Like+Water+4A

Essential Questions
-why is it so simple? -Is it critical or supportive of revolution? -In what ways (if any) is the revolutionary battle echoed in the structure + characters of the novel? -Did women really fight in the revolutionary army, and how does Gertrudis' role as a soldier develop the theme of women's place in the society in the novel? -Why is religion mostly absent? -What did the doves represent? - Why is John such a perfect yet 'bland' character? -Why is the revolution so marginal? -why are the deaths and violence so prevalent but dealt with so abruptly? -What is the significance of the recipes, and to be continued?
 * simple book to understand, the vocabulary
 * the characters are straight forward and easy to understand
 * it is complex because of the use of symbolism, the flashbacks, themes
 * it is critical of tradition, but it is __not__ an allegory.
 * conservatives of the revolution parallel Mama Elena as a character
 * endorsement of a revolution, but more so it adds certain characteristics to the characters
 * the portrayals of the revolutionaries (negative- rape Chencha, hurt Mama Elena, but then at the end of the novel they are all laughing together)
 * the revolution enhances the setting and gives a reason for Mama Elena to be defensive
 * the politics and revolution helps the plot move along, and it also adds to the characters
 * the revolution informs the story instead of the story being about the revolution
 * Mama Elena, Rasoura - conservatives
 * Tita, Gertrudis - revolutionaries (rebels)
 * Everything the characters do, is about revolution, rebelling against conservatism
 * Maybe it is just trying to find sense, not so much about taking a stance (or rebel) but about trying to find what fits.
 * women did play a role in the revolution, fighting
 * both Mama Elena and Gertrudis are the strong masculine women; however they show different ways of wielding power; Mama Elena got people to fear her, while Gertrudis got men and people to respect her
 * shows that they can have success outside the home, and can achieve what they want- they fit into men's world, have we changed the world?
 * feminist novel - because all important female characters are women, they have the power and decide what to do with the relationships they are in
 * Esquivel wants to you not to judge TIta and all the immoral acts that happen, the affairs...
 * might take away from the magical realism (the ghosts)
 * She didn't want religion to be a main subject in the novel
 * represent different stages of Tita's life, when they fly is when Tita feels free
 * LOOK AT DIONS QUOTE QUEST AND ANAS QUOTE QUEST
 * just parallel Tita and her freedom BUT THE ARCHETYPAL IS PEACE-->due to the biblical illusions to Noah's Ark
 * He is not perfect but easier to control, not stubborn or doesn't represent Machismo
 * Mama Elena and Rasaura is pretty flat too.
 * John is like the water (not the chocolate), it is a bit stereotypical of how Tita falls in love with more of the macho man, rather than the kind scientist
 * Because she wants the revolution to help the story move along, not the story to be about teh revolution
 * deaths are another mechanisms to move the plot along
 * does this novel have too much 'deux se machina'? Too many coincidences?
 * because it isn't based on deaths and sad and mourning, it isn't about the ethical or religious aspects of the novel.
 * violence is just trying to symbolize Mama Elena's oppression on Tita.
 * to be continued, to echo feeling of reading a 1 year installation of magazine full of recipes
 * and the recipes help us understand the food metaphors

-Did Tita deliberately kill Rasoura or Mama Elena?
 * in the movie it is clear how she makes the food angrily, so she might have done something accidentally or magically.
 * This is open to different interpretations.

Laura Esquivel
Article 1: - __Like Water For Chocolate__ became best seller in Mexico in 1989 - published in mexico in 1989 - english version 1991 - critics generally positive - noting esquivel's imaginative narrative structure - translated into several other languages - with her husband made __like water for chocolate__ one of the most successful foreign films of the past decades - her second novel __law of love__ also focuses on the importance of love and incorporates magical realism - "Esquivel sets herself a mission to explore the redemptive power of love and art and displays boundless enthusiasm for parody"

Article 5: - Ideas came from experiences in the kitchen - date of birth - 1951 - born in Mexico - grew up in Mexico city - wrote and directed children's theatre (1980s) - __Law of love__ wasn't as successful

Article 3: - "Laura Esquivel brought Gabriel Garcia Marquez's brand of magic realism into the kitchen and the bedroom"

Magical Realism
//Magical Realism in literarture include:// time shifts, dreams, myths, fairy tales, surrealistic descriptions, the element of surprise, and shock and the inexplicable. (E-notes) -Magical realism is a common writing style for all latin american writers. -First develeoped by Alejo Caprentier, but then popularized by Gabriel Garcia Marquez -It is infused with distint, fantastic and epic themes. -Magical realism is heightened by visual imagery, natural elements. (Document 4) -In "Like Water for Chocolate" Tita's recipes have strange effects on those who eat them, like when spirits appear to her, and when she cries actual rivers of tears. -The fantastic element in Titas cooking, provokes strong emotions in her family. (Document 2)

Mexican History and Revolution
Article 2: Article 4: Article 3: Article 5: Article 1:
 * Setting: Focused on tyranny and resistance
 * Revolutionary forces clash with the Mexican regime, it represents Tita's battle against her mother
 * Revolution: reject old dictatorship, revive democracy, and claim Mexico for everyday men and women
 * Date of Revolution: 1910-1917
 * Catholic church was really powerful
 * Revolution started November 1910 led by Francisco Madero, successful revolt against Mexican President Porfirio Diaz.
 * The war ended in 1915. The new government still had opponents against them.
 * Peasants and natives banded together to fight off old dictatorship and revive democracy.
 * In the novel, Revolution represents masculinity and gender identity
 * Novel accurately maps the trajectory of feminist history in Mexican society.

