Laura Valdés Esquivel
Janelle Miyashiro
and Audey dela Cruz
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Laura V. Esquivel
Swift as Desire
Like Water for Chocolate
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Table of Contents
I.
Laura Esquivel Biography
II.
Story Overview
§
Like Water for
Chocolate
§
Swift as Desire
III.
Identification of Esquivel’s style
IV. Feminist
Read
V. Freudian
Read
VI. Historical
Read
VII. Biographical
Read
VIII. Reader-response
Read
IX. 25
Question Quiz
X. Annotated
Bibliography
XI. Links
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Laura Esquivel
Biography
Laura Esquivel, a Mexican author who gained significant international recognition for her two novels, Like Water for Chocolate and Swift as Desire. She “was the third of four children born to Julio Caesar Esquivel, a telegraph operator, and his wife, Josephina (Bookrags p.2).” Swift as Desire “is Laura Esquivel's loving tribute to her father, who worked his own lifelong magic as a telegraph operator (Randomhouse).” This novel explores the power of communication in building connections between people through its main object, the telegraph and the main character, Jubilo.
Born and raised in
p.2)” and the smell of her cooking while
doing their daily family activities influenced Laura to write Like Water for Chocolate. “In an
interview with Molly O'Neill in the New York Times, Esquivel explained,
"I grew up in a modern home, but my grandmother lived across the street in
an old house that was built when churches were illegal in
Laura Esquivel “attended the Escuela Normal de Maestros, the national teachers' college (Bookrags p.2)” in Mexico City and incorporated her teaching skills in most of her novels especially Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances and Home Remedies to “give her readers lessons about life and the importance of preserving ones culture (Bookrags p.1).”
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Story Overview
Like Water for Chocolate:
Tita De La Garza is the youngest daughter of Mama Elena,
and therefore cursed by the hierarchy of her family traditions to care and devote
her life to her mother without a hope of ever marrying. She is confined to the kitchen, where she
cooks for her entire family and their ranch while recording her “wisdom” and experiences
in her trusty and sacred cookbook.
Tita grows accustomed to this life of servitude, but her rebellious and free-spirited nature, as well as her beauty, attracts the attention of Pedro Muzquiz. The two fall deeply in love, but because of the strict rules of her household, Tita is forbidden to marry Pedro. Instead, Mama Elena gives Rosaura, Tita’s older sister, away to marry Tita’s true love. Pedro accepts Rosaura’s hand in marriage because he feels the union would be the only way to remain close to Tita. Because of Mama Elena’s strict rule over her life and the emotional trauma in her desire for Pedro’s love, Tita soon becomes mentally unstable and is moved to an asylum. Taking pity on her, Dr. John Brown brings Tita to live in his house. She recovers and falls in love with him, the return of Pedro and Rosaura, the departure of her sister Gertrudis, and the injury of her mother cause Tita to return to the family ranch and undergo the intensified emotional abuse. Mama Elena and Rosaura eventually die, Esperanza (Pedro and Rosaura’s daughter) marries John Brown’s son, Tita lets her feelings for Pedro be known by John Brown, and the story ends with Tita and Pedro’s death after their passionate lovemaking when they can finally be alone together.
Because of the passions and desires the turmoil of Tita’s life produces in her, she can transmit her emotions into her cooking and rouse the same feelings into those her taste her food. Her deep sorrow in cooking the wedding feast for Rosaura and Pedro move all who eat the wedding cake (thoroughly mixed with her tears) to become inconsolably desolate. The sexual tension burning between Tita and Pedro turn her dishes into a strong aphrodisiac, influencing her other older sister, Gertrudis, to run away in a lustful state with a revolutionary soldier.
The entire story revolves
around the conflicting feelings of Tita for Pedro and
her loyalty to her mother and sister as well as the growth of Tita’s autonomy and individuality. It is divided up into “monthly installments”
which features a recipe to begin each chapter.
“The structure of Like Water for
Chocolate is wholly dependent on these recipes, as the main episodes of
each chapter generally involve the preparation or consumption of the dishes
that these recipes yield.”
