Sunday, August 23, 2009
Day Two: Like Water for Chocolate
Welcome to day two of our Peer Day. I would like to thank everyone for their rich conversation and wonderful insights and connections that have been shared based on the reading. Today, I would like to continue our conversation from yesterday as I believe we have just begun to touch on some very important ideas. I would also like to see us add some thoughts based on Like Water for Chocolate.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Good morning everyone!
ReplyDeleteThe role of food as a representation of love and as a representation of sexual desire is powerfully demonstrated in both the film and novel upon which it is based.
I have used the film in my teacning, and it has been consistently popular with students.
Apart from the visible food metaphors, the status of women, more endangered than ever, was the theme which resonated most with me.
Best,
Kathy Stein
While Latin cooking is widely available, with cookbooks on each cuisine and from differing perspectives and Latina cooks featured on PBS and Food Network shows, it widespread mainstream appeal has clearly been demonstrated.
ReplyDeleteA favorite book of mine, which recalls Esquivel's cookbook approach to her novel, is "A Taste of Old Cuba: More Than 150 Recipes for Delicious, Authentic, and Traditional Dishes", by Lluria O'Higgins.
On final thought -- in speaking with several students earlier this summer, I heard enthusiastic comments on Mexican food, but questions as to why the food depicted in our film did not ressemble what was routinely available to them in the US national chain restaurants!!
Best,
Kathy Stein
Dear All,
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that I was absent from yesterday's discussions.
(I had a host of technical issues but hope to participate fully from now on.)
The part of Like Water for Chocolate that carries the most meaning for me are the hidden and disguised messages in the recipes. I certainly appreciate the messages about women and relationships between women that are profound in this book. But it is the literary device of the recipes that is the most intriguing to me.
Like Water for Chocolate seems to use the recipes as more than just mere directions. Instead, these recipes - as is true in other forms of literature - hold memories. The dynamic between food, memory, relationships and power was incredibly interesting.
I find the latino/hispanic cultural conversation fascinating. A friend and colleague is from the Dominican Republic and he is always discussing with the kids the cultural differences that set latinos and hispanics apart from one another, including but not limited to language, dialect, color differences, traditions, and food.
ReplyDeleteI have been involved in many of these conversations but am still confused by them. I can only imagine how these kids feel especially since many of them are hispanic or latino themselves.
Larry, the friend and colleague, and I completed a number of lessons centered around what defines today's color line and definition of race. It was fascinating to listen to the students develop and define definitions that were much less color related and much more related to cultural traditions including food.
In relation to the movie "Like Water", I have to say that I think I continue to like the book better. I think the book better captures the mysticism surrounding the cooking and eating of the food. I can really relate to Tita when when she tells people that the most important ingredient in her food is love. Prior to cooking, like Tita, I go through some of my own rituals to clear my head and prepare the food for cooking as I firmly believe that the emotions I am feeling will be conveyed in my food.
Alyssa, I could not agree more with your post. The recipes were like a time line or a map of everything that happened in Tita's life. She even ended her life through the ingesting of a substance. I think as we will see in sharing our food ethnographies tomorrow that many of us record our history or at the least many memories through food.
Hello All: The metaphor I draw from the film and not so much the book is the Cookbook of Life. From beginning to end there are many recipes-some more magical than others as well as bitter pills to swallow, although I agree completely with all of you that Tita is subjected to the harshest of experiences. Tita's caring for Rosura's first child and her weakness contrasted by the cruelty of her mother, governing by intimidation claiming that cultural traditions allow her to force her will upon her daughters. I found the doctor"s symbol of the matches exploding as a wonderful symbol of the boiling point found in most of human beings. And then the return of a free sister Gertrudis so full of honesty, having seemed to found both happiness and her true love.
ReplyDeleteThe use of food, the recipes and and the descriptions create vivid snapshots for me..."his stare was like dough cooking on the skin" and when comparing Pedros choice to marry Rosura to be close to Tita with another food analogy .." exchanging tacos for enchilladas". Finally the mystical element of food as potion intoxicating the guests to cry, love and vomit speaks to the life experience as well. The mother's haunting reminded me of the old fashioned Irish guilt that many of my contemporaies refer to as the gift that keeps giving. I enjoyed reading all the posts.
Best,
Jim Hunt
I, too, have enjoyed our conversation throughout this second day together and had just mentioned Jim's "Thumbs Up for Health Choices" in my updated food ethnography before coming back online and finding his insightful post.
ReplyDeleteHaving been immersed in Spanish language and culture for much of the summer, I cannot help but compare "Like Water..." to Hector Elizondo's portrayal of love and art in the food he painstakingly prepared for his not-always-appreciative daughters in "Tortilla Soup".
Tangentially, it is interesting to note that Raquel Welch is among many well-known Hispanic/Latino actors to embrace roles reflecting their heritage years after achieving mainstream success.
Thank you all, and best wishes,
Kathy Stein
Tita's caring for Rosura's child probably prompted the most amount of questions from my husband when he shared in watching "Like Water" with me. He couldn't understand why the baby died after being out of the care of Tita.
ReplyDeleteJim, I am so glad that this part resonated with you. As an expectant mother I was extremely touched by the care and love that Tita showed the young infant. The description of her milk flooding in reminded me of when I had my son two years ago. There is a mysticism in being a woman, and secrets shared between infant and mother can be bewitching. It is this irrepressible pure love that made the milk flow enabling Tita to care and sustain the young one.
I also love how guilt was brought up as well. Jim looked at the Irish guilt as I immediately thought of the uncanny way Italian women have at gnawing the flavor out of a bone and then devouring it as they lay the guilt on. Sometimes, there is nothing more toxic than guilt. It can "eat" away at people.
Lastly, Tita may have been treated most unfairly by her mother and Rosura, but I do not think she is entirely innocent either. I do believe Tita knew the power she held in her cooking and used it as a passive aggressive tool to fight back against family and traditions that bound her.
Tomorrow we will be looking at continuing the conversation, with our main objective focused in sharing our updated autoethnographies with each other.
I came prepared with an entirely different topic, but Abby's observation of Tita using her cooking as "passive aggressive tool" really struck me. What a compelling take on it!
ReplyDeleteThis point made me reconsider some of the ideas I took away from my reading of the book. For me, this raises the question of where Tita's real power comes from, because if Abby's reading is comprehensive, that means Tita's power comes only from those around her--those who she is fighting against.
Is this the way you see it, Abby? Or did I misinterpret your reading? :)
What a fascinating idea! I'm going to go back and re-read!