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In Latin America, the Spanish culture is filled with customs, celebrations, and intriguing superstitions. There are several reasons why Spain’s traditions are so distinct. The cultures of Latin America have significantly benefited from the peculiar traditions of Spain. Several elements in Spanish beliefs and culture have played significant roles in influencing their way of life. The book Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel elucidates some of the essential elements in Spanish-speaking culture. Equally, it elaborates on Latin American people’s cultural norms, traditions, ways of living, gender roles, and interactions.
Laura Esquivel uses the protagonist’s family customs to illustrate the novel’s primary conflict: the Family traditions. Couples and their unmarried offspring form the typical home in Spain. Children in Spain are more likely to stay home into their late adulthood, like 30 and above years. Nonetheless, the high standard of living and economic hardships suffered by new populations in Spain from the previous decade have forced this cultural norm. In the book, Tita is informed that she would never be permitted to marry or establish her own family, as a family custom requires the youngest daughter to devote her life to caring for her mother until she dies. This way, the book depicts a traditional image in Spain’s culture that deprives younger daughters of leaving their homes and getting married. Parental authority remains the primary source of accountability for most children under the old system, even when they reach maturity (Garrett 48). In Spanish-speaking culture, this parental vigilance towards children is mainly vested in women while men engage in other income-generating activities.
The book covers the aspect of oppression and abuse of women. According to the narrator, it is required that the youngest daughter devote her life to caring for her mother until she dies. Tita accepts a life of service to her mother out of desperation, even after Pedro offers her at the novel’s outset (Esquivel 4). The book demonstrates the oppression many young girls face because of the existing norms and traditions. Spanish-speaking people always regarded women as housewives who are critical to the well-being of their families and children but not to the development of their communities (Chinchilla 180). Usually, oppression is often followed by a revolt by the downtrodden, leading to chaos. For example, a gang of rebels assault Mama Elena’s house and damage her family’s food supply. Later, taking advantage of the turmoil, a gang of outlaws attacks the ranch. Conversely, revolution can promise constructive social transformation and emancipation from oppressive rulers and institutions (Chinchilla 181). Tita, who despises tyranny in all its manifestations, backs the rebels.
The book also places a strong emphasis on femininity and the duties of women. Traditionally, in Spanish culture, males have been the breadwinners in families, while women have traditionally been in charge of household chores and child-rearing. Nevertheless, women are still primarily responsible for taking care of their children. In the book, When Tita and her siblings were little, Mama Elena instilled in them a strong sense of obedience and respect for the societal norms that govern correct female conduct. Furthermore, their mother teaches them self-sacrifice and obligation as a show of love. From this context, it is evident how Spanish women teach their daughters to become desirable women.
Esquivel also emphasizes food and cooking as a central issue in her book Like Water for Chocolate. Each chapter opens with a dish for a meal prepared within the chapter. As a regular in the lifestyles of her characters, Esquivel utilizes food to illustrate many different realities via extensive culinary instructions interspersed with her narrative. In Spanish-speaking culture, the majority of the dishes are produced using ingredients sourced from the area or from crops that are naturally cultivated there. However, there are a lot of regional differences in the recipes that are used in Spain. Each chapter begins with a recipe for preparing a different kind of food in the book. For Tita, the kitchenette is the one place where she feels most strongly and frees from Mama Elena’s abuse. She and Nacha, the chef, spend a large portion of their upbringing in the kitchen. She is relieved to have her zone, where “flavors, odors, textures, and the impacts they may have were outside Mama Elena’s “iron rule” (Esquivel 7). Tita enjoys imagining and delving into the secrets of the kitchen.
In Spanish-speaking culture, food aids in forming and maintaining all types of relationships. The Latin American people place a significant priority on food. As a result, women are held to a high standard for food preparation. They value food; hence, they have several sessions where people gather together and eat. For instance, coffee culture is essential in Spain regarding breakfast and brings people together. Preparing food is an everyday activity for women before weddings, funerals, and baptisms in the book. When relations between mothers and their daughters are complicated, the tradition of preparing food, as seen in the book, brings them together (Folgado-Fernández 3). It is also essential in recognizing the significance of life events such as weddings and births. When a person can cook, enjoy their food, and digest it, they are considered alive. In contrast, those who cannot do so are considered less lively or incapable of adoration in the novel.
According to the book, there are vital points to bear in mind regarding Spanish-speaking society. First, the book highlights mothers’ relationship with their daughters in Spanish culture. I have learned how women in Spanish- speaking cultures suffer from oppression and violence perpetrated by men or fellow superior women. In the book, the relationship between Tita and her mother is unhealthy. Her mother, Mama Elena, abuses her emotionally and physically anytime, she expresses her desires (Esquivel 29). It is possible that the cruelty Mama Elena employs to maintain order in her family is her response to the male violence that already exists in her society. Instead of questioning the patriarchal society or its underlying violence, Mama Elena uses violence against less powerful people than her to replicate it. Ultimately, the book shows the culture of celebrating events among Latin Americans, such as weddings, funerals, and baptisms, which brings them together.
It is beyond question that the book Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel explores some of the cultures and traditions of the Spanish-speaking people. The book highlights crucial aspects, such as the importance of food in bringing people together. It also mentions some religious practices that bring them together, such as baptisms, weddings, and funerals. Notably, the book emphasizes family customs while analyzing how males mistreat women and young girls.
Works Cited
Chinchilla, Norma Stoltz. “Feminism, Revolution, and Democratic Transitions in Nicaragua.” The Women’s Movement in Latin America. Routledge, (2018): 177-197.
Esquivel, Laura. Like Water for Hot Chocolate. London: Black Swan, 1993. Print.
Folgado-Fernández, José Antonio, Elide Di-Clemente, and José Manuel Hernández-Mogollón. “Food Festivals and the Development of Sustainable Destinations. The Case of the Cheese Fair in Trujillo (Spain).” Sustainability 11.10 (2019): 1-14.
Garrett, Larisa. “Towards an Understanding of Femicide: Contemporary (patriarchal) state violence in Juárez, Mexico.” The End of Religion. Routledge, (2020): 44-59.
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