Swift as Desire:
Jubilo Chi has the innate ability to sense people’s true desires, even when they don’t explicitly express those emotions in
words. However, the fate of he and his beautiful wife Lucha takes turn after tragic turn when Jubilo loses his ability to sense other’s
desires due to sunspots and increased solar magnetism
Jubilo and Lucha encounter the catalyst for the tragedy in their lives in the form of the evil boss of the telegraph office
they work at, Don Pedro. Don Pedro takes an interest in Lucha and tries to woo her with money and expensive presents.
Although Lucha is materialistic, her love for Jubilo keeps her heart clear and she tries to politely refuse Don Pedro’s advances.
But unfortunately Jubilo cannot see his wife’s true desires (which are for him and him alone) because of the interference of his
senses by the sunspots and he grows increasingly jealous of Don Pedro and more suspicious of Lucha’s fidelity. Then one terrible
event drives Jubilo and Lucha apart, leaving their two living children (Raul and Lluvia) to pick up the scattered pieces of their once
happy family while the past is buried underneath years of misdirected hate and betrayal.
The story bounces back from past to present as Jubilo and Lucha’s daughter, Lluvia, tries to discover the life
changing event that drove her parents apart. She finds that the accidental death of their second son, Ramiro, and the
misunderstandings spawning from the tragedy cause hate to replace the love her parents once had toward each other. Lluvia
eventually gets Lucha and Jubilo to meet on Jubilo’s deathbed and the two reconcile and again ignite their love and passion for one another. Jubilo then dies and Lluvia is left to go through his things and contemplate the timeless love of her parents that had not dimmed despite the tragedy that plagued their lives.
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Esquivel’s Style
- Vivid description
“Pedro placed Tita on the bed and slowly removed her clothing, piece by piece…She was experiencing a climax so intense that her closed eyes glowed, and a brilliant tunnel appeared before her (Like Water for Chocolate p. 243).”
“as he sent telegraph messages, he invariably thought of the way his fingers would caress the intimate recesses of Lucha's body. The way they would play with her clitoris and send her messages in Morse code, which, though she didn't completely understand them, were sufficiently explicit for her to respond with frenzied passion (Swift as Desire p. 35).”
- Metahor/Symbolism
“The moment they took their first bite of the cake, everyone was flooded with a great wave of longing. Everyone there, every last person, fell under this spell, and not many of them made it to the bathrooms in time...(Like Water for Chocolate p. 39).”
-The taste of the cake reflected Tita’s
sorrow on the wedding of Pedro and Rosaura.
“If he [Jubilo] could somehow invent a thought decoder. To his way of thinking, thoughts were entities that existed form the moment they originated in the mind; they consisted of waves of energy that traveled silently and invisibly through space until they were captured by some sort of receiving apparatus and converted into sounds (Swift as Desire p. 37).”
-Jubilo is comparing receiving the 'hidden' messages he reads from Lucha to that of messages received by the telegraph machine, so the telegraph symbolizes communication between he and Lucha.
- Hyperbole
“Tita was literally washed into this world on a great tide of tears that spilled over the edge of the table and flooded across the kitchen floor (Like Water for Chocolate p. 6).”
"In architecture, houses can crumble away little by little over the course of years; or they can be demolished in the blink of an eye by a powerful explosion...A human being can go into a slow decline; or an unexpected bullet can erase him from the world in an instant. Similarly, deep inside us, the opinion we have of a person can grow over the years; or it can decline in a flash (Swift as Desire p. 133-134).”
- Foreshadowing
“Tita had no need for the usual slap on the bottom, because she was already crying as she emerged; maybe that was because she knew then that it would be her lot in life to be denied marriage (Like Water for Chocolate p. 6).”
"Jubilo had just signed his death warrant in the office, but he didn't care (Swift as Desire p. 130).”
-this is after Jubilo punched don Pedro after he caught him touching Lucha's pregnant stomach.
- Allusion
“In the North, he accepted the notes issued in the capital, at low value, of course, and so he spent the entire revolution, until he wound up a millionaire. But the important thing is that thanks to him Rosaura would be able to enjoy the finest, most exquisite fabric on her wedding night (Like Water for Chocolate p. 33).”
"I wonder how much time passed between the moment God said "Let there be light" and the appearance of light?(Swift as Desire p. 130).”
