Like Water for Chocolate is a novel published in 1989 by Mexican novelist Laura Esquivel. The genre of this novel is of romance and Esquivel employs magical realism to combine the supernatural with the ordinary. The passage takes place after Nacha's death on Rosaura's wedding and Mama Elena makes Tita the official ranch cook. The purpose of the passage is to show that love itself tis stronger than any bond. Despite Mama Elena's efforts to keep Pedro and Tita apart, the two find alternate ways of showing their deep love for each other. The dominant impression of the passage is the only way for Tita to express her emotions is through her cooking, especially her love for Pedro. .
The plot of the passage is how Tita's love for Pedro is so strong and it is reflected through Tita's cooking. The atmosphere is full of passion and forbidden love. The structure of this passage if very storylike, like someone is reciting. It uses simplified language and uses a contrast between 2 different writing styles. It is direct when explaining the recipes:.
"Remove the petals carefully from the roses, trying not to prick your fingers" and soft and compassionate: when explaining the plot: "Her unfortunate death had left Tita in a very deep depression. With Nacha dead she was completely alone." Allusion is used as the whole book and every character is a representation to the Mexican Civil War. Hyperbole is applied in the phrase ".staging the most amazing acts of prestidigitation" to exaggerate Mama Elena ability to keep them separate as magic. The author uses this literary device to show the Mama Elena is doing everything she can to separate Pedro and Tita. .
With Nacha dead, Tita is now completely alone. Nacha was the one who raised Tita, like her real mother. "It was as if her real mother had died." (paragraph 4) Being in the kitchen, she still holds onto a piece of Nacha and to comforts herself, she prepares elaborate dishes.
