The ascendant parental figure in Like Water for Chocolate is Mama Elena, Titas female parent. A Mama Elena destroys many of Titas hopes and dreams. A The hope of matrimony to her love, Pedro, is shattered by Mama Elena ‘s grim declaration that she will ne’er be allowed to get married due to her “ being the youngest girl [ significance she has ] to take attention of [ Mama Elena ] until the twenty-four hours [ she ] dies ” ( 10 ) . A This crushes Tita ‘s spirit every bit good as her felicity. A However, Mama Elena manages to farther crush her kid ‘s spirit by denoting that Pedro will get married Tita ‘s older sister, Rosaura, alternatively. A This threw Tita into an intense deep province of depression accompanied by an “ icy feeling of heartache… [ that ] for every bit long as she lived [ she could non ] free herself from that cold ” ( 19 ) .
Mama Elena continues to destruct Tita ‘s characters by her frequent physical onslaughts upon her. A Every clip Tita, even remotely, attempts to stand up for herself Mama Elena beats her. A On one such juncture Mama Elena accused Tita of intentionally destroying her sister ‘s nuptials bar which had sickened everyone who ate it and gave Tita a “ enormous concealment… like no whipping earlier or since. A [ Tita ] spent two hebdomads in bed retrieving from her contusions ” ( 41 ) . A Physical maltreatment can destruct anyone ‘s character, particularly, when done by a parent. A Mama Elena verbally attacks her every bit good, saying that Tita has “ no sentiment ” to back up that she is the 1 in control and will non “ stand for [ any ] noncompliance ” ( 11,27 ) . A These are illustrations of the verbal, every bit good as physical, maltreatment Tita had to defy from her female parent. A This type of relationship, which has suffocating effects upon Tita, can besides be found in Isabel Allende ‘s novel: The House of the Spirits.
The ascendant parental figure in The House of the Spirits is Esteban Trueba. A One of the chief characters whom he suffocates with his demanding and important personality is his girl, Blanca. A He is enraged with the fact that Blanca is in secret dating one of his most despised renters, Pedro. A He does non understand that his girl is in love ; he merely feels choler that she has disobeyed him. A Alternatively of seeking to ground with his lunacy that he immediately feels, he sets out to happen her and “ [ beats ] her pitilessly, lash upon cilium, until [ she falls ] level ” with a whip ( 199 ) . A His actions further increase the clash between the two characters. A As in Like Water for Chocolate, any physical maltreatment is damaging to one ‘s spirit, particularly when the maltreater is the victim ‘s parent. A
Esteban besides lies to Blanca by stating her he killed her love, Pedro. A This threw Blanca into a deep province of depression in which she “ [ weeps ] inconsolably in the yearss to come ” and of which Esteban feels no compunction for ( 215 ) . A Therefore, he is smothering his kid ‘s spirit by non seeking to understand that she is profoundly in love, but, alternatively, assailing her any possible manner he can. A Esteban does non recognize that his actions are merely quashing Blanca ‘s spirit and coercing her to fear him, therefore, damaging her spirit small by small. A He justifies his relationship with her, non of fatherly love, but of his high quality over her. A Likewise with Mama Elena in Like Water for Chocolate. A This is apparent throughout the text, particularly when he forces her to get married against her will to Count Jean de Satigny, demanding that “ Blanca… remain locked up until her nuptials twenty-four hours ” ( 214 ) . A Such asphyxiation of one ‘s kid will take to devastation of their spirit. A This asphyxiation seen here is the cause of the intense tenseness between Esteban and Blanca. A The intense clash between these two characters turns out to be a major issue in the text and is one of the chief constituents of the secret plan. A However, the negative facets imposed upon the characters ensuing from these similar relationships are balanced by the presence of a motherly, nurturing character.
