Like Water For Chocolate Cultural Analysis

Mexican culture is an exceptionally broad subject, numerous customs and cultural values mix into it making it a remarkably wide ranging topic to discuss. To generalize, food and family are a two prime examples of important customs in Mexican culture. The novel Like Water For Chocolate, conveys the story of the youngest daughter of a family living in mexico, her name, Tita De La. The story takes place during the turn of the twentieth century. Throughout this twelve chapter installment, audiences are able to perceive Tita’s inner conflict towards gaining self independence and pursuing true love. Tita is held back by strict family traditions maintained by her uncompromising mother, Mama Elena, and her true love Pedro Muzquiz is forced to take
To contribute to that, an article states, “Traditionally, a Latin woman's place is in the home. In the patriarchal society of the early part of the twentieth century, Mexican women were expected to serve their fathers and brothers and then when married, their husbands, sons, and daughters.”(Napierkowski). This type of insight gives the audience a better understanding of how Tita was raised to believe that she could never be anything other than a housewife. This exposes the harsh culture that she has adapted to overtime, and how degrading it is to her. Likewise, in Like Water For Chocolate the author writes “Unquestionably, when it came to dividing, dismantling, dismembering, desolating, detaching, dispossessing, destroying, or dominating, Mama Elena was a pro.”(Esquivel 97). Here readers become aware of how the author blends the culture of mexican cooking through the character Mama Elena, describing her strict and ruthless personality. Similarly, showing the audience how fimilar Tita has become with her mother’s strict rules and deficiency of compassion for certain