Like Water For Chocolate Tradition Essay

Words: 1079
Pages: 5

Just as Tita had climbed the twenty-foot ladder leading up to the dovecote in hopes of dismissing herself from the presence of her mother, she climbed her way to freedom throughout the novel. Tita had always been under her mother’s command, whether it was Mother Elena’s way or not. Of course, it’s normal for a mother to watch over you and tell you what you may and may not do, but Tita’s mother took so many things away from her. It was almost as if Tita had been an outsider in her own family, no one respected her thoughts or feelings. Tradition played a huge role in the way Mama Elena went about treating Tita. The tradition in question was that the youngest daughter could not marry because she had to take care of her mother until she was deceased. …show more content…
There was a time when Tita didn’t know a thing about freedom, it seemed as if it was beyond her imagination. In chapter one of “Like Water for Chocolate” by Laura Esquivel, Tita tells her mother that her lover, Pedro Muzquiz, would like to come and speak with her. Without hesitation, Mama Elena discouraged the conversation and shut Tita down. Afterwards, Mama Elena goes on to say (Esquivel slide 14) “You don’t have an opinion, and that’s all I want to hear about it. For generations, not a single person in my family has ever questioned this tradition, and no daughter of mine is going to be the one to start.” This emphasizes the fact that Tita was initially under her mother's command, and the tradition would completely ravage Tita's hopes about loving Pedro. This situation will reveal the negative effects of tradition, one being that tradition can be controlling and unfit for one's desires or rights. Life would not always be a huge storm for Tita, but things eventually came together for her. Throughout all the things Tita went through, she still found a way to climb the ladder to freedom. In chapter five, Tita goes through a harsh