The negative facets imposed on Tita ‘s life by Mama Elena are slightly balanced by Nacha, the spread cook. A Nacha is Tita ‘s closest friend and has cared for her since the twenty-four hours she was born. A Due to the inability of Mama Elena to breast-feed Tita Nacha took charge of her eating, therefore, going Tita ‘s alternate female parent. A As a consequence, Tita grew up in the kitchen aboard Nacha where her love for nutrient and cookery, which turns out to be an mercantile establishment for Tita ‘s repressed emotions later on, was fostered and nurtured by the old adult female.
Nacha besides did anything she could to ease the hurting “ [ her ] kid, ” which she so often calls Tita, was traveling through ( 29 ) . A Nacha was “ wise plenty to recognize that Tita could non travel on ” with doing the nuptials bar and tested ” everything she could to save her hurting ” ( 29,30 ) . A So she “ covered Tita with busss and pushed her out of the kitchen ” to acquire some remainder ( 35 ) . A And, therefore, by giving Tita motherly fondness, she has reduced the tenseness in her life caused by Mama Elena.
Nacha ‘s decease “ left Tita in a really deep depression ” ( 48 ) . A This shows that Tita mourned Nacha ‘s decease as if she were her female parent. A However, when Mama Elena dies, Tita “ [ does n’t ] experience any sorrow ” ( 135 ) . A Nacha becomes a religious usher for Tita ; giving her advice and looking when she is most needful. A For illustration, Tita sees Nacha “ [ illuming ] the last taper, [ raising ] her finger to her lips as if inquiring for silence, and [ melting ] off ” when Pedro and Tita were consummating their love for the last clip. A This shows the apparent stopping point relationship that existed between Nacha and Tita because it continued to endeavor even after Nacha ‘s decease. A This sort of fostering relationship can besides be found in The House of the Spirits.
Clara, Blanca ‘s female parent, is the understanding female parent figure in The House of the Spirits. A She balances the negative facets imposed on Blanca by Esteban by supplying her with comfort and apprehension that merely a female parent or mother-like figure could offer. A When Blanca was disquieted Clara “ caressed her boulder clay she calmed down ” ( 144 ) . A After Clara saw Blanca “ covered in clay and blood ” from Esteban ‘s whipping, she “ washed her girl, applied cold compresses to her contusions, and rocked her until she [ calmed ] down ” ( 200 ) . A This shows how loving and dedicated Clara was towards her girl when she was needed.
Clara sided alongside her girl and “ objected to the thought of get marrieding Blanca off against her will ” when Esteban announced the battle of Blanca to Jean ( 216 ) . A Clara understood the strength and purity of Blanca ‘s dedication to Pedro and was willing to stand up against her hubby to continue it.
Clara besides understands her girl and her emotions. A This is apparent throughout the text because every clip Blanca is disquieted or cryptically sick, Clara seems to cognize precisely how to reassure her or what is the true ground for her complaint. A After Esteban had in cold blood attempted to ache his girl by stating her that he had killed her Pedro, Clara took her aside and told her that he “ ‘was alive… because she dreamt it… [ this ] was plenty to reassure Blanca wholly ‘ ” ( 217 ) . A Besides, when “ Blanca appeared in the room access ” to be brought place by Clara “ she [ had ] looked dilutant and paler, with violent rings around her eyes [ which ] would hold been plenty to galvanize any female parent, but Clara rapidly understood that her girl ‘s unwellness was non in her organic structure, but in her psyche ” ( 167 ) . A This shows how good Clara understood Blanca and how she knew precisely what to make to soothe her girl in times of demand.
In decision, there is a certain character in each text that is, in some manner, being suffocated by a ascendant parental figure in the narrative. A However, both writers balances out this negative facet with a mother-like figure that both loves unconditionally and understands the certain character ‘s nature and state of affairs. A Each text is centered on clash between characters, and without this critical equilibrating act between differing characters ( mother-like figures and ruling parental figures ) the nature of each text, in its entireness, would be negative and non as waxy on the reader.
