Short Review about Like Water for Chocolate

Tita's born on a "wave of tears" (crying from the onions while in the womb) Tita's not allowed to marry (family tradition) Tita must care for Mama Elena until she dies Tita has romantic feelings for Pedro Mama Elena tells Pedro to marry Rosaura Pedro plans to marry Rosaura to get closer to Tita Tita works on the bedspread (takes a year to complete generally) Tita and Rosaura's rivalry begins (the kitchen incident) Nacha plays a huge role in raising Tita Tita's dad dies two days after her birth

Rosaura and Pedro get married Tita makes the cake for the wedding (cries into it) The cake makes everyone vomit/feel sad Rosaura rides the wave of vomit Nacha dies from heartbreak (holds picture of fiancé in her hands) after tasting the frosting Pedro tells Tita he loves her, and only married her sister to be near her Mama Elena beats Tita severely for the whole cake mishap Pedro is forced to consummate the marriage between him and Rosaura

Tita makes the "rose petal quail meal" that makes Gertrudis run off with a stranger (winkwink) Pedro gives Tita pink roses, but she bleeds on them while holding them He gives the roses as a gift for Tita's promotion Getrudris lights the shower on fire from her "passionate emotions" Mama Elena disowns Gertrudis once she learns the truth (Tita told her at first she was kidnapped, but learns from Father Ignacio that Gertrudis works as a brothel)

Roberto is born Tita helps with the birth of Roberto (no experience, no help from Dr. John Brown) Rosaura has major complications (swelling, weight gain) while pregnant Everyone but Tita is away when Rosaura gives birth Nacha's ghost walks Tita through the process When John Brown sees the baby situation, he is impressed with Tita and develops feelings for her Tita is able to breast feed Roberto when Rosaura is not able to do so. Rosaura, Pedro, and Roberto are sent to San Antonio, so Pedro can work as an accountant Tita is sad

Revolutionaries arrive at the ranch, and Mama Elena says one daughter is dead, the other two are in America Mama Elena defends the ranch (threatening) Roberto dies (ate something that didn't agree with him) Tita panics, and blames Mama Elena for Roberto's death Tita hides herself in the dovecote Overfeeds the baby bird (makeup for the death of Roberto) John Brown comes by, and takes Tita away (supposed to go to the asylum) Drags the bedspread behind her

Tita stays at John Brown's house while getting better She chooses not to speak John Brown's grandmother: the Kikapu (a lot home remedies, but is criticized due to her ancestry) JB talks about the matches thing Tita writes on the wall using phosphorous: "Because I don't want to"

Chencha shows up and updates Tita We learn Mama Elena is paralyzed and Chencha has been raped Getrudis sends Tita a letter updating her on her life Tita returns to the ranch to care for Mama Elena Mama Elena doesn't trust her, and poisons herself to death thinking that Tita will poison her (uses syrup of ipecac) Irony! John Brown develops more feelings about Tita We learn about Mama Elena's past through diaries/love letters Getrudis' father is not Juan De La Garza, but José Treviño (mixed) Jose was murdered in the street, and Elena wanted to run away with him We learn Tita's dad died of a heart attack because he learned of the affair

Esperanza is born; Esperanza=hope Pedro wanted to name her Josefita after Tita's real name, but Tita says no Rosaura cannot have any more kids after this, and gets a hysterectomy Rosaura and Tita still have issues against each other Alex admits he wants to marry Esperanza, and Rosaura says she cannot due to tradition (they are both young kids at this point) Chencha marries her true love (Jesús) Pedro and John bicker John asks to marry Tita, and Pedro consents Pedro and Tita do the deed in the dark room Bright lights start flashing, people think it's Elena's ghost

Tita thinks she's pregnant Three Kings' Day occurs Rosaura feels more open with Tita (hopes Tita won't harbor hard feelings against her for her marriage) Rosaura asks Tita to help make her marriage with Pedro better Tita helps Rosaura with her body issues (flatulence, bad smells, etc.) Getrudis is a general in the army Tita tells Getrudis about her real father after Gertrudis gives birth to a mulatto baby