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Feminist Read
Women had always been a sensitive icon in society. They have taken every simple role to complex responsibilities which heightened society’s expectation of them. Laura Esquivel, a romantic writer known for her two novels, Like Water for Chocolate and Swift as Desire, not only uses love as a powerful element in framing both novels but also sets female status apart from each other by characterizing women who lived under the influence of unique cultures and traditions as well as standards of society.
Swift as Desire is a love story that
revolves around the lives of Jubilo, a poor telegraph
operator and a wealthy woman, Lucha. She was
“accustomed to receiving all sorts of gifts and attentions. There was no toy Lucha couldn’t have, no dress she couldn’t wear, no food she couldn’t eat. She was the youngest of fourteen
children and, needless to say, the most spoiled (p.70).” Being raised in a
well-off family, everything had been convenient for Lucha.
She got everything she wanted without working hard for it. In a wealthy Spanish
family, it is not necessary for someone to cook and do other chores because
they have the resources to pay for people to do the job. Although Lucha somehow knew how to do some chores, her marriage with
Jubilo was not easy. It is common that some women are
blinded by love and they do not really understand what it really takes to be
married. As for Lucha, “she had gotten married
knowing that it was to a very young, very poor man, who had barely begun his
career as a telegraph operator and who was not yet settled, but she had never
imagined what all that really meant. All that had mattered to her was losing
her virginity (p. 86).” It is quite ironic that Lucha
neither said anything nor demand more from Jubilo
because commonly, a woman as spoiled as Lucha would
complain about the situation and demand more efforts from her husband but she
never did, if ever she asked Jubilo to work, it was
because it is necessary so their family would meet their needs and not just
because she wanted to. Lucha was an exception to
women who were selfish. She understood the consequence of the choice she made
and she accepted every part of her new life.
Although Jubilo is the main character in Swift as Desire and was given a detailed description of his special ability to read and understand people’s thoughts and emotions, the novel also gives Lucha a fair part in giving Jubilo all the happiness he wanted through distinct definitions of her physical and emotional characteristics. “Lucha had a pair of fully developed breasts and appetizing
hips that were growing more sensuous everyday (p.79).” Every man dreams of having a woman as attractive as Lucha and it is unquestionable that Jubilo’s “best erotic fantasies featured her (p.79).” Lucha never ceased to want Jubilo every single day when they were still dating and when she got a chance to be alone with him, she “took Jubilo’s hand and placed it squarely on her breast (p. 82).” Compared to men, most people could argue that women are the weakest when it comes to emotions. They give in easily to what they feel and in the case of Lucha, even though it was morally and socially unacceptable, she gave in to her desire. Accustomed to getting what she wants, Lucha tried to go beyond her material happiness and married Jubilo. Their first child Raul, prompted Lucha to get a job. Being a responsible mother, she provided well for the family along with Jubilo. Even though Lucha’s beauty attracted men in her work, she was very well aware of her obligations and responsibilities in the family and the distractions never interfered in her desire to help Jubilo provide well. Money was never an issue in Lucha and Jubilo’s marriage because they were still able to manage finances by working but eventually their relationship ended in a separation. Lucha being able to provide for the family proved her strength as a woman. Her understanding of Jubilo’s problems shows how sensitive she is but Jubilo became more submerged in the pride he has lost for himself and got indulged in drinking. He became reckless which led to the death of their second child Ramiro. As any mother would be, Lucha was devastated. Following the death of their child, Jubilo was not able to be with Lucha when she gave birth to their third child, Lluvia because he was out in the bar drinking. It was a shame in the Spanish culture to give birth without a husband on your side which caused a greater gap between Lucha and Jubilo. There is no question about Lucha’s dedication to the family but it was Jubilo who let his emotions interfere with his obligations. Lluvia, their third child felt the need for reconciliation after years of no communication – “she is desperate to learn the reason for her parents’ separation. Her struggle to know why they no longer speak demonstrates a fine understanding of how she figures into their world (Post-gazette).” Her brother Raul did not seem to care but Lluvia, a woman sensitive enough to feel her father’s want to see her mother before he dies, managed to reconcile her parents again. Swift as Desire gives a fair account of the roles that women play in a typical Spanish culture. Even though Lucha was brought up in a wealthy family, she managed to adjust to the new life she chose, a unique characteristic of women to be able to be flexible and submissive just because of their love to a person. The novel’s description of Lucha’s physical features also attributes to the unique characteristics of women that make them vulnerable in society.
