Like Wate for Chocolate Book Analysis

Like Water for Chocolate

Laura Esquivel

Like Water for Chocolate is a 3rd person, Mexican novel driven mostly by two topics, the disruption of tradition and how love conquerors all. The book also uses incredible imagery and figurative language to blend typical Mexican life in this time period with recipes and a little bit of magic. It is great for anyone reading at a high school level or higher.

At this time in Mexican society tradition was an extremely important part of everyday life. Tita, the main character, is in a constant inward struggle regarding whether to submit to the tradition she grew up with, which has been passed on for centuries, or to pursue her own desires. Basically the book forces the reader to contemplate whether to follow a tradition that defies what common sense and human nature tells us is worth maintaining the structure of an entire culture. A tradition stating that the youngest daughter cannot marry and must remain solely to serve their mother until her death not only prevents Tita from marrying the man she loves, but also threatens to do the same to her beloved niece. Tradition threatens to tear the family apart as it causes Gertrudis, Tita's sister, to run away to escape the restrictions and Pedro, Tita's lover, to marry Tita's other sister, Rosaura, causing Tita and Rosaura to become enemies. It makes the reader think, is the upholding of family tradition worth the destructions of a family?

Another prominent theme in Like Water for Chocolate is the strength and endurance of true love. Throughout the book Tita and Pedro are forced to bear constant trials and terrible odds to remain together. After Pedro marries Rosaura, which he does solely to remain close to Tita, he and Tita are forced to hide their...