Juan Treviño kills a guy (we learn the story) Tita tell Gertrudis about being pregnant, and Pedro overhears Tita tells Pedro she is unsure what to do about it Mama Elena's ghost appears, curses the "child" Tita says she hates her, and the ghost goes away Tita has her "rage period"; she isn't pregnant Drunk Pedro sings to Tita, but knocks over an oil lamp and severely burns himself (ghost of Mama Elena) Nacha gives Tita tips on how to treat Pedro's burns Getrudis goes away, and Tita cares for Pedro Rosaura isolates herself while this happens John Brown returns and feels something has changed in Tita

John's Aunt Mary comes down to attend the wedding Pedro tells Tita to call off the wedding Rosaura loses a lot of weight Tita and Rosaura argue about Pedro and tradition Rosaura wants Tita to stay away from Esperanza, but eventually changes her mind Tita tells John she's not a virgin, and John admits he doesn't care Tita wants to call off the marriage, but feels conflicted

Alex and Esperanza are getting married Pedro mentions to Tita that he wants to marry her (22 years after the fact) Pedro wants to have a child with Tita Alex get a scholarship, so he and Esperanza rush off to be together after the wedding Rosaura was against Esperanza getting married, but Tita and Pedro standUp for her Rosaura dies from digestive issues Tita and Pedro are finally left alone in the house, and make love Pedro dies during it, and Tita eats candles to die and be with him The house catches fire, and shoots off fireworks during this event Everything about the ranch is lost except the cookbook with the love story in it The land is left really fertile after the fire We learn the narrator is Tita's great niece (Esperanza's daughter)

Controlling mother figure; forced to marry a man she doesn't love; paralyzed while defending the ranch; accidentally kills herself by overdoing syrup of ipecac

Mama Elena's true love; father to Gertrudis; murdered in the street when Mama Elena plans to run away with him.

Mama Elena's husband; father to Tita and Rosaura; dies of a heart attack after learning he is not the father of Gertrudis.

Elena's oldest daughter; runs away after eating a rose/quail dish; works in a brothel for a time; marries Juan Treviño and has children with him; army general

The husband and body guard of Gertrudis

The middle daughter; 2 years older than Tita; marries Pedro out of obligation; deals with a number of health issues; breaks wind to death; holds on to tradition

Rosaura and Pedro's first child; Rosaura unable to feed him; dies because of lack of nutrition/being fed something that didn't agree with him

Rosaura and Pedro's youngest child; causes Rosaura to have a hysterectomy; fights tradition; loves cooking; marries Alex; mother of the narrator

The youngest child; cared for by Nacha mostly; not allowed to marry the man she loves; ends up engaged to John, but doesn't marry him; dies while trying to "light the fire within herself"; loves cooking

Tita's true love; marries Rosaura to get closer to Tita; dies while making love to Tita

The family doctor; his wife died at a young age; has a son; loves Tita after she helps with the delivery of Roberto; asks Tita to marry him, and she initially says yes; doesn't marry Tita

Son of John Brown; falls in love immediately with Esperanza; marries her at the end of the novel; father of the narrator

House help; marries her true love; starts a family; Tita gets closer to her later in the novel

Tita's closest ally; dies holding a picture of her fiancé in her hands (heartbreak); about 87 years old when she dies; teaches Tita to cook/feeds her as a baby

Tita, Rosaura, and Gerdrudis and who fits the traditional vs. non-traditional role Mama Elena's obsession with tradition and how it's handed down each generation

Tita's birth The wedding cake The matches/candles at the end The never ending bedspread The rose petal situation The various ghosts

The cake situation The rose petals and quail meal and its influence on Gertrudis What role does food play in developing relationships (Tita, Nacha, Esperanza, etc.)? The cookbook's survival, and what it might mean

Tita writing on the wall that she doesn't want to speak Tita telling Mama Elena that she hates her Tita not letting Esperanza fall into the non-marriage tradition

Rosaura letting Tita be with Pedro only behind closed doors Rosuara marrying Pedro without question Mama Elena's forced marriage

Mama Elena's ghost Nacha's ghost helping Tita

When Tita's father found out about the affair

G. after rose petals