Discuss the role of tradition in the global text you have studied and the impact it has on the characters(TM) lives

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Research Essay

Discuss the role of tradition in the global text you have studied and the impact it has on the characters lives.

Words: 1035

Like Water for Chocolate is Laura Esquivels first novel, first published in 1989, and became a bestseller in the author's native Mexico. Esquivel uses a creative way of bringing in monthly recipes to tell the story, just like Amy Coffin said  Throughout the book, the food is described in such detail, that I could taste every flavor. The story is about a girl, named Tita, whose life connects closely to the kitchen when shes young. Her love has been forbidden by her wicked mother, which makes her life miserable. The novel's imaginative mix of recipes, home remedies, and love story set in Mexico in the early part of the century induce readers to think about the insane tradition that causes bad things.

In this story, tradition is the main cause of everything, starts from Mama Elena. She loves Jose, who carries Negro blood. Later, her family discovers and because of tradition they prevent her from being with him by force her into marriage with Juan De la Garza, Titas father. Mama Elena gets pregnant with Jose blood inside her babys body. She plans to run away with Jose but he is murdered. Then she gives birth to Joses child. Juan finally knows about her love with Jose and dies of a heart attack in the day Tita is born. Tita is Juans third child who Mama Elena doesnt love although Tita always tries to treat her dutifully. All her life she has been abusing Tita as she wants to take revenge for her love on Tita because when Tita is born, Juan dies (may be Mama Elena blames her for the death of Juan). No one knows about this truth of her past except herself. She just keeps it as a secret for her entire life. If Mama Elena tells Tita, she may feel sympathetic for her mother and Pedro may wait for his true love until Mama Elena passes away. In the end, Mama Elena kills herself by taking ipecac.

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At first, Mama Elena separates Titas passionate love with Pedro. When Tita tells Mama Elena that Pedro and his father are coming to the ranch and to ask her for Titas hand, she says: hell be wasting his time and mine too…….the youngest daughter means you have to take care of me until the day I die. The tradition continuously destroy Titas life. She has been ill-treated by Mama Elena for a long time. Esquivel's comment about Mama at one point in the narrative is: "Unquestionably, when it came to dividing, dismantling, dismembering, desolating, detaching, dispossessing, destroying or dominating, Mama ...

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