Essay Discussion 1. **Magical Realism**
 * Magical realism is more about emotions and appealing to the reader's senses than appealing to the intellect, which is why Esquivel uses strong metaphors to describe sexual intensity and delight - she is concerned with exploring the importance of care and love to our well being
 * Religion is largely absent in the book so that the girls can follow their desires without restrictions - if there were a strong moral code we would be concerned with judging the characters rather than understanding their experiences

2. **Magical Realism in Like Water for Chocolate**
 * The kitchen is a paradox - both a creative retreat and a prison, showing the limited power of women's roles. Tita is happy cooking but she hates her role in the family. Her food creates both passion and illness. Thus both ambiguity and irony are established.
 * Mama Elena as an authority figure - she's a strong, almost masculine character
 * The 'magic' of the food fits in with MR

3. Visual and verbal representations of Women
 * Political analogy: Elena can be seen as the traditional government, Tita is liberated by the revolution, Gertrudis represents the rebellion (see Inaki for details)
 * Structure: the novel mirrors the structure of women's magazines - in monthly installments, incorporates recipes and fiction and advises on how to live etc etc
 * Tita: is in control of the kitchen and bedroom - she can be seen as the tragic hero of the story (see Ragna for more details!)

**//Like Water for Chocolate: Chapter Questions//**
 * January: Christmas Rolls (5-19)**

1) What kind of language does Mama Elena use to Tita? How does Esquivel establish their relationship?

2) How are relationships of power set up in this chapter?

3) What food metaphors can you find in the first chapter? What effect do they have? What is the connection between the recipe and the meaning of the novel in this chapter?

4) What examples of foreshadowing do you find in this chapter?


 * February:** **Chabela Wedding Cake (25-41)**

1) Examine this and the last chapter. How are humiliation and despair built up in these chapters? - the cake is made for Pedro and Rosaura's wedding - humiliated, Tita is making cake for her sister's wedding to the man who she is in love with. - Despair: Mama Elena tells her to 'suck it up' and she should not act like the victim. no tears, not even a long face. Mama Elena puts Tita in charge of all the wedding preparations. - "Tita beat, beat, beat the cake batter, as if she wanted to complete her martyrdom once and for all" - Despair, she is at a loss of things to do. - Mama Elena slaps Tita - humiliation - The chick in the egg - despair. Portrays that Tita will never have children

2) What might the author be trying to suggest about Mama Elena? - Mama Elena (through castrating the chickens) symbolically 'castrates' Tita - she can't have sex because she has to take care of Mama Elena - We also find out that Mama Elena did not approve of Nacha's fiancé - shows that Mama Elena is very tyrannical - has to be in control of everybody else - maybe because she no longer has her husband, feels that she has to make sure others don't have love either?

3) How are Tita’s emotions and her culinary creations linked? In what ways is Tita’s cooking a source of power? - cries into the cake batter - later on everybody who eats the cake starts throwing up and crying about 'lost love' - Through her cooking she gets rid of her emotions. She 'casts' her emotions onto others when they eat her food. This way, she no longer has to deal with the emotions, she is able to be strong, and for a certain amount of time doesn't have to deal with the sorrow.

4) What food metaphors can you find in this chapter? What effect do they have? What is the connection between the recipe and the meaning of the novel in this chapter? - the chick in the egg - metaphor for Tita never having children. Gives a frightening effect - reader empathizes with Tita. - Mama Elena castrates the chickens - metaphor for mama Elena denying Tita the chance of having children. Once again the reader feels sorry for Tita.




 * March: Quail in Rose Petal Sauce (47-60)**

1) How is the 'physicality' of life detailed in this chapter At the beginning of the chapter, Tita goes to kill the quails for dinner, but when she fails to kill one, and leaves it in pain she is immediately devastated, because instead of giving it a painless death, she let it live to die slowly and in pain, driving parallels with her own life, and Mama Elena as the killer. Another more lustful physical aspect is when both Tita and Pedro and filled with lust as they eat the Quail, and are almost making love without the touching, due to the blood that was mixed with the roses. Along with that Getrudis feels on fire and she needs a man to quench it.

