Line #8 Literature/LikeWaterForChocolate


1	[[quoteright:325:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lwfc.jpg]]
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3	''Like Water for Chocolate'' (Spanish title: ''Como Agua Para Chocolate'') is a 1989 Mexican novel by Laura Esquivel. It chronicles the story of Tita (full name: Josefita De La Garza), a fifteen year-old growing up during UsefulNotes/TheMexicanRevolution with her mother, Mama Elena, her older sisters Gertrudis and Rosaura, the cook Nacha and maid Chencha on a ranch in Piedras Negras, a town near the Mexico – U.S. border. Tita has a love of the kitchen and a deep connection with food, a skill enhanced by the fact that she was practically raised from birth by the cook. Her love for cooking also comes from the fact that she was actually ''born'' in the kitchen. Pedro, a ranch hand, and Tita fall in LoveAtFirstSight. He asks Mama Elena for Tita’s hand in marriage, but Mama Elena forbids it, citing the De la Garza family tradition which demands that the youngest daughter (in this case Tita) must remain unmarried and take care of her mother until her mother's death.
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5	''Like Water for Chocolate'' is broken into twelve chapters, monthly installments, each containing a Mexican recipe important to the story at hand. The novel uses MagicRealism to mix the ordinary with the supernatural.
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7	The book was later [[TheFilmOfTheBook adapted into a film]] directed by Alfonso Arau and released in 1992, which became the highest grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the United States at the time. It was also later adapted into a {{ballet}} in 2022, with choreography by Christopher Wheeldon and music by Joby Talbot.
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9	!!This story provides examples of:
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11	* AbusiveParents: Is it possible to have ANY sympathy for Mama Elena? [[spoiler:And not even death will stop her from making Tita her personal stress toy]].
12	* AffairLetters: Elena had at least one child with a mulatto man, and Tita finds the letters about it after Elena dies.
13	* AmicableExes: Tita and John by the end of the book.
14	* AndThereWasMuchRejoicing: After Rosaura dies, Esperanza is free to marry Alex.
15	* ArcSymbol: Matchboxes. John Brown's family used to say that finding love or happiness lit one of a set of internal matches, and intense love [[SurprisinglySuddenDeath burns them all out in one go]]. Don't worry, it [[spoiler:all gets explained in Chapter 12]].
16	* BreakTheCutie:
17	** Tita. Physical abuse, emotional abuse, family burdens, broken heart, loss of loved ones and finally a total breakdown.
18	** Chencha, when she gets raped and has [[BadBoss Mama Elena's]] verbal abuse thrown at her.
19	* ButtMonkey: Rosaura. Her husband marries her so he can be close to Tita. He makes it obvious that he prefers Tita even in front of others. She has difficult births and is unable to nurse her children. [[spoiler:And she farts herself to death.]]
20	* ChivalrousPervert: Pedro.
21	* ChocolateBaby: Subverted that Gertrudis does not have a lot of the obvious traits which fools Elena's husband for years. Invoked when Gertrudis gives birth to a octaroon baby and [[MistakenForCheating Juan accuses her of having an affair until Tita informs them of Gertrudis's parentage.]]
22	* CelebrationMiscalculation: [[spoiler:Pedro and Tita's matchsticks burning out turn into fireworks, which the [[GossipyHens rest of the village]] mistake for Esperanza and Alex's marriage celebration. That is, until [[AbsurdlyLongWait it lasts for a whole week]].]]
23	* ContemplatingYourHands: Tita does this for a short while after her mental breakdown.
24	* CruelAndUnusualDeath: Rosaura dies while in the middle of passing fetid, sonorous gas. Pedro finds her as she literally expires, with her lips purple.
25	* DiedHappilyEverAfter: [[spoiler:Pedro and Tita get together in death.]]
26	* DirtyCoward: (Novel Only). When she is rendered paraplegic by bandit thugs and has no choice, but to revoke her disownment of Tita, Mamá Elena becomes this; paranoid that Tita will poison her out of vengeance now that she is unable to keep Tita under her thumb through wanton violence. [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]] in that it doesn’t stop her from [[BullyingADragon tossing verbal acrimony at Tita whenever she gets the chance]].
