Like Water for Chocolate

Love and Hate Relations

The greatness of love triggers various emotions to uncover themselves. Low self-esteem and cruelty can lead to rebellion; although a particular nature of rebellion may lead to a greater lifestyle than was before . In Laura Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate, Tita experiences a ruthless standard of life under her mother, Mama Elena. Eventually, Tita escapes from her mother and lives a much better life. Laura Esquivel portrays Tita's life journey through oppression or misfortune, and maturity, thereby showing the reader the ultimate power of love.

In Laura Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate, Tita, the main character, learns the intensity of love through oppression and misfortune. According to the De la Garza family tradition, Tita faces a solitary life without a husband. The De la Garza family tradition clearly states that the youngest daughter can not marry in order to ensure that her mother is well taken care of; unfortunately for Tita, she is the youngest daughter. Mackenzie E. Dennard gives another theory as to why Mama Elena acts unkindly towards Tita: "Her mother is jealous of Tita and Pedro's love, not because it is wrong, but because it was something that she once had. She won't allow Tita to be happy, prohibiting her from having the life that she wants and in order to do so, she forces a ridiculous tradition upon her". In the novel, after Mama Elena dies, Tita finds Mama Elena's letter from a secret lover. After this discovery Tita realizes her mother did not permit her to marry because she was discontented with her own love life. Misfortune also contributes to Tita's unpleasant reality. For instance, Tita falls in love with Pedro who intends to request for her hand in marriage. Mama Elena refuses to let Tita marry but decides that Pedro is a suitable young man for Rosaura, Tita's older sister.

Furthermore, the audience of Laura Esquivels' Like Water for Chocolate, experiences