2) What is the price of authoritarianism? Analyze your own response to Mama Elena. The price of authoritarian rule is that you become cold unforgiving, lonely and unloved. You have no ability to feel love. You pay the price by being hated by the ones you oppress such as Tita.

3) Why is the quail in rose sauce a particularly memorable dish? How do her sister Gertrudis’s experiences affect Tita? The quail in the rose sauce is the spark that ignites the fire in this chapter. It allows Tita and Pedro to feel physical love without the physical contact, while Getrudis feels uncommonly hot, along with a lustful aroma that surrounds her, and sweats pink. And the soldier, Juan from far away, feels the aromatic connection comes and rescues (note the lack of quotations around the word rescues) Getrudis from the tyranny of Mama Elena. And all this occurs due to the quail. Getrudis' escape is significant to Tita's development as a character for several reasons. Despite rumours that Getrudis became a prostitute, Tita still longs for the freedom her sister has. Despite Getrudis's explicit disavowal of society through her acts by joining the lowest social ladder, she in Tita's mind, is free. And through this first step, she begins to open up noting that she would have run away with Pedro at that moment, and later on, openly fights against Mama Elena by screaming at her that Elena was responsible for Roberto's death.

4) What food metaphors can you find in the first chapter? What effect do they have? What is the connection between the recipe and the meaning of the novel in this chapter? The roses used in the sauce mixed in with the blood represent the combination of lust and love, so the food itself acts as an aphrodisiac. The first quail and mentioned earlier represents Tita's slow death, while Rosaura's badly cooked dinner represents her lack of love. Because she was unable to make the food with her heart, she burnt it. The connection with the food/recipe and the novel is that the food represents the repressed desire between Pedro and Tita that it causes Getrudis to feel it, that it actually kills Pedro when he finally releases all his passion.


 * __General Questions__**

1. Why is Tita at home in the kitchen? Who else is, and isn’t, and what might this signify?

 Tita is at home in the kitchen because she is born on the kitchen table and is brought up by the family cook Nacha. I also think that Tita is at home in the kitchen because the kitchen is an escape from the rest of the world, dominated by her mother Mama Elena and that the kitchen is her sanctuary and the place that she can let her emotions out. She does this through the food, and it is via the food that others know her emotional response to the events of each chapter. People who dont feel at home in the kitchen: Rosaura - The kitchen is Tita's home and Rosaura is the rival of Tita because she married Pedro. She is the barrier for Tita stopping her from getting Pedro for herself. Tita's emotion towards her is exemplified when Rosaura enters the kitchen and ends up getting burnt, partly due to Tita. Mama Elena - Likewise, Mama Elena is particularly wary of anything that comes out of the kitchen. She keeps thinking that Tita is trying to poison her via the food

2. How does the youngest daughter rule determine the plot? Why does Mama Elena impose it? Tita being the youngest daughter in the family means that she has to take care of her mother until she (mother) dies. This makes it impossible for Tita to marry the man she loves and who loves her in return, Pedro. This is in a cause and effect relationship with the marriage between Rosaura and Pedro. This causes Tita to be extremely upset and essentially disown her family in her own right. All the events that occur in this book/in the household can be directed back to mama elena's rule. Due to the rule Tita is trapped inside the kitchen and that causes all the events that happen in the household to be circled around the kitchen and tita.

3. What point of view is adopted in the novel, and what effect does this have? Is the narrative believable? Is it involving?

3. In what ways is Tita’s cooking a power source?

4. What does the novel have to say in its first chapters about “the way history gets written”?

April: **Turkey Mole with Almonds and Sesame Seeds** **(65-81)**

1) In what ways does the author explore the idea of satisfying love in this chapter? Tita satisfies Roberto's basic needs: nourishment and love from a mother figure. She provides milk and attentiveness for Roberto. Roberto satisfies Tita's desires to become a mother, because Tita, according to Mama Elena, can never become a mother.

Pedro satisfies Tita's needs to feel loved by his staring at her breasts. He revived her faith in his love for her and makes her feel noticed.

Tita satisfies Pedro's erotic needs to be attracted to a woman. He is not attracted to Rosaura and Tita reminds him of how it feels to want to be with someone.

//It's interesting here to note that Tita's infertility contrasts with her role as chief nourisher and carer in the novel. She has no children of her own, yet she seems more maternal that either Mama Elena and Rosaura.// //Perhaps Esquivel is suggesting that you don't need to actually be a mother to be a mother figure; and that being a mother physically does not necessarily mean you are warm and nurturing. Likewise perhaps this relates to romantic love - it is found here outside of marriage, not in it, in almost all instances. Reminds me of Blood Wedding.....//

2) How does the author use TIME to create a sense of atmosphere?

Flashback of Roberto's birth. This explains the process in which Mama Elena suspects something is going on between Tita and Pedro starting from Rosaura's inability to feed her child and steps in to play the role of the mother and wife. This brings the readers back to the beginning and helps them understand what happened without explaining it in a whole other chapter.

