Themes: Duty and Responsibility
The opening chapter explores the themes of duty, responsibility, and tradition, which are central to Tita's main struggle. Family tradition dictates that Tita must reject Pedro's proposal in order to stay home and care for her widowed mother indefinitely. If she goes against this tradition, she will fail to meet societal expectations concerning her obligations to her mother. Rosaura decides to enforce this same tradition on her daughter, Esperanza, preventing her from marrying Alex Brown. However, Tita sees the injustice in this practice; if she is unable to marry and have children, who will care for her in her old age? She tells Rosaura that she will challenge the tradition "as long as this cursed tradition doesn't take me into account." Nonetheless, she and Pedro honor his duty to his wife and child, keeping their love discreet as long as Rosaura is alive.
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