Name Analysis:

Tita:​ Tita in Spanish means aunt. In Like Water For Chocolate, Tita is the aunt to Roberto and

Esperanza. Her name is significant for the book because she nursed and helped raise both

Roberto and Esperanza. Tita had a special bond with Roberto for many reasons, one being she

delivered him. Rosura was going into labor and Tita was the only one home. She secretly

breastfeed Roberto which kept him alive, which showed her dedication and compassion for him.

He died when he moved away because he was not getting the nutrition he needed which came

from Tita. Tita also raised Esperanza, Rosura’s second child. Esperanza spent her early life in

the kitchen with Tita. The two become very close and Tita shares a lot with Esperanza. Tita was

also the one to encourage her to marry Alex. Tita had a powerful impact on her niece and

nephew making her an excellent aunt.

Pedro:​ Pedro is another word for the name Peter, but the greek definition of the word Peter is

“stone rock.” I think that this is significant to the novel because it seems that Pedro is set to be

Tita’s partner. When I think of stone rock I think of something always being there and not

moving, which is how Pedro is in the novel. He was there in the first chapter and even though

he marries Rousra he somehow finds his way back to Tita in the end.

Gertrudis:​ The name Gertrudis means spear. This suits Gertrudis’ personality very well. Spears

travel far when they are thrown and that is just what she did. When she had the chance she

jumped on a horse and left the ranch. She did not enjoy being there and she knew there was

something better for her outside of the ranch. I also think she was given this name because she

was a general in the army and she was using weapons to fight. This shows her bravery and

tough side. Spears are used for killing and hunting, which shows Gertrudis’ determination
Mama Elena:​ The meaning of Elena from Mama Elena’s name means shining or bright one.

Mama Elena does stand out in the novel. When she was living she was to be the most important

person and everything was done her way. She was in charge of each member of the family and

controlled each activity. Mama Elena did not care about others' feelings, espically Tita. She was

the one who enforced the rule that the youngest daughter cannot marry and has to take care of

the mother. She thought of herself as shining and bright and so did everyone else.

Esperanza:​ Esperanza means hope. Her name was chosen by Tita the day she was born. I

think she was given this name to represent the hope she brought for the family. She was the

first one to not follow the tradition of the youngest daughter not marrying. She also represents

hope for the family because she learned the cooking traditions from Tita and will be able to

continue the traditions.

File A Complaint:

Dear Government of Mexico,

My name is Tita De La Garza. I am writing this letter to inform you all of a problem that

my family and I are going through. My mother, ​Elena De La Garza, is not treating her family

correctly. It has been a tradition in our family for the youngest daughter to not marry and to live

and take care of the mother. I do not think that this is a reasonable tradition especially in my

case, being the youngest daughter. I found the love of my life, Pedro Muzquiz, and he came to

the ranch to ask for his approval to marry me. Mama Elena would not change her mind about

the tradition and instead of just saying no, she says he can marry my sister Rosura. This may

seem like Pedros fault and trust me I thought that too, until he reassured me he only agreed to

marry her because he thought he would be able to see me. This may not seem like a problem to

you I know, but please keep listening. Mama Elena would not allow Pedro and I to talk let alone

be in the same room with each other. She would force me to bathe her and control everything I

did. One day I finally disobeyed her and she called the doctor and suggested I should be put

into an insane asylum. She is the one who needs the help not me. She does not care for her

children the way a mother should. When my other sister Gertrudis got kidnapped by a man she

did not know and she was not at all worried. When she found out “she burned her birth

certificate and all of her pictures”(59). She never wanted to hear that name mentioned ever

again. I think that Mama Elena either needs to be talked to by someone who can explain to her

the pain she is causing others or she needs to be removed from the home permanently. Thank

you so much for taking the time to read this. Let me know if there is anything you can do to help

me.

Sincerely, Tita De La Garza

Culinary Arts:

I decided to bake the Cream Fritters that Tita bakes in chapter ten. Tita bakes them specially for

Gutrudis, because they are her favorite. In this chapter Tita is having to cook for a lot of people.