"She didn't know how long she knelt in prayer, but when she pried her eyes open..." (pg 72) Wistful and desolate atmosphere because she is put in a difficult situation where she not only lacks the knowledge and skills to give birth, she is also helping her sister give birth to the child that she had with the man that Tita loves.

3) What food metaphors can you find in the first chapter? What effect do they have? What is the connection between the recipe and the meaning of the novel in this chapter?

Turkey Mole with Almond and Sesame Seeds

"She would invent new recipes, hoping to repair the connection that flowed between them through the food she prepared. Her finest recipes date from this period of suffering." (pg 69)

Turkey: Rosaura is always fed by Tita just like the turkey. "Turkey can be delicious, even exquisite, if the turkey has been fattened up properly." (pg 65) In a way, this is like Tita making fun of Rosaura by calling her fat and comparing her to an animal. This shows her displeasure with Rosaura. Eggs: The eggs give her warmth when her body is chilled. The eggs symbolizes the baby that Tita longs for. The eggs foreshadow that Tita will be able to nurture a baby and be a mother.

May: **Chorizo (87-101)**

1) What kind of language does Mama Elena use to control Tita? -forceful and demanding, manipulating, she makes Tita feel guilty and therefore makes her feel responsible to obey her mother. -always yelling or without any love, always bitter; it seems as if the way she speaks to Tita is like Tita is a servant or just the cook, with no blood relation. The reader senses no love between them, especially when Tita keeps hoping in her thoughts that Mama Elena dies.

2) What is significant about the __movements in language and action towards Tita's rejection of her mother's authorit__y?

-The way that Tita "screams wildly" at her mother; it shows some strength but it just also shows how sick and tired she is of obeying her mothers orders all the time, occupying all her time with work;labour; cooking. She is cooking without any pleasure; the one thing she had of showing her love or expressing her emotions, but she has no one who appreciates it. -Leaving the ranch shows courage but at the same time is running away from a problem, Mama will always be there but Tita just now has more freedom because she is away from the vicinity of where Mama Elena rules... -I don't think that disrespecting your mother like that is a wise choice, and i actually don't think it shows complete strength, because it just shows an explosion of all these emotions she has been keeping inside because of her mothers orders, all her life.

//Anika, thanks for your question. I'm asking here about the difference in Tita's language and actions before and after her rejection of her mother's authority. Before, we see the elaborate ritual of Tita preparing her mother's bath. These actions are like those of a slave, and her mother has many elaborate demands. We don't hear Tita's responses - she obeys silently. I love the irony of the line "Tita always thanked God that her mother only bathed once a week, because otherwise her life would be a real cross to bear." p94 Obviusly, her hard-working life IS a cross to bear, but she is playing tricks with her mind to make it bearable. Mama Elena continues to find fault, never thanking Tita for her hard work, and still we only see obedience and silence. There are long descriptions of Tita's work, and all the while she is trying to shut out her grief that Roberto has left. When Mama Elena abruptly announces Roberto's death and blames it on what he ate, then tells her not to cry, she reaches her breaking point. She rips apart the sausages and screams at her mother - in response her mother breaks her nose. She goes to hides in the dovecote. Tita's irrational and extreme actions and language show the depth of her anger, finally released, towards her mother. Mama Elena's violent reaction in place of language shows her physical domination and authoritarianism.//

3) Comment on Tita’s descent into “madness” and departure from the ranch. -I think this was one of the creepiest scenes in the whole book, since it shows really how much Mama's dictatotorial authoritarian personality has had an affect on Tita, mentally, physically, and emotionally. The way that she just explodes and yells at her mother saying that it was Mama Elena who had killed Roberto, and once she gets slapped across the face with the wooden spoon, the madness is triggered and she goes into the little hut upstairs with a pale of worms and her baby pigeon. This action reflects her refusal of her mothers traditional values and the societys' expectations, she is mentally blocked and physically cannot do anything else, she just stays in the corner trying to feed the pigeon. It shows her exhausting and lonelyness, she just cannot handle Mama Elena all the time, and all the labour she has to do, she never gets a break. (MUST remember that is never is stated that they leave the house; they seem to be always working or cooking, or knitting or cleaning?) -I think the way that Tita is shown in the end of the chapter, naked and covered in bird droppings, shows her in a state of weakness. This I think strengthens the character of Tita, because I think the author wanted her to be more relatable, and by having flaws, and seeing that not everyone is always so strong (Like Tita __IS__ throughout the whole novel) I believe that adds to her value as a character. It makes her dynamic, you see her in many different states and experiencing multiple emotions.

