Like Water for Chocolate, Characters and Setting

Like water for chocolate
Setting and characters

The setting and characters play an important role in a novel. In order for a story to become a novel, it is required to have a setting and characters. The setting of a novel is the background: the time, place, and circumstances in which it occurs. Characters are also just as important as the setting is, the characters are the people represented in the novel. If a story were to miss one of these two parts it could not be referred as a novel. Another important part of a novel is the relationship between both, the setting and characters. This relationship is what tells the readers about what happens to them, why, and the way they are, think, and feel.
The setting of the novel Like water for chocolate is during the Mexican Revolutionary War between 1910 and 1920 taken place in Mexico and Texas There are many dangers in this setting for it is during a war; such as being shot in cross fire, raped, and robbed; "The threat of the revolution hung over them, bringing famine and death in its wake." Also, since it is that time period society has certain expectations of people. For example, divorce is against society's ideals and considered disgraceful but in the 20th century it is as common as marriage. Over all the setting affects the characters' morals and actions.
The main characters of the novel are Tita, Pedro, and Mama Elena. They are all involved in a situation, which is to follow a tradition. It states that the youngest daughter of the family must remain with the parents and take care of them until their dead; this tradition has been followed in De La Garza family for generations. In this case the youngest daughter, Tita has to follow the tradition; "As my youngest daughter, Tita will care for me until the day I die. She won't marry." As a result Pedro, Tita's love and Tita cannot be together because of this tradition. The relation in this has to be with the setting and people that believe in this tradition. Moreover it affects Tita (the main character) in a way that she cannot marry Pedro even after rosaura's (tita's sister) dead for she has to follow society's ideals; "I [Mama Elena] told you not to go near Pedro. What you have done has no name! You have forgotten all morality, respect, and good behavior." Another conflict is that during that time it was not decent to desire someone else's husband or wife; "From now on she would love him forever. And now she had to give him up. It wasn't decent to desire your sister's future husband."
In addition, another relation between the setting and the characters is the danger of the setting to which the characters are exposed. The setting of the novel is during the Mexican revolution involving with it, characters exposed to being shot in cross fire, at any moment; "Then one morning, while on her way to the village to visit her family, she [the wet nurse] was struck by a stray bullet from a battle between the rebels and the federales and was mortally wounded." Being raped, and robbed.
Finally, the setting is what a novel is based on, and depending on it the characters are developed. Moreover the setting affects the characters' morals and actions. In this case readers can notice that Tita has to follow a tradition, which is according to society's ideals, she cannot marry Pedro for it is not decent to desire him. Also, Other characters happen to be involved in situations caused by the setting such as the dead of the wet nurse because of the revolution. All this is the relationship between the setting and the characters that tells readers what happens to them, why and the way they act, think and feel.