Confinement in "like water for chocolate" and "doll's house"

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How confinement leads to eventual emancipation in the two books, “Like Water for Chocolate” and “A Doll’s House”

     In the two texts, A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen and Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, Nora Helmer and Tita, who is also referred to as Josefita, are subject to the paradox of confinement and freedom.

     We soon notice that Tita is restricted to the ranch and kitchen, and Nora to the house. In the seclusion of the Kitchen, Tita is is liberated from Mama Elena’s control, has freedom of self expression through cooking, and can openly express her feelings. Along with the realization that Tita is restricted to the ranch and kitchen, we find that Tita is a very skilled cook with mystical abilities, and also has some freedom and control in the household.

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     Tita and Nora are victims of role-play. Tita has the role of housewife and Nora is a mother and wife. Nora finds freedom in her debt, which gives her a sense of authority and control. Ibsen uses debt as a symbol to expose the superficiality of Nora and Torvald’s marriage. Ibsen uses Nora’s secret debt as a tool for making social comment. It is significant for Nora’s realization of the shallowness of their marriage and it also gives her a sense of pride and control in her dialty life. The debt gives her freedom for self discovery but ...

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