In Laura Esquivel's novel Like Water for Chocolate, magical realism is one of the most dominant themes of the novel. Like Water for Chocolate is a novel that uses magic in ways that will affect almost everyone around the source that produces the magic in a good or bad way. Like Water for Chocolate is a story of a young woman, growing up during the Mexican Revolution whose fate is set by her discouraging, domineering mother. Tita, the protagonist of the story, lives with her mother, Mama Elena, two older sisters, Rosaura and Gertrudis, and the cook, Nacha. Magical realism illustrates how passionate Tita is for cooking.
Through the magical realism in the Like Water For Chocolate, Tita express her love through cooking. With a rose given to her secretly by Pedro, Tita prepares quail in rose petal sauce. The recipe is of pre-Hispanic origin, and it is in Nacha's voice that the secrets are transmitted.
Like Water for Chocolate
Pedro on Bridge 1
PedroTita cooks this special meal with the petals of a rose given to her by Pedro, the still-fiery force of their love (transmitted through the food) has an intense effect on Mama Elena's second daughter, Gertrudis, who is whipped into a lustful state and flees the ranch in the arms of a revolutionary soldier. The intensity of the family's reaction to the meal serves to communicate the potency of the passion that she possesses but is unable to express directly. With her primary form of expression limited to food, Tita takes the illicit token of love from Pedro and returns the gift, transforming it into a meal filled with lust.
The magical realism in this book illustrates Tita's character. It shows her emotions, feeling and passionate for cooking. This just goes to show her love for cooking and what is to...