Gutrudis has returned to the ranch with her army. Tita has been trying to find the right moment

to tell Gutrudis, since she has been home, that she is pregnant with Pedro's child. She finally

gets some time with her and explains what happened between Pedro and her. Gutrudis

encourages her to talk to Pedro and tell him what is happening, which she eventually does, after

Gutrudis shares the secret out loud where he overhears it. Pedro is happy about it and wants to

run away together. They both remember that he has another family and that would not be the

right thing to do. A ghost of Mama Elena came into Tita’s room and was not happy with her

actions. Tita stood up for herself and screamed at her and told her she hated her. Once Mama

Elena disappeared, she felt her menstrual flow start, meaning she was not pregnant. The light

that represented Mama Elena went out the window and hit the oil lamp. The lamp exploded and

Pedro’s body caught on fire. Everyone goes to help Pedro and he calls for Titas help. Rosura

sees this and is not happy. She runs upstairs and is very embarrassed. At the end of the

chapter, Gutrudis and her army leave the ranch. The cream fritters represent the family;s

wholeness and happiness. They are significant when celebrating and creates the tradition of

baking them when someone arrives at the ranch. The cream fritters also help represent the

returning of Gutrudis. She came back to see everyone after she ran away years ago. She also

helped Tita with her problem which ended up being fixed. Gutrudis finally leaves, but she left on

a good note back at the ranch.

Vocabulary List/Key Terms:

Irritable(pg. 151) - ​having or showing a tendency to be easily annoyed or made angry.

Voluptuous(pg. 51) - (of a woman) curvaceous and sexually attractive.

Subdue(pg. 13) - overcome, quieten, or bring under control (a feeling or person).

Dispossessing(pg. 97) - deprive (someone) of land, property, or other possessions.

Divine(pg. 117) - of, from, or like God or a god.

Instantaneous(pg. 115) - occurring or done in an instant or instantly.

Phosphorus(pg. 115) - the chemical element of atomic number 15, a poisonous, combustible
nonmetal which exists in two common allotropic forms.

Furtively(pg. 193) - in a way that attempts to avoid notice or attention; secretively.

Discretion(pg. 171) - the quality of behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid causing
offense or revealing private information.

Earthenware(pg. 75) - pottery made of clay fired to a porous state which can be made
impervious to liquids by the use of a glaze.
Published Book Review:

Like Water for Chocolate, by ​Laura Esquivel,​ is a heartbreaking and yet amazing story told

about the many different relationships running through the De La Garza family. The story takes

place on the De La Garza family ranch during the Mexican Revolution. Cooking is a large part of

the family and also part of their travels through each generation. Every generation learns how to

prepare the traditional meals of the family and introduces a new flavor and incorporates new

dishes. Having the continuous cycle of women cooking for the family shows the true importance

of the family's history and past generations. Each chapter connects to a different family recipe

and identifies with a family story, and each story is tied to the theme of love throughout the

passing years. Tita, the main character, learns many lessons about herself and others

throughout the story. Tita was raised in her home kitchen by the ranch cook, Nacha, learning all

there is to know about food. Tita struggles with a tradition in the family that forbids the youngest

daughter to marry because she must look after her mother. ​Both of these relationships helped

Tita learn the good and bad of love, both the trust and support it brings as well as the

heartbreak and sorrow it can cause. ​Mama Elena, the mother of the family, believes that when

she is old enough, she should be taken care of the way she nurtured and cared for her children.

All of the mothers prior to her generation believed the same thing and one day I believe Tita will

feel the same way. The generational difference between the two can show the differences in

opinion that is based on ​values, beliefs and opinions.​ When Tita finds the love of her life in

Pedro, it makes her life challenging to ignore that she is prohibited from marrying him. She

continues to struggle each time she sees Pedro around the ranch once her mother tells him he

can marry her older sister, Rosura. Tita runs into many challenges, but her main difficulty is her

desire to love. This book was a great and smooth read. Even though I was required to read it for

school, this book taught me a lot about family values and cultural differences. In my opinion, I
think the author's message that was conveyed throughout the book was that there are

challenges through different journeys that you will have to face, with support or alone, but as

long as you fight for what you believe in or desire you will come out on top and feel proud of

what you have accomplished.