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Like Water for Chocolate

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Submitted By lys1991
Words 729
Pages 3
The story of Like Water For Chocolate, written by Laura Esquivel, is about a girl named Tita De La Garza and her struggle to pursue true love and claim her independence. In this novel, the protagonist is Tita whereas her mother Mama Elena is an antagonist. Tita and her mother never had a strong relationship or a bond with each other and Tita ends up developing a relationship with food that gives her power to nurture and give out let to her emotions. Tita is good at cooking since she was born on the kitchen table. There is a ranch cook named Nacha, the prime caretake for Tita throughout her childhood, and provides her with the love and supports Mama Elena's family. Nacha is also the source for most of recipes in the novel. Later in March, Nacha died on the day of Rosaura's wedding. Tita has to take over Nacha's ranch cook place since she stayed closely with Nacha. Tita was happy because she became the official ranch cook; however, she feels sad because of Nancha's dead. Tita tried her best to prove that she was the best ranch cooker. According to author Elena, "Tita was the best qualified of all the women in the house to fill the vacant post in the kitchen, and in there flavors, smells textures, and the effects they could have were beyond Mama Elena's iron command."(49) Although Tita had a older sister who has never cook before. According to the book, "As the first meal that Rosaura has cooked it is not bad. Don't you agree, Pedro?"(51) Pedro bought a bouquet of roses to celebrate her first year as ranch cook. However, Rosaura sees Pedro had a bouquet of roses just for Tita. As Rosaura got jealous, she burst into tears and ran away from room.
Although Tita was not the best ranch cook, not also the worst, she tried to cook quail with roses that was given by Pedro since she did not want to throw them away. She did not know how to cook, but was trying to remember Nacha's recipe. Firstly, she needed to kill quails. She tried to kill them. According to author Laura Esquivel, " WIth a deep breath, she took hold of the first one and twisted its neck, as she had seen Nacha do so often, but she used too little force to kill the poor quail, which went running pitifully around the kitchen, it is head hanging to one side." (49) She knew that she could not "be week when it comes to killing: you have to be strong or it just causes more sorrow." (49) She needed to be much better and stronger than her mother who could kill quail with a single blow.
As a ranch cook, Tita was preparing food for the wedding celebration. While she was cooking, Rosaura came inside and wanted to take over Tita's place. Because she wanted to show off her husband that she could cook. According to author, "But whether she did it to impress her husband Pedrop or to compete with Tita in her own territory there was one day when Rosaura did attempt to cook."(50) After Rosaura cooked, everyone who ate Rosaura's dishes got a problem with stomachs. The entire family felt sick to their stomachs and ran straight to the bathroom. Even Rosaura could not stand her dishes. According to author, "Rosaura, saying she was feeling sick and getting nauseous barely took three bites. But something strange was happening to Gertrudis." (51) Mama Elena knew that the quail was exquisite . Tita felt so happy because her sister could not cook very well.
In the conclusion, this March month shows Tita became ranch cook after the dead of Nacha. Tita was good at cook since she was born on the kitchen table and spent all her life in a kitchen like a servant. When Pedro gave a bouquet of roses in front of Rosaura to Tita, Rosaura got jealous. Tita cooked those roses with a delicious quail dish instead of throwing roses away. While Tita was cooking, Rosaura came into the kitchen and wanted to show how she could cook easily; however, her dish was failed. Everyone got a stomach problem after eating her dish. This proves that Tita was the best qualified to fill the vacant post in the kitchen.

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