Another provocative novel is Like Water for Chocolate. Tita is the main character in the novel, the youngest in the family who was forbidden marriage to her love, Pedro because of family tradition. “When she is fifteen, she meets her love and they conspire to marry. However, Mama Elena says this is not to be so. It is the tradition in their family for the youngest daughter to take care of the mother until she dies of old age (Mostlyfiction).” Readers of the novel could argue that everything had been unfairly laid on Tita’s back because her mother, Mama Elena holds on to the Spanish tradition of the youngest daughter being left unmarried to take care of her mother—“If he intends to ask your hand, tell him not to bother. He’ll be wasting his time and money too. You know perfectly well that being the youngest daughter means you have to take care of me until the day I die (p.10).” It was unfair for Tita to be given such responsibility because her mother is also her sisters’ mother and if they were given the right to marry then she should have been given the right to do so also. However, things did not turn out the way Tita wanted and instead of Pedro marrying her, he married Rosaura, Tita’s sister. As any woman would be, Tita was deeply devastated and even worse, she was assigned in the kitchen to prepare for the wedding of Pedro and Rosaura. As obedient as she could be, she followed Mama Elena’s orders despite of her resentment. Tita had been very emotionally weak but as soon as she was able to recover from her sister’s wedding with Pedro, she started to gain more confidence in herself with her passion for Pedro still burning. She gained more awareness of her mother’s tyrannical nature and shockingly told her mother “Here’s what I do with your orders! I’m sick of them! I’m sick of obeying you! (p.99).” With Tita’s sweet and loving personality, it is unexpected for her to talk back to her mother but what she did was understandable because her mother never really cared about Tita’s needs. Her relationship with Pedro never ceased and even if it was inappropriate for them to see each other, their faith seems to take hold of the situation and eventually they were able to find happiness despite of the struggles they went through—“For the first time in their lives, Tita and Pedro could make love freely. For years they had had to take all sorts of precautions so that no one would see them, so that no one would suspect them, so that Tita would not become pregnant, so that she wouldn’t cry out with pleasure when they were inside each other. But all that was over now (p.242).” Tita was as an exceptional character in Like Water for Chocolate. The novel not only highlights the love story between Tita and Pedro but also Tita’s strong personality as a woman by taking her skills in cooking as an account in preserving their culture—“In Like Water for Chocolate, the cook’s emotions become part of the food she makes, infecting everyone with her feelings; the reader is spared any attempt to explain such a phenomenon, and this makes the story more interesting (Yale review).”
Swift as Desire and Like Water for Chocolate are two novels that effectively explores the extent of two different women’s sexuality and capabilities as they fall in love. Swift as Desire is not as particular as Like Water for chocolate in its description of a female character like Lucha. It paid attention to Lucha’s sensitivity to the needs of her family as a mother while highlighting the events in its main characters’ life, Jubilo. Like Water for Chocolate puts Tita as a contrasting gender to Jubilo in Swift as Desire but puts her character almost equal to Lucha for the roles that they play. Tita’s love for Pedro was restricted because of her mother and Lucha on the other hand, was restricted by money. Both novels similarly explore customary traditions in the Spanish culture such as the youngest daughter taking responsibility of her mother when she is old and the need to get married as soon as the lady in a relationship lets a man invade her sexuality. The mothers of the two characters are also a contrast to each other because while Lucha’s mother is supportive of her, Tita’s mother interfered with every decision she made which predicted the outcome of their relationship with the men they love. Lucha and Tita’s situation also shows the same pathway that led to either the extremes of happiness and despair. The death of Mama Elena, Tita’s mother brought her to happiness to be with Pedro while the death of Ramiro, Lucha’s son brought her in despair and led to her separation with Jubilo. Swift as Desire and Like Water for Chocolate are two novels creatively written to highlight different aspects in life such as culture, family, relationships, and love through the characterization of female characters such as Lucha and Tita. Their femininity gives a true account on how strong, flexible and understanding women could be in order to meet not only their happiness but as well as the happiness of their family.
