smile.’(56) The tradition notion of marriage bestows the father ultimate control over his family, in this
occasion, the chief is undermining the dominance of the father, implicitly challenging traditional japanese
cultures. This confrontation and juxtaposition between this two contrasting ideologies highlights Mishima’s
reinforcement of the the nihilistic values upheld by the gang.’There was a moment, one brief instant, when
Pedro could have changed the course of their story.’(56), Esquivel further reinforces the idea, ‘But that was
all. There was no time to finish. He was forced back to grim reality.’(56) The reality referred to in this line, is
the reality of the marriage to Rosaura. The fact that Pedro gave up the conviction of eloping reflects the
mastery and power of the Mexican tradition that predominates the strongest of human emotion that connects
Tita and Pedro; lust and desire.
Both novels are commonly set in a social context where shame culture plays a substantial role in
determining human behaviour. ‘ He (Ryuji) became the worst thing on the face of earth, a father.’(162) This
greatly humiliated Noburu before the gang, as before, he idolised Ryuji to be as heroic figure who chased
after glory and honour as a sailor. In Japanese culture, honour and glory for men is clearly reflected in their
Samurai culture, which parallels the nihilistic and cynical moral code advocated by the gang. ‘But if you
really want Pedro to get married, allow me to suggest my daughter Rosaura, who’s just two years older than
Tita. She is one hundred percent available.’(13). Mama Elena was resilient that the youngest daughter of the
family must stay unmarried, angrily exclaiming that her daughter ‘will not be the first’ to defy the Mexican
traditions that were laid down centuries ago. Tita is expected to act as a deferential and filial daughter who
will care for her mother until the day she died. Mama Elena oppressed Tita into abiding the age-old tradition
to save her family from shame.
The representation of marriage in Like Water for Chocolate and Sailor were both perceived amongst two
contrasting culture; American against Mexican and Western against Japanese respectively. ‘Jose was the
love of her life’, yet Mama Elena was restricted from marrying him because ‘he had Negro blood in his
veins.’(137). Mama Elena had an affair with a black man, yet was forcibly disconnected because of the
difference in race and culture, underlining another feature in the Mexican culture, that shows it to be
extremely exclusive. ‘ No woman had attracted him since the death of his wife five years before.’ (74) In
direct reference to John Brown, a foreigner, this depicts a contradicting belief from mexican tradition, that
marriage (as John ultimately proposed to Tita) is is a product of love and passion. In Sailor, Fusako appears
to be a greatly westernised woman who leads a fashionable life in her prestigious store, yet she falls in love
with a Japanese Sailor who complies with the traditional principles of glory and honour. This clash of
tradition as expressed through the image of marriage, expands the diversity and versatility of marriage as a
symbol.
‘She would have to find some way, even if it was an artificial one, of striking a fire that would light the way
back to her origin and to Pedro.’(245) Tita sacrificed herself when she realises Pedro was killed ‘at the
moment of ecstasy’, killing herself due to he love and desire for Pedro. Contrastingly, Ryuji death, as implied
at the end of the novel, was murdered by the boys because of his loss of honour and glory, he was viewed as
a destroyer of the nihilistic society as believed by the gang, that had to be disposed of. This very act of
murder that prevents Ryuji from marrying Fusako reflects the success of the dominance of Japanese pride
over marriage, depicting glory and honour to be superior to all other aspects of life, and is even worthy of
death.
The antagonist of Like water for chocolate; Mama Elena, who also plays the role of mother and head of the
family, displays the act of oppression. While in Sailor, the notion of honour is reinforced by a gang of 13-
year old boys. The difference in social hierarchy of the two repressive impacts enforces the contrasting
nature of the Japanese and Mexican culture. In Mexican Culture, respect and honour for the elderly is most
significant and above all moral principles, demonstrating the domineering nature of hierarchy. ‘She felt like
screaming, Yes, she was having problems, when they had chosen something to be neutered, they’d make a
mistake, they should have chosen her.’ (27)Tita harbours a devastating internal struggle, yet she dares not
fight back. On the contrary, in Japanese culture, although the boys are young, they dare to take the law in
their own hands, ‘Soon the shirts would be flapping in the wind and then he would be killing, breaking the
endless chain of society’s loathsome taboos.’(57) This quote lucidly displays the superiority of the nihilistic
views values by the gang to be above social order.
The symbol of marriage is applied in similar context and background of the two novels, yet they were
carefully tailored to perform divergent roles. For Like water for Chocolate, it is to reflect the dominance of
the Mexican culture over love and desire in the union of a man and a woman, ‘If you still love him, then
why are you going to marry John?’(188), love is entirely severed from the act of marriage. Mishima thriftily
crafted Ryuji and Fusako to be from distinct social classes. One is a sailor, the other a prestigious store
owner, it appears their love was able to thaw their differences and bring about a union in love. Yet the murder
of Ryuji, leading to the non-existence of the marriage reflects the power and capacity of glory and honour in
Japanese life. ‘ Yet when the woman had been attained, the other two withdrew beyond the offing’, this
marks the two competing forces present in Ryuji’s circumstances. ‘The things he had rejected are now
rejecting him.’(180) This line illustrates the contradiction Ryuji experienced owing to his impending
marriage to Fusako, marriage(as a symbol) perfectly embodies the struggle Ryuji faced; the conflict between
the ‘offing’ of Japanese pride and “the woman”, metonymy for marriage to a woman.
To conclude, both writers adopted marriage to a great extent as a major motif to symbolise each novel’s
socio-economic context impeccably. In Like Water for Chocolate, Laura Esquivel depicts the journey of
exploration of the mexican identity, which ultimately reveals the puissance of social expectations and
hierarchy in the mexican culture, flawlessly embodied by the notion of marriage. Furthermore, the novel is
set during the Mexican revolution, paralleled to the struggle undertaken by Tita. Tita epitomizes the
insurgents who falls victim to the age-old traditions, resulting in a tragic death, which was not uncommon
during times of the revolution. While the novel revolves around “revolution” as a concept, the representation
of themes are ultimately spearheaded by the motif of marriage. Adopting juxtaposing ideas to enhance the
clash of cultures, Mishima successfully accentuates the cultural and social dimensions of the Japanese
context. Together with the motif of marriage and Ryuji’s death from his ‘loss of masculinity and honour’,
Mishima advocates the nihilistic viewpoints harboured by the gang. While marriage carries rather disparate
connotations in the Japanese and Mexican culture, Esquivel and Mishima, both triumphed in conveying the
contextual theme through meticulous manipulation of the symbol; “marriage”.
