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Like Water For Chocolate Magical Realism Analysis

996 Words4 Pages

What is magical realism? Magical realism by definition is: A literary genre or style, especially associated with Latin America that incorporates fantastic or mythical elements into an otherwise realistic fiction, this is according to Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11 Edition). What this means is that the majority of the novel is real, but there are obviously fictional parts that we must accept as real. How is magical realism used in the book Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel? This essay, we will discuss three different incidences of magical realism in the book written by Ms. Esquivel. One of the incidents that will be discussed is how the author turns “tears into salt.” Another incident discussed is when Tita makes a cake and all the guests eat it and how the cake made everyone “long for love.” The third incident under discussion demonstrates how the author creatively uses a “box of matches” to signify a person internal soul and how it functions. Moreover, in this essay we will review specific details on how these examples are used in the plot Like Water for Chocolate. Stay tuned as this is an interesting genre to explore.
The initial incident in the …show more content…

The book delivers some highly imaginative descriptions. It also provides some descriptions of real events based in historical fact that make this novel believable and intriguing. Magical realism adds significant “umph” to each plot line by carefully portraying fictional stories in a realistic setting with overlays of fantastical events. By Laura Esquivel using magical realism in Like Water for Chocolate, she brings a creative glance into some long lost traditional beliefs from the Mexican culture and mythology. She is able to capture some exciting stories and portray them in such a manner that you do not want to put the book

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