1. The description of the kitchen, paradoxically symbolic of both confinement and escape, is suggestive of its dual role. The narrator seems to offer an image of the kitchen as an illustration of how it limits Tita's vision of the world, but the spatial imagery contradicts this message:
"It wasn't easy for a person whose knowledge of life was based on the kitchen to comprehend the outside world. That world was an endless expanse that began at the door between the kitchen and the rest of the house, whereas everything on the kitchen side of that door, on through the door leading to the patio and the kitchen and herb gardens was completely hers--it was Tita's realm" (7). Consider the spatial settings of the novel and how Esquivel uses them to symbolize her characters' conflicts, development, etc.
2. Read the following excerpt from a book review of the novel:
"It wasn't easy for a person whose knowledge of life was based on the kitchen to comprehend the outside world. That world was an endless expanse that began at the door between the kitchen and the rest of the house, whereas everything on the kitchen side of that door, on through the door leading to the patio and the kitchen and herb gardens was completely hers--it was Tita's realm" (7). Consider the spatial settings of the novel and how Esquivel uses them to symbolize her characters' conflicts, development, etc.
2. Read the following excerpt from a book review of the novel:
Occasional bad moments in this book betray what seems, from an American point of view, to be an unsophisticated side of its author. For instance, the illegitimate mulatta sister is praised for her unusual gift of "rhythm," and her temporary career in a brothel is called, by the otherwise sensible Tita, a "liberation." Also, Pedro sometimes seems so unimaginative that only in fantasy, I thought, could such an underdeveloped male character and magical ending satisfy Tita ... but of course this is fantasy, and maybe his better qualities are simply lost in cultural translation. In any case I was fated from birth to have these quarrels with Ms. Esquivel's novel, and I'd rather simply savor it. You will too. (Marisa Januzzi, 1993)What parts of the book did you feel were "lost in translation" - or perhaps you DISCOVERED in translation?
Joyce Sadiku - 5th period
ReplyDeleteOkay I do have a question for someone that i would liked to be answered. I love the novel but one thing I didn't understand was why the chapters were set up by months? I most definitely understand why every chapter is introduced with a new recipe and each ingredient is signicant to Tita's life, but I am not quite comprehending why the book is seperated by months and or seasons.
The title, previously lost in translation, I most definitely discovered the day before we wrote our essay. Instead of being another abstract title correlating with the story (water and chocolate-cooking), it described the heart of the story- Tita and Pedro's illicit love affair.
ReplyDeleteA good part of the effect Mama Elena running her own ranch with no man to help her was lost to me through cultural translation. While I am intellectually aware that that was extraordinarily uncommon, and contrary to the social thoughts of the time, I, having grown up a century later in a less traditional country, having trouble truly understanding it and taking it to heart. Gender roles, specifically women taking less traditional ones, is a theme throughout this novel, with Mama Elena running her ranch, and Gertrudis's "liberation" in the brothel. Since this theme is so ubiquitous, its message is obviously one of the points of this book (further proved by the historical record- Esquivel published this when she and other writers were pushing for recognition of minority women authors, so I am disappointed to be missing out on some of it.
Kristen: I strongly agree with you about Pedro's "Edward complex", and about how a relationship with John would work much better, realistically. I think the whole passion over any sense at all that Tita shows might be another cultural thing lost in translation. I know Hispanic culture is more passionate... so perhaps that is part of the reason.
I don't know about an "Edward Complex" because I know nothing about Twilight, but I do agree that Pedro is somewhat of a flat character compared to John, and especially compared to Tita. However, I think part of the message of the novel is that love cannot answer to reason. More than that, love is elemental and mysterious and natural, and it cannot be subdued by society and culture. I think that the lack of description about Pedro emphasizes the mysterious vigor of true organic love, and Tita's carefully rationalized love for John cannot compete.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this novel!! After completing it, the title became so intriguing to me. It had an endless amount of meanings it seemed when discussing in groups. The sensuality and mystery in the title made the story line all the more interesting. Boiling water melting the chocolate is found to be a symbol of sensuality in Esquivel's culture. I really enjoyed the magical realism. Being exposed to a new genre was refreshing! I wish in high school we could have been given more of a variety of genres to choose from. But all in all, this was an intriguing read!
ReplyDeleteI agree with both Kristen and Chris about Pedro being a flat character. I didn't get why Tita was so in love with him. His personality wasn't really shown throughout the book. I also agree with Chris on the fact that a message for the book is that love cannot answer to reason. John seemed to be the perfect guy for Tita. He cared for her, he was sweet to her, he would have done anything for her yet Tita couldn't give up her love for Pedro no matter what. I still also want to know why the book is split up into months.
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere that the book was originally written in a serial format, with one chapter being released per month (which would explain why each section ends on such a cliffhanger).
ReplyDeleteAnother theory I read was that the book is supposed to parallel a year, with January/winter being Tita's birth/the beginning. As the calendar year passes, the weather begins getting warmer-- just as Tita's feelings become more "heated." The most passionate events happen in the summer, when things come to a metaphorical boil and slow down to the couple's eventual death (which would be the December, the end of the year and end of their lives).
I'm not sure which theory would be more accurate, or if either is even true, but it's interesting to consider both of them.