Mama Elena Youngest Daughter Essay - 891 words

Like Water for Chocolate was published in 1989 and in 1990 became a number one bestseller in Mexico. It was written by Laura Esquivel. This novel is separated into twelve chapters, one for each month of the year. Each chapter begins with the careful instructions to one of the protagonists recipes. In this novel the mother, Mama Elena, is a person who is filled with anger because her parents did not allowed to marry the person she loved and was then forced to marry another man. She took out her anger on her daughters.


This novel shows the reader how Mama Elena's life of frustrated love took its toll on her three daughters. In some Mexican families there is a tradition that instructs that the youngest daughter not marry. That daughter was to remain at home to care for her mother. The narrator of this novel tells the story of her great-aunt Tita. Tita was the youngest daughter of Mama Elena. Mama Elena observed this tradition.


When Tita was fifteen she fell in love with a young man named Pedro. She knew of the tradition, but she hoped that her mother would allow her to marry Pedro. When Pedro came to ask for Tita's hand in marriage Mama Elena politely explained why it was impossible for Tita to marry. Mama Elena told Pedro's father, But if you really want to Pedro to get married, allow me to suggest my daughter Rosaura, whos just two years older that Tita. She is one hundred percent available, and ready for marriage... Pedro agreed to marry Rosaura.


Tita was devastated. She later found out that Pedro had only agreed to the marriage to be close to Tita. Pedro and Tita still loved each other. Mama Elena suspected this, so when once Pedro and Rosaura were married she made sure that Pedro and Tita were never alone together because she was afraid of what they would do.


She was determined to keep them apart. Tita, the protagonist, had been born prematurely on the kitchen table before Mama Elena even had a chance to whimper. Her unusual birth led her to have a deep love for the kitchen and have a great talent for cooking, but Mama Elena always found things wrong with Tita's cooking. When Mama Elena had not allowed Tita to marry Pedro, Tita had been angered and hurt.


Tita began to hate Mama Elena because she kept the man she loved away from her. Tita's anger grew as Mama Elena ordered Tita around. One day Tita finally grew tired of Mama Elena and let her anger spill out. She screa ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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Essay Tags: mama elena, mama, youngest daughter, three daughters, elena

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