The antagonist, Mama Elena is the complete opposite of what Tita wants in life. Since her mom is controlling her only outlet is food! She was probably like this because she lost her husband giving her an extreme sinister feeling, With her mother being like this she was only able to express herself through food, like at the wedding everyone was throwing up the cake filled with her tears. Also the dish she gives to Pedro shows her love and desire for him. This was one of the few ways she was able to make a name for herself because of the way her mom pretty much had her as a slave. Images of heat through the novel show all the ups and downs, you need to boil water several times before you get it perfect for hot chocolate. Just like life there will be a lot of ups and downs but sooner or later it will be perfect. You just need to go with the flow cause everything will come together in the