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Freudian Read
What
do Morse code telegraphs and authentic Mexican cuisine have in common? Well, nothing really, but through her novels Swift
as Desire and Like Water for Chocolate, Laura Esquivel gives a
sensual and metaphorical approach to both, making them symbols
for wild passion and adventurous sexuality. Esquivel does not shy away from the vivid descriptions and sexual
innuendos in her novels; instead she celebrates the primal human desires with detailed explorations into
relationships between family, friends, and lovers. The stark contrasts between the male and female
protagonists of each story make an interesting duel between the emotions of both men and women and
explore love and passion in the view of both genders, however, in both Like Water For Chocolate and
Swift As Desire, Esquivel uses tangible, symbolic items as vehicles for the main characters’ emotions and as
representations of the universal connections between all humans and their desires.
Who knew cooking could be such an erotic aphrodisiac? In Like Water for Chocolate, the
emotions of a passionate and rebellious cook coalesce into the dishes she makes, stimulating those very
emotions into all of the people who taste her cuisine. Esquivel cleverly divides up the story of the young and
vibrant Tita into monthly accounts directed by the dishes and recipes the cook makes in order to relay the pure
and undiluted emotions she experiences as Mama Elena denies her love and ultimately her freedom and
individuality. Tita is sexually liberated in her desire for the unattainable love of her sister’s husband, Pedro.
Her passion for him is so strong she describes it as “how dough feels when it is plunged into boiling oil” (p. 17).
Esquivel relates the ensuing sexual tension between the star-crossed lovers through Tita’s cooking and the lust
and emotions transmitted by her to those who eat her dishes. The concept of food as a medium for the
expression of desire fits the Freudian model for the release of the subconscious id, the part of human desires
that is “dominated by the pleasure principle” (Wikipedia). The id is described as “a mass of instinctive drives
and impulses, and demands immediate satisfaction” (Wikipedia). Tita can satisfy her id by releasing her
emotions into her cooking, inadvertently causing others to feel the suppression of her desires.
Esquivel visits the theme of subconscious desire in Freud’s id, ego, and superego theory with her
other novel Swift as Desire. Communication is an important part of
relationships, especially for the telegraph operator, Jubilo
Chi. Jubilo is
able to sense the desires of others and he understands the importance of words
and the problems when people are unable to communicate properly. Part of the communication Jubilo
has with his wife is the sexually explicit encounters when their desire turns
to passion. The symbol for their passion
is Morse code, specifically transmitted by Jubilo
through his job as a telegraph operator.
The telegraph becomes a greater part of Jubilo’s
life as he relays his love for Lucha, his wife,
sending “her messages in Morse code, which, though she didn’t completely
understand them, were sufficiently explicit for her to respond with frenzied
passion” (p. 35). Jubilo
is able to satisfy his id, ego, and superego by connecting to the experiences
of his wife and find the “balance between primitive drives and reality” by
adhering to his conscience (Wikipedia). Esquivel also distributes phallic symbols
throughout the novel, using them to symbolize the universal connection of human
desires. When Jubilo
reflects on the relaying of messages by energy waves, he states that the galaxy
is a “resonating box” and that “to resonate means to echo” and “the whole
universe pulses, vibrates, and echoes…in objects
equipped to receive energy waves” (p.44).
He therefore concludes that “pointed objects were more efficient for
receiving energy than rounded objects” (p.44).
These phallic symbols of pointed objects such as the pyramids and
antennae represent Jubilo’s underlying sexual desire
for a connection with the “deepest and most sonorous matrix in the world: his
wife” (p.44).
Laura Esquivel writes about one of the most primal features of the human subconscious: desire. Desire of love, of freedom, of sex, all represented by seemingly unrelated objects: a telegraph machine and a book of recipes. Esquivel liberates the main characters, Tita and Jubilo, by giving them an outlet to channel their desires and ultimately create universal waves of energy and emotion that connect them to family, friends, and most importantly the loves of their lives.
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Historical Read
Like Water for Chocolate:
- November 1910, liberal leader Francisco Madero led successful revolt against Mexican President Porfirio Diaz after having lost rigged election. Madero was then overthrown and executed by his general, Victoriano Huerta, whose regime also came under immediate attack. Venustiano Carranza, Francisco Villa, and Emiliano Zapata led revolts against the government and in 1914 Carranza became president as civil war erupted (finally ending in 1915). (Bookrags).