4) What food metaphors can you find in the first chapter? What effect do they have? What is the connection between the recipe and the meaning of the novel in this chapter? -The violent watermelon slicing, and how Mama Elena demolishes the watermelon, like she is destroying Tita's love and happiness. //You could link this to p230 where Mama Elena is shown enjoying smashing nuts (that sounds like castrating, doesn't it?!) in chpater 12. Basiclly, the only food preparation shes's goos at involves killing or smashing things, which is very indicitative of// -How the chorizo's end up having worms in them after Mama Elena prepares them (since Tita is gone from the ranch, or locked up with the doves), this implies that since Mama Elena is full of bitterness, when she prepares the food with all the precision yet no love, it turns out bad. So the worms are just a symbol of Mama Elena's dirt/bitterness/coldheartedness.

June: **A Recipe for Making Matches (107-118)**

1) Apart from not wanting to, what other clues are given in this and all the previous chapters why Tita will not speak?

2) Review the first half of the novel and ask yourself if there is any plausible analysis which makes sense of Mama Elena's pursuit of power.

=
It is evident that Mama Elena's family lacks a strong male figure. This does not conform to the family structure of many families in Mexican culture. Therefore, Mama Elena feels the need to step up to maintain a traditional family structure. She assumes the role of the patriarch in order to keep the family together, and keep it traditional. Her desire to retain traditional values can be seen through her requiring Tita to take care of her till her death.======

3) What food metaphors can you find in the first chapter? What effect do they have? What is the connection between the recipe and the meaning of the novel in this chapter?

In the month of June, the recipe given was for Matches. The matches are metaphors for the passion between Tita and Pedro. Their passion is so strong that it ignites and bursts into flames, like a matchstick. A quote from this chapter said “… each of us is born with a box of matches inside us but we can’t strike them all by ourselves…” (Pg115) We can infer that the ‘box of matches’ that is inside Tita and Pedro is their passion, and they are waiting for each other to ignite their passion. The ingredients needed to make a matchstick are all highly reactive such as potassium nitrate and phosphorus. Dr. Brown stated that there must be the right ingredients in order to make the reaction possible, “when the oxygen reached the top of the jar, where it encountered the melted phosphorus, an explosion occurred, brilliant, instantaneous, like a flash of lightning.” The ingredients of a match are a metaphor of a person in a way where an element of the match needs another specific element to ignite, and so does a person. The quote, “Tita thought the miracle was actually occurring when she saw her finders turning into a thin cloud rising to the sky. She prepared to ascend drawn by a superior power but nothing happened. Disappointed, she discovered that the smoke wasn’t hers.” (Pg 109) indicates that John was unable to ignite the matches inside of Tita despite the fact that Tita wished he could. It is now clear that Pedro was the only one that could light Tita’s ‘match’.

//Also, isn't it ironic that John teaches her how to make matches but he can't ignite his passion herself? His story is a rather sad one, I think.//


 * __General Questions__**

1. What are we to make of the miracle of Tita breast feeding Roberto? When you believe, there'll be miracles. When there is love involved in something you do anything can happen. Maybe it is suggesting that because Tita and Pedro are in love they are supposed to have children together. Therefore Roberto's real mother should be Tita, giving her the power to breast feed him instead of Rosaura. She wanted to be with Pedro so much that a miracle happened. The narrator says that Tita looks like Cerus on page 76 of the text. Ceres is the Roman god of motherly love. funny that...!

2. Explain who “the Kikapu” is and why she is important to the story. She is the traditional medicine woman in Indian Culture. She is accepted as a miracle healer and her name is Morning Light and she is John's Grandmother. She is important to the story because she symbolizes the acceptance of something different into a very traditional culture. John's community thought she was outlandish/weird/didn't like her ways/traditions but one day Peter(Johns great grandfather) was sick and Morning Light healed him. This proved that she deserved the respect of everyone and deserved acceptance despite her differences. She was just as capable and even better than the original doctor.

3. What is unusual about the packing of Gertrudis’ suitcase? What do we learn about the relationships of sisters from the packing? Tita packed some of Gertrudis' past along with her clothes. Tita wanted to fill the suitcase with anything that would help Gertrudis reminiscent about the nostalgic memories they both had when they grew up. Unfortunately she was only able to pack in the veil, prayerbook, the photo taken at the church. She couldn't pack in the food that Nacha cooked that Gertrudis likes because she has already passed away. She didn't want to pack in anything unpleasant like Mama Elena's scoldings and spankings. It is unusual because Tita packs things that are not actually physically there as well as does not pack things like Mama Elena's negativity and rules. I think from this we can learn the differences between the relationship between Gertrudis and Tita, and Gertrudis and Rosaura. Rosaura is less like a sister to them. G and T were not only sisters but friends as well.


 * July Ox-Tail Sou****p (123-139)**

1) How convincing a chapter is this in the novel?

