Like Water for Chocolate

1. Like water for Chocolate is a love story between two characters Tita and Pedro. Tita, the protagonist, is born as the last child who is destined to take care of her mother until the day she dies, and never marry. Once Titas mother, Mama Elena, becomes aware of the love that these two characters feel for each other she is willing to do the impossible to keep them apart. Rosaura, Tita's older sister, marries Pedro on her mothers command. Pedros reason for betraying Tita and marrying Rosaura is that it would allow him to be close to Tita. As time goes on Pedro and Rosaura remain married and conceive two children, but his love for Tita never dulls. Tragically many characters including Rosaura and Mama Elena die and there is no stop to Tita and Pedro's love. Tita and Pedro are finally able to express their love for one another and in the end die with each other.
2. The novel had many themes but the one that stood out to me most was the way that a person is capable of preventing ones happiness to keep themselves satisfied. Mama Elena was capable of letting her daughter suffer from love so that she would have her daughter at her side for the rest of her life to take care of her.
3. The authors tone changed as she described different scenes of the book. For example, when Tita was born the author expressed much excitement in her tone while describing the events that had occurred as Tita was being born. Her exaggerated tone put emphasis on the fact that Tita's birth was very important. Once the author began to write about Tita's first time meeting Pedro her tone was romantic and affectionate in describing their actions and feelings towards each other. The authors tone was powerfully implied as she switched into the scene where Mama Elena was protecting her ranch from the federal troops when they had arrived and demanded that she give them what they wanted. Her tone became angry and tough as she used dialogue between Mama Elena and the general.
4. While reading the book I observed the fact that magical realism was a huge part of the structure of the story. Magical realism helped me to step into my creative side and use these exaggerated forms to understand events and characters feelings. For example, when Tita cried into the batter for Rosaura's wedding cake the guests who ate the cake were overcome with emotion for their lost loves. The author also used flashbacks to help relate the love of Tita and Pedro by describing the first time they met and previous conversations that they have had. Foreshadowing was used in the book when characters started to fade away. As Mama Elena and Rosaura died I interpreted their deaths as foreshadowing that the restraints on Pedro and Tita's love were starting to come apart and they may have been able to be together. Characterization was used mostly in the beginning of the book to introduce the characters that I would be reading about throughout the book. Characterization helped me to know the reason behind characters actions, such as Mama Elena and the way she acted because of her past experiences in life. The author used dramatic irony in giving the reader information about characters that other characters may not have known. Dramatic irony was also expressed in showing certain events that had occurred behind another characters back such as the love affairs between Tita and Pedro while he was still married to Rosaura.