- Gertrudis runs away with a revolutionary soldier and returns to the ranch as a general in the revolutionary army
-Mama Elena is hurt and the ranch is threatened continually by revolutionary soldiers needing supplies and boarding
Swift as Desire:
- clashing ideals of the older
Mayan generation and the Spanish influence in
- Jubilo is half Spanish and half Mayan, so he has conflicting cultural issues between his mother and his grandmother
- “They [the Spaniards] didn’t mix with the Indians…So the marriage of a Mayan Indian man to a Spanish woman was highly unusual. But for dona Itzel this union represented a danger more than something to be proud of. And the proof lay in the fact that none of her grandchildren, except Jubilo, spoke Mayan, and that they preferred to drink hot chocolate made with milk instead of water.” (p. 19)
- emergence of the radio, computers, and other faster means of communication slowly push the telegraph into disuse
- the technological advances make jobs like telegraph operators outdated and Jubilo loses his importance in relaying messages
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Biographical Read
Like Water for Chocolate explores the influence of cooking in Laura
Esquivel’s life. “She grew up across the street from
her grandmother. Her grandmother's house had a chapel and the smell of her
grandmothers' cooking mingled with the odors of the chapel. Cooking would
always remain an important part of Esquivel's life and it was natural for her
to blend the art of cooking into her first novel (Bookrags
p. 2).”
Like Water For Chocolate is also the first application of Laura’s knowledge in teaching after “attending the Escuela Normal de Maestros, the national teachers' college (Bookrags p.2).” She applies her teaching skills through her knowledge and experience in some traditional Mexican recipes and home remedies in the novel-- every cooking experience parallel to the love story between Tita and Pedro.
Swift as Desire focuses on the life of Jubilo,
a telegraph operator who seemed to have the ability to bring happiness to
everyone except his wife. This novel serves as Laura’s tribute to her father,
Julio who was also a telegraph operator. Jubilo had
the “gift for understanding hidden messages, for listening to sand dunes sing and
insects whisper, but fails him when it comes to his own wife (Bookpage).” Although there was no clear indication that
Laura’s parents had a troubled marriage, she was able to portray the reality of
couples not having a perfect relationship like Jubilo
and Lucha. However, their love for one another is
what makes every mistake forgiven and forgotten and the key for every
relationship to last.
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Reader-response Read
Like Water for Chocolate:
- Esquivel’s use of mystic realism sets the stage for an ethnic tall tale that is entertaining to read, but hard to distinguish between metaphor, exaggeration, and the actual story
- Esquivel’s strong feminist storyline is a modern approach to the view of women in another culture, especially one that stressed the importance of women in traditional roles as wife, mother, housekeeper, and obedient daughter
Swift as Desire:
- the bold graphic descriptions of the sexual elements between Jubilo and Lucha add a shock factor to the story that make their love realistic and primal
- the story’s ending is very bittersweet and although it’s satisfying to the reader that Jubilo and Lucha reconciled while renewing their passion for one another, it’s sad that they reconciled too late and Jubilo ends up dying, leaving Lucha alone again
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25 Question Quiz
1. The main stylistic device Esquivel employs in Like Water for Chocolate is _________ ________.
2. The key theme of both Like Water for Chocolate and Swift as Desire is _______.
3. The event that drives Jubilo and Lucha apart is the ______ of their second son.
4. There is a cultural clash between Jubilo’s _______ and ________ heritage.
5. In Swift as Desire, according to Mayan culture, hot chocolate is made with ________ instead of _________ as in Spanish culture, which also appears as in Like Water for Chocolate.
6. Swift as Desire emphasizes the power of __________ in relationships.
7. In Like Water for Chocolate, Tita tries to assert her ___________ against her tyrannical mother so that she can find true ___________.
8. The major historical context of Like Water for Chocolate is the ongoing ________ ________ that brings violence and disturbance into Tita’s home and family.
9. Tita cannot marry Pedro because she is the __________ daughter of Mama Elena, and according to her family tradition, the __________ daughter must attend to her mother for all her life.
10. The man that sets up the stage for Jubilo’s and Lucha’s tragic fate is _____ _________.
11. Like Water for Chocolate has a strong _________ main character who tries to assert her independence against her mother and the hierarchy of her family.