27	* DisappearedDad: The father of the three De la Garza sisters. He died of a heart attack a day after Tita's birth [[spoiler: after learning that Gertrudis wasn't his daughter]].
28	* DeusExitMachina: [[spoiler: When Pedro and Rosaura's first son Roberto is born, Tita is conveniently the only person around to help deliver him.]]
29	* DeathByDespair: [[spoiler: Nacha.]] She was always upset because of the loss of the man she loved, but after tasting frosting accidentally mixed with Tita's tears, she crosses the DespairEventHorizon and dies of a broken heart.
30	* DespairEventHorizon: Tita was sad enough after [[spoiler: her nephew Roberto and Pedro left the ranch with Rosaura]] at Mama Elena's request. However, it's receiving news that [[spoiler: Roberto died of indigestion]] that pushes her over the edge and makes her snap.
31	* DidntThinkThisThrough: Mama Elena offers her older daughter Rosaura to Pedro when he asks for Tita's hand rather than closing the matter. She's then shocked on seeing how this horribly goes wrong: Tita's cooking makes everyone throw up at the wedding, Rosaura's son by Pedro dies from indigestion, and Gertrudis gets the hell out of there before she's drawn into the drama.
32	* [[DoesNotLikeSpam Does Not Like Soft-Boiled Eggs]]: Tita usually eats everything ''except'' soft-boiled eggs, at least until Mama Elena [[DontMakeMeTakeMyBeltOff gives her a smack across the face]] to loosen her throat.
33	* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: It's often argued that the cockfighting scene in Chapter 10 mirrors Tita and Rosaura arguing just before - pointlessly getting so worked up over something.
34	* TheDutifulSon: A gender-flipped example. De La Garza family tradition is that the youngest daughter is forbidden from getting married, having to care for her mother until her death. Tita must act like this for Mama Elena. [[spoiler: Rosaura also intends on having her daughter, Esperanza, uphold the tradition as well. Tita protests against this, fervently. Once Rosaura dies, however, Esperanza gets HappilyMarried to Dr. Brown's son Alex.]]
35	* EverybodyHasLotsOfSex: An amusing variation. [[spoiler:After Esperanza and Alex's wedding, the food was so good it makes everybody try to do it wherever they can. Oh, and the book goes out of its way to give us a list of places.]]
36	* EvilCannotComprehendGood: Or rather, the stiff traditional housewife (Rosaura) cannot comprehend passion. Thus why the amorous quail in rose petal sauce does not seem to affect her. Subverted by Mama Elena [[spoiler: who had once been in a passionate affair who constantly tries to resist the passion of Tita's food]].
37	* EvilIsPetty: You would think that Mama Elena would honor her end of the tradition’s policy by allowing Tita her marital freedom (or freedom in general) after her death. [[spoiler:'''You would be wrong.''' She returns as a poltergeist to psychologically (and physically) torture Tita for “disobeying” her; proving that for all of her authoritarian rhetoric about duty, compliance, respect, and honor, all she really wants is to make Tita suffer even more than she did]].
38	* EvilMatriarch: Mama Elena is this.
39	* ExactWords: Double subversion. [[spoiler: After Pedro dies, Tita can't ignite her internal matchsticks to die to be with him eternally. She instead decides to swallow her physical matchsticks in the hope of joining him, and one of them ignites.]]
40	* {{Fanservice}}: The book goes out of its way to point out that Tita never wore a bra and that's why [[spoiler: Pedro stared at her while she was grinding in the kitchen.]]
41	* FoodPorn: One of the most mouthwatering cases, thanks to the protagonist being a SupremeChef.
42	* ForTheEvulz: It's confirmed that it wasn't just tradition that had Mama Elena force Tita to care for her in old age. She just wanted a puppy to kick to vent about her ill-fated affair.
43	* ForegoneConclusion: We are told explicitly by page two that Tita will never marry. [[spoiler: That doesn't mean she won't know love, passion, or sex, though.]]
