). Tita’s father, Juan Francisco, is a very kind and loving man who is willing to do anything for his daughters. However, he still believes that the most important thing for his girls is to find a husband with land and wealth because this will ensure financial security. Like Water For Chocolate explores how Mexican women were valued by society based on their ability to bear children and perform household tasks such as cooking or cleaning.

Tita knew from an early age that she was meant to become Pedro’s wife even though her mother forbade it until both of her older sisters had married (de la Garza 20-21). Like Water For Chocolate explores how many women were forced into roles that they did not want because of the patriarchal society in which they lived. Tita is born to cook and be a servant; it is all she knows. Like Water for Chocolate also explores feminism, particularly radical feminism. The heroines of Like Water for Chocolate assume power only when men alone cannot protect them against other men who are trying to take advantage of their vulnerability.

More Essays

• Like Water For Chocolate Food Symbolism
• Essay on Like Water For Chocolate Film Analysis
• Persuasive Essay On Chocolate Milk
• Tap Water Vs. Bottled Water Essay
• Essay about Feminism In The Scarlett Letter
• Feminism In Thelma And Louise Essay
• Third Wave Feminism Essay
• Mint Chocolate Chip And Skittles: A Short Story Essay
• Claude Monet Water Lilies Analysis Essay
• Write An Essay About Dom Pedro’s Life

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.