12. Jubilo loses his ability to sense other’s desire due to the increase in ______ _______.
13. ______________is Laura Esquivel’s novel dedicated as a tribute to her father as a telegraph operator.
14. Laura Esquivel drew inspiration from her ________________in writing Like Water for Chocolate.
15. _______________is Laura’s first romantic novel applying her skills in teaching with the culture she grew up with.
16. “Listening to sand dunes sing and insects whisper (Biographical Read) is an example of __________________.
17. Tita can transmit her_____________ into her cooking and rouse the same feelings into those her taste her food.
18. One of the main conflicts in the novel Like Water for Chocolate is _______________ which forbids Tita to marry the man he loves.
19. The “telegraph” serves as a ________________ (literary device)for Jubilo and Lucha’s romance.
20. Swift as Desire shows the clashing ideals between ______________and_______________.
21. The deep sorrow Tita was feeling is _____________ to the effect of the taste of her sister’s wedding cake.
22. Mama Elena’s death bringing happiness to Tita and Pedro (Like Water for Chocolate) is a direct_____________ to Ramiro’s death causing the separation of Lucha and Jubilo (Swift as Desire).
23. Like Water for Chocolate shows the influence of ____________ to Laura Esquivel’s life.
24. Both books by Laura Esquivel fall as an effective object of a Freudian type of read for its use of ____________ (literary device)in describing the characters’ romantic relationships.
25. “The liniments and healing herbs.” Healing herbs is an example of _____________.
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Annotated Bibliography
Esquivel, Laura. Like Water for Chocolate.
This book is Laura Esquivel’s first romantic novel influenced by traditional Mexican recipes.
Esquivel, Laura. Swift as Desire.
A novel by Laura Esquivel dedicated to her father as a telegraph operator.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………......
Bookpage. April 1, 2008 <http://www.bookpage.com/0109bp/fiction/swift_as_desire.html>
This site is a review of Swift as Desire.
Book Rags. April 1, 2008 <http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-likewaterchocolate/>
This site is a study guide for the book, Like Water for Chocolate.
Book Rags. April 3, 2008 <http://www.bookrags.com/biography/laura-esquivel-aya/>
This site provides the biography of Laura Esquivel.
E- notes. April 3, 2008 <http://www.enotes.com/like-water/author-biography>
This site provides Laura Esquivel’s biography in association with her novel, Like Water for Chocolate.
Mostly fiction. April 7, 2008 <http://www.mostlyfiction.com/latin/esquivel.htm>
This site provides a review for Laura Esquivel’s novels.
Paper Starter. April 2, 2008 <http://www.paperstarter.com/waterforchocolate.htm>
This site provides helpful thesis statements from the book, Like Water for Chocolate.
Post-gazette. April 7, 2008 <http://www.post-gazette.com/books/reviews/20011014review856.asp>
This site provides analysis of Swift as Desire.
Random House. April 2, 2008 <http://www.randomhouse.com/features/swiftasdesire/index.html>
This site is dedicated to the book, Swift as Desire, providing information about the book and the author.
Spark Notes. April 2, 2008 <http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/likewater/summary.html>
This site provides the textual summary of Like Water for Chocolate.
Wikipedia. April 1, 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Like_water_for_chocolate>
This site provides the characters, summary, and concrete analysis of Like Water for Chocolate.
Yale Review. April 9, 2008 <http://www.yalereviewofbooks.com/archive/fall01/review11.shtml.htm>
This site provides a textual comparison of Swift as Desire and Like Water for Chocolate.
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Links
http://www.paperstarter.com/waterforchocolate.htm
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/likewater/summary.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Like_water_for_chocolate
http://www.randomhouse.com/features/swiftasdesire/index.html
http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-likewaterchocolate/
http://www.bookrags.com/biography/laura-esquivel-aya/
http://www.enotes.com/like-water/author-biography
http://www.bookpage.com/0109bp/fiction/swift_as_desire.html
http://www.mostlyfiction.com/latin/esquivel.htm
http://www.yalereviewofbooks.com/archive/fall01/review11.shtml.htm
http://www.post-gazette.com/books/reviews/20011014review856.asp