Theme Analysis

Duty and Responsibility

Duty and responsibility play a large role in the story pertaining to how some of the main characters behave towards each other. The characters that are affected by this recurring them are Tita, Mama Elena, Pedro, and Rosaura. 

Tita and Mama Elena are encountering this struggle because Tita was born to serve Mama Elena until the day she died.  

Sex-based Roles

Gender

In the story women are expected to cook and care for their children and husbands, while the men can basically do whatever they want (if it's okay with their mother-in-law of course). Although in this circumstance women appear to be subservient to men, their duty is and responsibility is more inclined towards their mother. It seems like it because in the culture or tradition the youngest girl born has to care for her mother until the day she dies. In this case the norm is opposite to what we would think (now the family order seems more matriarchal) and the youngest girl has to care for her mother, completely ignoring any advances from men. 

Sex

In the story sex is a big theme because it causes a rift between some characters (Mama Elena and Gertrudis, Pedro, Tita, and Rosaura). 

Nurture

Nurture plays a big role within the story not only due to the food aspect of the story, but because of what Tita can do. Tita can not only feed large groups of people, but she can also breast-feed children. This tells you about how food and nurture in the story are large factors in it because Tita has a power to bring comforting to people through what she does, and this has changed big parts of the story like when Gertrudis ran away because she was finally feeling free and passionate. Tita can inspire certain feelings between some people for example, “It wasn’t enough he’d made his wife jealous earlier, for when Pedro tasted his first mouthful, he couldn’t help closing his eyes in voluptuous delight and exclaiming: ‘It is a dish for the gods!"( Esquivel, 51)

History, Interaction with Environment and Connections

IB Notes: Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquired                            

Group Members: Justin Cooper, Olivera Bucalovic, Patricia Vidal, Raymond Wong

Understanding the Title- Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquired:

- The phrase "like water for chocolate" comes from the Spanish (como agua para chocolate). Laura Esquired could be hinting that “like water for chocolate” is like water that is hot enough to receive the chocolate (when preparing hot chocolate to drink). It is a metaphor for describing a state of passion or sexual arousal (hot/sexy ).This would describe the bubbling passion Tita and Pedro have for each other throughout the novel.

	History, Interaction with Environmental and connections
Historical context	Social, Political and interaction with Environmental	Connections with Self/ World
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquired is written to illustrate the lives of nobles during the Mexican Revolution. Over time the revolution changed from a revolt against the established order to a multi-sided civil war with frequently shifting power struggles. This armed conflict is often categorized as the most important sociopolitical event in Mexico and one of the greatest upheavals of the 20th century, which saw important experimentation and reformation in social organization. This shifting power is evident when gunmen show up at the farm during the revolutionary period (55).	The Social and Political affairs are quite complex in the era of Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquired. The Mexican Revolution drives out the Mexican Civil War within, leading to a complete collapse of an organize central government. The Social affairs are quite troublesome, a parent can over-rule any marriage opportunities, as such Mama Elena forbid Pedro and Tita to get marry, citing the De la Garza family tradition that the youngest daughter (in this case Tita) must remain unmarried and take care of her mother until her mother's death (49).	My western beliefs/culture in the 21st century and the 20th century Mexican-isolated culture are completely opposite. I often question my own audacity to comment on cultures that I didn’t study into or familiar with. For example, the question of love is an interesting one- The romantic love that is so exalted throughout the novel is forbidden by Tita's mother in order to blindly enforce the tradition that the youngest daughter (Tita)  be her mother's guardian. However, the traditional enforced by Mama Elena is defied progressively throughout the novel. Mama Elena represents the select few who had the power in their hands, while Tita represents the people because she had no power to express her opinions but had to obey her mother's rules. However, in “our” 21st century western beliefs, we have the power to decide who we want to marry, without the restrictions by our parents.

Characters and Interconnections:

1. Esquivel employs magical realism to combine the supernatural with the ordinary
2. Josefita (Tita) de la Garza – main character; a talented cook and Pedro's lover
3. Pedro Muzquiz – Tita's lover, marries Rosaura to be closer to Tita.
4. Elena de la Garza (Mama Elena) – Tita's mother who Tita thinks is cruel and controlling.
5. Gertrudis De La Garza – Tita's older sister, Mama Elena's illegitimate daughter. She runs away with Juan.
6. Rosaura De La Garza – Tita's oldest sister who marries Pedro; had a son (Roberto) who died. She later had a daughter (Esperenza)
7. Dr. John Brown – the family doctor who falls in love with Tita and has a son from a previous marriage.
8. Nacha – the family cook. She was like a mother to Tita.
9. Chencha – ranch maid for Mama Elena and her family; Married to Jesus
10. Roberto Muzquiz – son of Pedro and Rosaura. He dies young.
11. Esperanza Muzquiz – daughter of Pedro and Rosaura, she marries Alex Brown. She is also the mother of the narrator.
12. Alex Brown – son of John Brown, marries Esperanza.
13. Nicolas – the manager of the ranch.
14. Juan Alejandrez – the captain in the military who took Gertrudis and eventually marries her.
15. Jesus Martinez – Chencha's first love and husband.