Fidelity In Laura Esquivel's 'Like Water For Chocolate'

Throughout life everyone has experienced fidelity, infidelity, betrayal, or loyalty at least once. However, many people do not realize that there can be more than one type of betrayal and infidelity. Betrayal and infidelity are not always present between husband and wife, but can also be between parents and children, between siblings with other siblings, and between yourself. Fidelity, infidelity, betrayal, and loyalty are all present in Madame de Lafayette ‘s book, “The Princesse de Clѐves,” and Laura Esquivel’s book, “Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments, with Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies”. In Madame de Lafayette’s, and Esquivel’s books they are both illustrating how no matter what a person does they will always betray someone, and that is it okay to be loyal to other people even if doing so means betraying oneself? Madame de Lafayette was born in Paris in 1634 and died in 1693. Lafayette published “The Princesse de Clѐves,” in 1678. In “The Princesse de Clѐves,” Lafayette does a great way on showcasing the many ways betrayal can happen within relationships. In Lafayette’s book, there are many, many

For example, Tita falls in love with Pedro and asks her mom if he can ask for her hand. Instead of Mama Elena letting Pedro marry Tita she makes him marry Rosaura. Her mom knew perfectly well that Tita was madly in love with Pedro however she didn’t even bother to consider those feelings. Tita’s mom told her and later explain to Pedro why she couldn’t marry the reason was since Tita was the youngest daughter she would not be able to marry because Tita had to take care of her mom until Mama Elena died (Esquivel 10). Tita’s mom Betrayed her because she didn’t consider her own daughters feeling, and instead married Tita’s sister, Rosaura, to