Like Water For Chocolate Gender Analysis

Up until the late 1910’s, women did not have much say with what went on in society, nor did they have much control over their own lives. It had been tradition that a woman obeyed without question and did anything in her power to please those around her. Such ideals are seen in Like Water for Chocolate, however, instead of having to follow a male figurehead, Tita, her sisters, Pedro, and even Mama Elena must obey the invisible laws of society. However, everyone finds a way to bend these laws and help get a foot into the threshold of how things are in the modern day. Through Tita, Gertrudis, Mama Elena and other characters actions, it is shown that women do have a tremendous amount of power in regards to what they do. Such is shown through, feminism, gender role reversals and cultural symbols. Mama Elena displays traits of gender role reversals. Throughout the novel, Mama Elena is seen as a tyrannical figure, hindering her daughters’ lives and causing an inconvenience to those around her. However, no one seems to take into account the backstory that hangs over Mama Elena like a giant thundercloud. In the beginning of the novel, she loses her husband. And in the days of the Mexican Revolution, being a widowed mother was a recipe for disaster. Mama

I hate you, I’ve always hated you!(Esquivel 199).” With these words, Tita finally breaks the lock that has kept her alienated for so long. De Valdes describes such a relationship to be why the title is Like water for Chocolate, "water at the boiling point" and is used as a simile in Mexico to describe any event or relationship that is so tense, hot, and extraordinary that it can only be compared to scalding water on the verge of boiling” The confrontation and breaking the cycle of blind obedience caused a tension so great it could be compared to boiling water. Tita breaks the cultural symbol of children blindy respecting everything their parents say, only when they are