44	* GRatedSex: [[spoiler: Tita and Pedro]] initially have sex [[spoiler: through the food Tita cooks, which is how she expresses herself. Specifically, Tita is, in a way, actually ''penetrating'' Pedro when he eats her cooking. Pedro's raving compliments of her cooking is also gratuitous, at least until Mama Elena "asks" him to stop.]] [[AvertedTrope Averted]] later on with Juan and Gertrudis, [[spoiler: and others,]] who have sex for real.
45	** The book also chronicles how [[spoiler: Tita and Pedro move away from this trope and closer to the real thing]], with occurrences like Pedro seeing Tita cooking in an erotic posture to [[spoiler: the two of them briefly fondling each other.]]
46	* TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry: Tita and Rosaura. Tita and Gertrudis, however, are on better terms.
47	* GossipyHens: A lot of the townsfolk start gossiping about Pedro marrying Rosaura, since [[SettleForSibling he wanted to marry Tita instead.]]
48	* GreenEyedMonster: What Tita realizes Pedro becomes after he forces her to cheat on Dr. Brown.
49	* HomelessPigeonPerson: Tita goes through this phase after her mother sends her sister Rosaura and Pedro away, a move that results in the death of Tita's nephew, whom she had been breastfeeding because Rosaura had been unable to feed him. In her grief, Tita takes to living in the dove-cote and treating the doves as children.
50	* IgnoredEpiphany: Rosaura sees how the family tradition has hurt Tita, and at least tries to come to a truce with her. Then she plans to have her own daughter never marry, and is confused when Tita protests against this.
51	* IHaveNoSon: Mama Elena's mentality after [[spoiler: Gertrudis runs away.]]
52	** Notice that she at first nomourned for [[spoiler: her]], but later swore by the trope [[spoiler: when she learned ''who'' she ran away with: a Revolutionary soldier named Juan. And as the cherry on top, Gertrudis is apparently seen in a brothel.]]
53	* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: John is this.
54	* ItsAllAboutMe: Rosaura tries to aid Pedro in his terrible burn injuries, but when Pedro cries for Tita instead, she shuts herself away in humiliation, worried for her image rather than Pedro.
55	* {{Jerkass}}: Pedro comes off as this for many readers. Sure, he makes both Rosaura ''and'' Tita's lives extremely complicated (and destroys their already shaky sisterly bonds) with [[spoiler: the SettleForSibling deal]], but even after he does so, he [[spoiler: bullies and pressures Tita when NiceGuy Dr. Brown shows interest in her]]? '''Come ON, Pedro.'''
56	** Rosaura, too; but see the YMMV page.
57	** Mama Elena, [[AbusiveParent FULL STOP.]]
58	* JerkassHasAPoint: Granted, Rosaura does have a lot to put up and even Tita tries to accommodate her feelings by setting up a pact. Really, Rosaura crosses the line when she decides her daughter should live up to an unfair tradition. This sets the rest of the family against her.
59	* KarmicDeath: Rosaura dies shortly after deciding that she's going to continue the family tradition and make her only daughter care for her in old age.
60	* LetsWaitAwhile: On the first night of [[spoiler: Pedro's and Rosaura's loveless marriage]] Pedro delays an uncomfortable marriage obligation with an excuse. [[spoiler: The deed is later done to produce Roberto.]]
61	* LethalChef: Rosaura, in sharp contrast to Tita. When Rosaura tries to cook a family dinner [[spoiler: to impress Pedro]], nobody likes her food. It doesn't help that she wouldn't even take Tita's advice.
62	* LieBackAndThinkOfEngland: When the time comes to consummate their marriage, Pedro prays for forgiveness for any pleasure they might take out of it and that they are simply trying to produce a child to serve. In Pedro's case, he is simply fulfilling an obligation as he doesn't have any feelings for Rosaura.
63	* LoveAtFirstSight: Tita and Pedro, as well as and with Juan and Gertrudis... kinda.
64	* MadeOfExplodium: In the ''Como Agua'' universe, we're all made of self-igniting matches. When we feel an extreme amount of happiness, one of our matches burns out. What you shouldn't do is [[spoiler:ignite them all at once]].
