Like Water for Chocolate

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

• Genre: Fiction; Magical realism, romance
• Originally Published: 1989 (Como agua para chocolate)
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 1030L; Grades 9-12
• Structure/Length: approximately 256 pages; approximately 5 hours, 52 minutes on audiobook
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The novel is set in early 20th-century Mexico and revolves around Tita, the youngest daughter of the De la Garza family. Family tradition forbids her from marrying and requires her to take care of her mother until her death. Tita expresses her emotions and desires through cooking, and the magical realism of the story brings her culinary creations to life. The central conflict centers on Tita's struggle to find love and happiness, despite societal and familial restrictions, and the pivotal role her cooking plays in her journey.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Death of a child; sexual assault; death by fire; physical abuse; miscarriage; mental illness; magical realism; sensuality

Laura Esquivel, Author

• Bio: Born 1950; Mexican author known for her magical realism and imaginative storytelling; often explores themes of love, passion, and cultural traditions in her work; is also a screenwriter and director, with her adaptation of the novel into a film receiving critical acclaim; Like Water for Chocolate is her debut novel and became an international bestseller, celebrated for its unique blend of food, love, and magic.
• Other Works: La ley del amor (1995); Tan veloz como el deseo (2001); La llamada de la guardia (1999); La suma de los días (2007); Swift as Desire (2001, English translation); The Law of Love (1996, English translation); A Lupita le gustaba planchar (2015)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Repressed Female Desire and Rebellion
• The Intersection of Family and Food
• The Human Experience

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Explore background information on magical realism, fabulism, and the historical context of early 20th century Mexico to increase their engagement with and understanding of Like Water for Chocolate.
• Read/study short paired texts and other resources to deepen their understanding of themes related to Repressed Female Desire and Rebellion, The Intersection of Family and Food, and The Human Experience.
• Demonstrate their understanding of Esquivel’s genre crossing and Tita’s characterization by recreating a chapter from the novel in the form of an online recipe blog.
• Analyze the significance of various elements of the novel, such as genre, frame narrative, characterization, symbolism, and other topics, and construct essay responses tying these to the novel’s meaning.