Like Water For Chocolate By Laura Esquivel Analysis

Interview with Laura Esquivel In a recent book signing, Laura Esquivel, a renowned Mexican novelist and screenwriter, sat down with us for an interview. We discussed her best-seller, “Like Water for chocolate,” and her distinctive writing style and usage of magical realism.

Interviewer: Why do you write? Is writing a process of healing and rejuvenation or is it more of a labor of love?

Esquivel: I wouldn’t confine writing to be merely a process of healing, a labor of love or a craft. It is all of that and certainly more than that too. I write because my writing is my own roadmap in life. Writing guides me through unexplored paths and when things seem hazy or when I am lost, it helps me find my way. It is like an illuminating lamp that guides

There is also a sense of immortality that writing brings and as mortal beings it is something we crave for, which makes writing an enthralling experience, almost similar to a race.

Interviewer: Your work typically includes leading anti-heroines, anti-feminine and female characters who are not given much importance by society. What do you hope to convey to your readers through this?

Esquivel: These characters stand out to me because I feel that they are the real heroines in this world. In a world, which is dominated by a dog-eat-dog policy, these women struggle to fit in, to belong and to create an identity for themselves. These women are also caught between the radical feminist ideologies that emphasize on roles which are typically more powerful and authoritative in nature than the paths they desire for themselves in their life. Through my work I want to encourage them to follow their own desires in their life rather than placing importance on what society thinks or what “feminism” requires them to

Esquivel: As I mentioned before, in this present age, there is some pressure for women from radical feminist ideologies to take on authoritative and powerful roles. Women opting to take roles that are related to domesticity are sometimes looked down up. I wanted to assert that a woman can be a feminist and can still take on archetypal roles such as a being a caretaker or a cook. It doesn’t matter what path women choose for themselves whether it is being a cook or being a CEO, what matters at the end of the day is that they choose their own path in life that accords with their desires.

Interviewer: How do you employ magical realism to address very realistic and even somewhat contentious issues such as the role of tradition and women in our daily