Sep 5, 2008

Like Water for Chocolate | Characters

Women dominate Esquivel's cast of characters. The three sisters—Rosaura, Gertrudis, and Tita—exemplify three possible responses to the tyranny of conventions and expectations. Rosaura follows the rules to the letter, Gertrudis breaks all the rules, and Tita follows the rules outwardly while rebelling inwardly. Their mother, Mama Elena, who tried to rebel in her youth, grows into a cold tyrant, incapable of love. The men, on the other hand, hardly matter.

Mama Elena is the tragic character of Esquivel's tale. She is the villain of Tita's life, who abandoned her to the kitchen at...