2) Who should Tita marry? John or Pedro? Charlotte's opinion - I think she should marry John because obviously he loves her a lot and can take care of her. Pedro is married to her sister, and even though he claims to have married Rosaura because he wants to be closer to Tita he is 'having his cake and eating it too'. He is married, has children, yet at the same gets to have a lustful relationship with Tita. John would be faithful to her, and Tita enjoys his company, and they would be happy together. Even though Tita's heart belongs to Pedro,

3) Comment on the significance of stories and lies in this chapter. The idea of true vs false stories is brought into the novel by Chencha, when she is heading home from visiting Tita, she explains how true and false is interpreted differently depending on the person(perspective). She starts making up lies in order to steer away from the actual truth, because of fear she will get in trouble or punished for disobeying Mama Elena by visiting Tita. All the lies are in order to please Mama Elena; therefore it shows the product of such harshness that shown by Mama Elena towards Chencha and previously, Tita. Chencha makes up ridiculous lies, due to her "terror" of her own mother! It actually sounds childish, and quite relatable to us as teenagers, or to anyone with their own mother..but the fear that Chencha has of her own mother sounds more serious and not of a loving relationship/fear of disappointment. From this action taken by Chencha, the theme of personal conflict arises, she can either lie and if her mother believes it to be true, then all is well, or she can tell the truth, and if Mama believes her then she has disobeyed her; something looked down upon by society. This part also reminds me of Chronicle of a Death Foretold, because Chencha explains that disobeying parents, according to the 'talk around the town' she has heard of since she was a child, results in teh children ending up in 'a filthy gutter of a fast life'. ( I DONT KNOW WHAT THAT QUOTE MEANS THOUGH..does it mean like you live your fast with high pace and like a rebellious teenager, without thinking of hte consequences..and so it is dirty, full of sin or something?) Well anyways, this reminded me of like superstitions or maybe just tales that are told to children in order to get them to do or not do something.

Lies and Truth arises as well when Mama Elena has died, and how Tita looks into the little box since she has a hold of the key to open it. It is full of love letters between Mama Elena and her black (African American..sorry I don't mean to be racist..) lover, who she wasn't allowed to marry because of the man's blood (genes..) and because it was looked down upon by society..Everything that Mama Elena's daughters thought to be true about Mama Elena's past was still true, from what we know, and nothing was false but because she left out a huge part of her life..it just means that it is another truth that wasn't told. This reminds me of TOK, what is truth and what isn't truth, how did Tita know, just from these letters, that any information she was taking in was true..I guess because it makes sense, it sort of explains Mama Elena's behaviour a bit more, even though it doesn't make it acceptable..I felt that it kind of redeemed her, by having this secret out in the open, I felt bad for her because her life had been so much sadder than what Tita's life is like, so who is the real victim here...?

4) What food metaphors can you find in the first chapter? What effect do they have? What is the connection between the recipe and the meaning of the novel in this chapter?

The ox-tail soup reflects the way that love is passed on between the characters, Chencha gives it to Tita with pure love, hoping that she gets better, even visiting her although she knows for a fact it is forbidden, and then Tita makes it for her mother, MaMa Elena, when she returns to the ranch, genuinely hoping that it helps cure what she has. Tita, even though she has been treated harshly by her mother, still wants to give her the best treatment and care possible, knowing that Mama Elena is feeling embarrassed and helpless, even though she dare not show it. However Mama Elena, unable to accept the love that Tita gives to her or any love from the characters in the novel that are alive throughout the story, refuses to drink the whole soup; asking Tita to take it away as soon as she has had her first sip.

The watermelon is a metaphor for Mama Elena's violence and harsh dictatorship or authoritarian personality throughout the novel, especially towards Tita. The description of how Mama Elena chops up the watermelon with such precision and fierceness, while i was reading; sounded to me, like a cold hearted execution, without any love or care for the living organism..


 * August Champandongo** (145-159)

1) In what ways are needs set out in this chapter? Needs in the chapter are primarily depicted to be physical/sexual needs that were once suppressed and are released due to Mama Elena's death. Chechna's want for her now-husband, Pedro's want for Tita, all are released in the chapter, which are so potent they are seen in the phosphorescent plumes.

2) How might Tita lose by marrying Pedro? While she may have a passion for Pedro, she stands to lose alot. While Pedro is seems to love Tita dearly, he is clearly hot tempered, clouded by his emotions, and a wimp. John Brown, the person who (in my opinion should have married) fell in love with Tita acts as the antithesis for Pedro. He is calm, educated, not-wimpish, but still loves Tita albeit not as passionately as Pedro. He unlike Pedro is not a wimp telling (ok fine crippled) Mama Elena that Tita does not need her permission to marry John Brown. Pedro compensates by marrying Tita's sister. Further on by marrying Pedro she stands to lose her niece, whom she loves very much, because Rosaura might take her away, and give her the same fate Mama Elena gave Tita. 3) What food metaphors can you find in the first chapter? What effect do they have? What is the connection between the recipe and the meaning of the novel in this chapter?


