Laura Esquivel (1950-)
Laura Esquivel was born in Ciudad de Mexico, September 30, 1950. She started writing while she worked as a kindergarten teacher. Como agua para chocolate (1989) was her first novel and a tremendous success in Mexico and internationally.
Other novels and various works include La ley del amor (The Law of Love) published in 1996; íntimas suculencias, 1998; Between the Fires, 2000 and Malinche, 2006.
Como Agua para Chocolate
The novel
Published in 1989, the novel makes heavy use of magical realism. Como agua para chocolate is written in a unique style since it combines a romance novel with elements of a cookbook and it is a parody of both genres. The work divided into twelve sections named after the months of the year. Each section begins with a recipe of some sort, involving Mexican foods. The chapters outline the preparation of the dish as she ties them to an event in Tita de la Garza, the protagonist's life.
The novel follows Tita's life and how her love for Pedro is impossible due to a tradition, fabricated by the author, that dictates the youngest daughter must forsake all personal aspirations, including love and/or marriage, in order to take care of her mother until her death. During her youth, Tita is sent to the kitchen where she learns how to cook with recipes from the family's servant, Nacha.
As for the narrative, the author intertwines magical elements, exaggerates situations and adds many fantastic details. The most evident magic realm would of course be the kitchen as she develops the ability to cook emotions in her dishes causing magic effects in her diners. Furthermore, her tears have magical qualities: she cries before she is born when someone cuts onions, she cries so much that her tears run down the stairs in a torrent, etc.
One of the most obvious themes in the narrative is the contest for authority. It develops very early, when Mamá Elena forces Tita to become her caregiver. Another relevant matter would be the way characters are portrayed, for women seem to be stronger than men: Gertrudis is presented as a powerful general in the Mexican Revolution, for example. On the other hand, men are weak, passive, incapable of making important decisions and easily influenced by women around them.
Critics consider Como agua para chocolate to be a well-written and intelligent parody of the standard romance novel. They also have referred to Esquivel's ability to use metaphors and symbols to give the love story many deeper levels of meaning. Though some have difficulty placing the book into any genre of writing because it contains elements of a traditional novel, a romance novel, a fantasy, a parody, and a cookbook, they generally find Como agua para chocolate to be both entertaining and stimulating.
Film Adaptation
Released in 1992, Como agua para chocolate became one of the largest grossing foreign films ever released in the United States.
Alfonso Arau's direction can be seen as plain, especially in light of the curious events the film often depicts. Everything is portrayed with the simplicity of a folk tale, with exaggerated events blending effortlessly into those that seem real.
For the unit, we will use only fragments of the film, since it contains several sex and nudity scenes.
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