65	* MasterOfTheMixedMessage: What Pedro is to Rosaura and Tita. He performs obligations to his wife Rosaura, yet keeps acting on his lust for Tita every chance he gets. Years later, Tita calls Pedro out on this [[spoiler: and she and Rosaura try to set up 20 year pact over sharing Pedro.]]
66	* OnlySaneMan: Pedro's father. He tells his son that it is downright stupid for him to marry Rosaura when he doesn't love her. If Pedro had listened to him, a lot of the conflict would have been avoided.
67	* OnlySaneWoman: Gertrudis manages to avoid most of the family drama because she's not the target of Mama Elena's scorn. [[spoiler:She runs away with a soldier before the lady can start making her suffer as well]].
68	* OutWithABang: [[spoiler: Pedro, while making true love to Tita for the first time.]]
69	* ParentalHypocrisy: Mama Elena [[spoiler: was in a forbidden affair once.]] Not that Elena actually cares for Tita's welfare.
70	* PragmaticAdaptation: One scene in which [[spoiler:Tita attempts to [[DrowningMySorrows drown her sorrows]] with apricot liqueur over Pedro's marriage to Rosaura instead]] was not included in the film. Another scene in the book in which [[spoiler: the chickens on the ranch go crazy for whatever reason and bore a hole in the earth]] was not included, either.
71	* RapeAsDrama: [[spoiler: Poor Chencha.]]
72	** AdaptationDistillation: The film version passes over [[spoiler: Chencha's recovery from traumatic experience.]]
73	* RomanticRunnerUp: [[spoiler: Dr. Brown.]]
74	* RuleOfSymbolism: Very present, sometimes going hand-in-hand with the MagicRealism in the story. The various recipes in the story are usually some kind of symbol as well.
75	* {{Sadist}}: Mama Elena. There are some passages and shots that indicate not only does she use extreme physical force to keep everyone in line, but also to gain excitement and some catharsis from it; especially, when she inflicts it on Tita.
76	* SettleForSibling: Pedro marries Rosaura in order to be close to Tita, the one he truly loves.
77	* SexyPriest: The film throws in a shot of him going to participate in [[EverybodyHasLotsOfSex the ending]]!
78	* ShootTheShaggyDog: After waiting for Mama Elena and Rosaura to die and Esperanza to grow up and get married before they can be together, Pedro goes OutWithABang and Tita is DrivenToSuicide.
79	* StalkingIsLove: This seems to be Pedro's idea of love as he spies on her lustfully as she showers. Subverted that Tita is incredibly displeased at Pedro's peeping.
80	* StarCrossedLovers: Tita and Pedro. Curse you, tradition!
81	* SympatheticAdulterer: This is both deconstructed and played straight:
82	** Tita's losing her virginity to Pedro while she is engaged to Dr. John Brown is portrayed as weak and disrespectul. Tita realizes that though Dr. Brown is not the one she would spend the rest of the life with, she stills loves and respects him [[IOweYouMyLife as her savior]] and gathers the courage to call off the wedding.
83	** Before the Doctor comes in, Pedro's acts of adultery are portrayed as hope for Tita's and Pedro's love... yet some readers feel that Rosaura, who is not fine with it, ''has every right to be pissed.'' There is arguably CharacterDevelopment for Tita who ''does'' start to take Rosaura's, albeit selfish, emotions into account (though retaining her resentment for Rosaura for passively marrying Pedro is still questionable).
84	** Played straight in that Pedro gets Tita's love and forgiveness at the end, despite doing '''''nothing''''' to deserve her affection, other than regretting his marriage to Rosaura.
85	* SupremeChef: Nacha and Tita.
86	* TangledFamilyTree: John Brown's family tree is particularly complicated and takes half a page to explain. Plus the book insists on giving us a rundown of the personality of every one of them for a subplot about Tita hallucinating.