 * September Chocolate and Three Kings Day Bread** (165-181)

1) How is loneliness suggested in this chapter? Showing nostalgia through flashbacks, such as those mentioning how Tita used to cook with Nacha and continuously mentioning that she misses her sister, Gertrudis. This mentioning confirms the fact that she is unhappy by herself, and misses how things used to be with these two people whom she loves. Through this, she is implying that her want and desire for Pedro is growing.

2) What advice would you give to Tita about her situation? I would tell her to inform Pedro about the pregnancy and break things off with john, so that it keeps him from getting any more hurt.

4) What food metaphors can you find in the first chapter? What effect do they have? What is the connection between the recipe and the meaning of the novel in this chapter? · Porcelain doll in bread (three kings)- Symbolizes "competition between her and her sisters." (pg 174) Also symbolizes wishes and miracles, and how they want to improve their lives. · The dough represents Tita’s pregnancy. (growing stomach) · Dough can also represent Rosaura because she continues to get fatter,


 * __General Questions__**

That her mother went through almost the same thing that Tita did. She was not allowed to marry the man she loved. Mama Elena was in love with a man from a different culture than she was. When her parents discovered the affair they forced Mama Elena to marry a man she didn't love. Mama Elena kept up the affair and then had an illigitament child---Gertrudis. which connects to Gertrdis' wild nature.
 * 1) What secret does Tita discover about her mother’s past?


 * 1) How is Esperanza like Tita?

October Cream Fritters (187-203)

1) How far do you think this chapter deals in attractive lies?

Gertrudis talked about "the truth" when Tita asked her for advice on what to do about Pedro. "...... but Rosaura is different, she knows the truth perfectly well and has to understand; what's more, I think that deep down she has always understood." (pg 190). Tita doesn't want to hurt her sister, and therefore she doesn't want to tell her about her relationship with Pedro. That can be considered an attractive lie.

Another attractive lie in this chapter was when Gertrudis and her troops are trying to look for the spy within, and therefore Trevino tried to get the prostitutes to help him by secretly looking out for a mole inside the spy's thigh. "The minute they got to town he took ont he job of going to every single brothel and gaining the confidence of every single prositute, using who knew what kind of arts." (pg 194).

2) What food metaphors can you find in the first chapter? What effect do they have? What is the connection between the recipe and the meaning of the novel in this chapter?

Cream fritters: Gertrudis's childhood/ good memories. "She wasn't riding alone - she carried her childhood beside her, in the cream fritters she had enclosed in a jar in her saddle-bag." (pg 203)

Recipe: - 1 cup of heavy cream - 6 eggs - cinnamon - syrup These are all 'normal' ingredients, things that everyone recognize as delicious, unlike the "moles" and "pork head". This foreshadowed that this chapter was going to be pleasant: Tita falls in love with Pedro all over again, and she stands up to Mama Elena. Also, the ingredients show that the dish will be a type of dessert. Desserts are usually served at the end of a meal and therefore we know this chapter will most likely be a falling action.

November Beans with Chile Tezcucana-style (209-224)

1) What is the nature of gratitude in this chapter? The nature of Tita's gratitude towards Dr. John comes from her guilt. Tita has cheated on John with Pedro, the man she really loves; However, John understands and forgives her. This is not because John does not feel hurt, but rather it is because of his kind and loving character that allows him to think for Tita rather than himself. Tita knowing John's generosity and love for her, then feels thankful to him. She pays close attention to the meal she is preparing for him and his Aunt Mary, making sure everything is close to perfection.

3) Which of the two sisters has 'right' on her side? To some extent, both sisters have a say in the situation. Rosaura was the sister that married Pedro legally, and therefore Tita's intervention between the two may be considered unrighteous. However, both Tita and Pedro were in love with each other before Rosaura was married to Pedro, and therefore Rosaura did not have any 'rights' to marry Pedro. Both reasons seem logical, however, Tita may have had more rights than Rosaura. In their argument, Tita states, "I had the same right to marry as you did, and you had no right to stand between two people who were deeply in love." (pg213) to Tita, the traditions that the youngest daughter had to stay unmarried was unjust to her, and that Rosaura took what originally belonged to Tita. If people behaved according to traditions only and forgot the morals and values of love and life, how is that correct? Rosaura left the two lovebirds devastated merely because of a 'need' to abide by the rules of tradition; therefore Tita had more 'right' to see pedro and be upset.

3) What food metaphors can you find in the first chapter? What effect do they have? What is the connection between the recipe and the meaning of the novel in this chapter?

In this chapter, the food have a nurturing, soothing effect. They are the manifestation of Tita's emotions. In the beginning of this chapter, we are made aware that the food have had an positive effect on Pedro's recovery. This is because Tita had put effort into his meals. On the morning in which the chapter begins, "Tita didn't have the time to devote to [Pedro's meals], she wanted to make the meal for John the best she could." Without her devotion and care towards the preparation of Pedro's meal, her care or rather lackthereof manifested itself within the food she serves to Pedro. As Pedro consumes the food that were not prepared with care, jealous consumes him and he starts a fight with Tita. Without good mood, the food do not taste good as well. The Chilaquiles she repaired were not as good as they tasted when Tita ate with Pedro or Rosaura.

