Like Water for Chocolate Like water for chocolate is a novel written by Laura Esquivel. Laura Esquivel was born in Mexico in 1951. Laura Esquivel said that she wrote the novel based on her own experiences in her grandmother's kitchen (Novel for Students). Like Water for Chocolate takes place at the turn of the 20th century. Like Water for Chocolate also takes place during the Mexican Revolution. The title, Like Water for Chocolate is a phrase. It means water at its boiling point. In Mexico, they make the beverage, hot chocolate, with water. They add chocolate after the water is boiled. This Mexican expression describes something that is so tense it is about to explode. This expression relates to the Mexican Revolution because during this time …show more content…
Mama Elena uses tradition as a way to control Tita, and the rest of her family. Just as people that lived through the Mexican Revolution, Tita tries to overcome her mother’s rules by creating unique dishes in the kitchen. Like Water for Chocolate is mainly about food, family, love, and traditions. Laura Esquivel uses Like Water for Chocolate for opposite gender roles during the time of the Mexican Revolution. She gives the woman in the novel male roles, and she gives the males in the novel some female qualities. Like Water for Chocolate takes place on a ranch, in Northern Mexico. During the novel, Tita struggles to gain independence. Tita also struggles with love. Fifteen year old Tita is in love with Pedro. Pedro asks Tita for her hand in marriage, but according to Mama Elena's tradition, Tita is too young to get married. To abide by the tradition, Tita must stay home to take care of her widowed mother for the rest of her life. Mother Elena offers Pedro the hand of one of her other daughters, Rosaura instead. According to Pedro, he only marries Rosaura so that he can stay close to Tita. In the kitchen, Tita uses creative meals to express her feelings. The meals that Tita creates have strange effects on who ever eats it. Tita