Laura Esquivel's Like Water For Chocolate

Cultural continuity, in some cases, dismantles the personal growth of individuals, therefore,society develops into a debilitated institution. Literature commonly portrays a certain generation breaking away from the norm. By doing so, artists articulate their discontent with society’s fear of change. Mexican novelist and screenwriter Laura Esquivel, while riding the Second Wave of feminism in the Latin American country, voices her dissatisfaction with the effects of tradition. Her 1989 novel Like Water for Chocolate narrates the story of Tita De la Garza, the youngest of three daughters in a family living in Mexico at the turn of the twentieth century, in addition to her continuing struggle to pursue true love and claim her independence. Within this critically- acclaimed novel, Laura Esquivel over deliciously depicts the preposterous gender roles ruled by tradition, unveils the harsh truth of the consequences that
Predominantly, a man must be “dominant and independent”, au contraire, a woman “submissive and dependent” (Pike). Furthermore, women “are largely expected to be amas de la casa (homemakers), ensuring that the home [is] adequately cared for” (“Traditional Roles in Mexico”). In brief, Mexican society resembles several other civilizations that impede the advancement of the female population. An illustration of this concept presents itself as the main driving plot of Esquivel’s first novel. Danielle James explains, “One day Pedro comes to the ranch to ask Tita’s mother for Tita’s hand, but Mama Elena scoffs and refuses. According to family tradition, Tita is expected to take care of her mother until the day she dies. Therefore Tita cannot get married,” (James). Tita soon resigns to a life of submission and servitude- believing she has no other choice. Consequently to this tradition, Tita becomes the casualty of mental and physical abuse of her