While I have argued that the food is nurturing, I still find it ironic that Rosaura could consume Tita's food and get fat since they are conflicting. While is the same food being served to the family, Tita dislikes Rosaura but likes/feels sorry for Pedro. "[Rosaura] became thin very quickly, but all she had to do was come back to the ranch and she got fat again!" Perhaps it is not the nurturing nature of the food she is feeding on, but the hatred and jealousy she perceives from the food Tita prepares. Rosaura is one that consumes jealousy/hatred, not good-will/good-wishes.

During the fight between Rosaura and Tita, Tita tore up Tortillas. Thus, she builds her anger within these tortillas. This anger is transferred to the the chickens as a fight among them ensues after the chickens were fed the chunks of tortillas. This anger is not exterior, it in interior, consumed. Maybe this is the reason it cannot be put out by the water Tita pours on the chicken. The water is an external stimuli, it cannot reduce/stop the flame/anger within the chickens. Without anyway to put out the fire, the chicken fought till only 3 are left and they all soon disappear.

Until this part of the chapter, there has been nothing but arguments. Like Nacha advised, the bean were not cooked despite hours of cooking. As long as arguments take place while the beans are cooked, it will not be fully cooked. The only way to stop this effect is to sing. Singing has a double effect in this part of the novel. Firstly, it magically removes the anger from the beans and allows them to cool. Secondly, it has a magical and intimate effect on Tita. While she sings, she is reminded by the passion that Pedro ignites within her, but as she continues, the burning sensation stops, giving way to infinite tenderness.

Tooth powder represents cleanness, and probably purity. It was taught to Tita by Jovita who was widowed at the age of eighteen. Afterwhich, she swore to a life of celibacy. The purity of this decision probably manifests itself in this recipe of tooth powder that can be used to clean.

When Aunt Mary and John comes, Tita serves them the food she had prepared with dedication and care. Consuming these food of calmness is probably one of the reasons John did not flare up when Tita breaks off the engagement. It is also peaceful for Aunt Mary who delightfully enjoys the meal served by Tita.

Desert was definitely a form of relief for Tita. "Swallowing it, her body was refreshed, her mind cleared". It was the same for Aunt Mary (The aunt was crazy about the desert". Tita giving Aunt Mary the recipe can probably be seen as a form of comfort, or gratitude towards John for his understanding.

December Chiles in Walnut Sauce (229-246)

//1) In what ways is this final chapter emotionally satisfying?// "December" is an emotion-filled chapter. It starts with the preparation of the chilies for Esperanzas and Juans wedding, it describes the tedious labour that goes into peeling, and grounding the nuts into a sauce. Throughout this whole chapter, Tita describes her overwhelming feelings of lust, and passion for Pedro, all while cooking. The chapter flashes back to the death of Rosaura as well, and it goes into exaggerated detail about how she died. Magical realism is clearly evident in this section-according to Rosaura, Tita's food was poisoning her, and that she couldn't eat what Tita served her. She could taste the emotions and hate that Tita felt, in the food. Which eventually led to her indigestion, and death. After she dies, Tita is essentially liberated from all of her bottled-up feelings, and can finally express her 'true colors'.

This chapter is "emotionally satisfying" in the sense that Tita is finally set free from her emotionally unstable life. By making the chilies, and feeling passionate about life, everyone is able to experience those feelings with her. "Today, instead of feeling terrible longing and frustration, they felt quite experienced sensation like the one Gertrudis had when she ate the quails in rose sauce." (p.241) "Everyone else, including ranch hands, was making passionate love, wherever they had happened to end up" (p. 242)

These two quotes help underpin the overwhelming emotion felt within this chapter.

//2) What aspects of the writing may/may not contribute to that?// The aspect in the writing that contributes to this intense emotional chapter is of course the magical realism. It enables the author to express the overwhelming but still suppressed lust that Tita feels for Pedro through her recipe of Chilies in Walnut Sauce. Even though this theme has been evident throughout the rest of the book, once again Tita shares her emotions through her food to the rest of the characters at the wedding when everyone succumbs to extreme passion while eating the chilies, which is what Tita has been feeling for Pedro all these years. Another example of the magical realism contributing to the emotional ending would be when Tita eats all the candles in the room in order to die and be together with Pedro. Additionally, when the bodies of Pedro and Tita “ignited the entire ranch” (p. 245) it represents the fact that Tita has finally triumphed over her mother and managed to break away from societies desires and pursue her own.


 * __General Questions__**


 * 1) How would you characterize John Brown’s reaction to Tita’s revelation about her and Pedro?


 * 1) Do Tita and Mama Elena love each other? Does Mama Elena’s secret redeem her?


 * 1) What does Esperanza’s life represent?