87	* ThisIsUnforgivable: Tita tries to make peace with Rosaura, understanding her perspective about the marriage to Pedro being a sham. Then Rosaura reveals that she will not allow her only daughter Esperanza to marry because she will be expected to take care of Rosaura in old age. Tita calls her out for this, as she will put her only child through the same hell that Tita suffered.
88	* TimeSkip: Officially the book takes place over 12 months, but the book regularly hops 10 years or so into the future and back a few years to talk about events they missed.
89	* TitleDrop: Used to describe Tita's highly volatile and irritable mood. It's a traditional Mexican proverb relating to how chocolate and hot water go well together.
90	* TooManyCooksSpoilTheSoup:
91	** Inverted when Rosaura takes control of the kitchen. She can't cook and doesn't have Tita's appreciation for food, and it tastes awful.
92	** Played for laughs when Juan, a fellow awful cook, tries to cook to give Tita and Pedro time to talk things over. He keeps getting it wrong and the dish looks terrible by the end.
93	* TrippyFinaleSyndrome: After Esperanza and Alex Brown marry, everyone runs away to have sex wherever they can (even in tree tops). Pedro and Tita go into the home and make love in a room set up by Nacha’s ghost. [[OutWithABang Pedro has a heart attack and dies in the middle of it]]. Tita eats matches to die with him. The house catches fire and burns to the ground. But it’s all good because now the ashes of their passion made the ranch fertile and Esperanza finds Tita’s cookbook/journal. Which she bequeaths to her own daughter.
94	* TroubledFetalPosition: Tita assumes this position when hiding in the dovecote, after crossing the DespairEventHorizon.
95	* UnusualEuphemism: Justified given Tita’s likely lack of familiarity with men's bodies:
96	-->''While she was receiving a kiss on the lips, Pedro took her hand in his and invited her to explore his body. Tita timidly touched the hard muscles on Pedro's chest, lower down, she felt '''a red-hot coal''' that throbbed through her clothes.''
97	* VengefulGhost:[[spoiler: Mama Elena]] returns as one to [[spoiler:resume]] making Tita’s life a living hell. Its [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] in that unlike most examples of this trope, Tita didn’t do anything wrong or cause Elena’s death. The latter just wants to spite her for wanting to be with the love of her life.
98	* VillainBall: Mama Elena makes Tita cook for Pedro and Rosaura. Even though Nacha’s death leaves Tita as the only person who can cook decent food in the house, Tita's food causes trouble for everyone in the family by revealing their true feelings.
99	* VomitChainReaction: ''Every single person'' (save Tita) at Pedro and Rosaura's wedding, after eating the cake with her tears mixed in. Special mention goes to Rosaura, who is ''covered'' in vomit despite her attempts to evade it and has her wedding dress ruined.
100	** VomitDiscretionShot: Unlike the sea of vomit described in the book, no one is shown actually vomiting on-screen in the film.
101	* WeddingBellsForSomeoneElse: The reader is led to think the wedding in Chapter 12 is for [[spoiler:Tita and John]]... until we find out [[spoiler:John is only there for his son, Alex]].
102	* WedlockBlock
103	* WhatTheHellHero: Pedro ''tries'' to do this to Tita for being engaged to the doting, loving Dr. Brown. In return Tita angrily calls out against Pedro's ridiculous rationalization "me marrying your sister to be close to you meant nothing to you?!" Pedro does not seem to catch on until 20 years later.
104	* YouCanLeaveYourHatOn: The way Getrudis leaves the ranch. After her shower cubicle catches fire she runs out to be rescued on horseback by Juan, a revolutionary. Of course, it's played up in the film too.
105	When she is kidnapped by revolutionaries, Gertrudis runs across the ranch field naked and climbs onto the soldier's horse. Of course, it's played up in the film too.
106	* YouMonster: A downplayed example. After Tita receives news of the death of her nephew, Roberto, she tells Mama Elena, "You did it, you killed Roberto!"In a way, she just might be right, because Mama Elena sent Roberto and his family off the ranch, away from Tita, at a time where the '''only''' thing Roberto would eat/drink was Tita's (magic) breast milk...

Context Literature / LikeWaterForChocolate