Like Water for Chocolate

I enjoyed Like Water for Chocolate. Laura Esquivel is an extremely talented author. I am enthralled, and amused comically, at the mass amounts of themes and motifs. It makes discussion simpler, when in other books themes are more hidden and confusing. I am always a fan of the cookbook side of the story, in part because I am a fan of food. The concept of the book, made in such a way, adds a unique touch to the book that I have never truly seen previously in literature.
I loved the actual story content of the book. The plot of the suppressed urges of the characters as well as the intricate love affairs are plot lines that many classmates and I can relate to & appreciate. The slightly episodic nature of the book ironically also helped the flow. Through this there was no continual drawl, but the book was not so episodic as to lack a central plot. I also thought that the ending was excellent. The way the death of Tita is portrayed, she does not seem to so much "die" as much as become fully happy. I am also glad that Esquivel killed off both Mama Elena and Rosaura, two hideous women who become clear protagonists. Even farther than these two, I enjoyed most of the diverse characters that Esquivel creates, such as the kind and fathely Dr. Brown as well as the always-aware, master cook Nacha.
I appreciate how Esquivel added a magical touch to the stories. The effects of the food always made the book interesting to read, from the lusty experience of Gertrudis to the tornado of chickens. These images helped me to understand, as well as extend, the themes and motifs of the book. Overall, this was on of the better assigned reading books that I have read.

The book Like Water for Chocolate is full of creative themes and ideas that can be expounded on. Of particular notice is the theme of magic. Throughout the book, Tita conveys her emotions through those who eat her cooking. She also sees various ghosts, including Dr. Brown's grandmother and Mama Elena. The idea of love is so foreign to Tita that perhaps it becomes like a fantasy, and so the world around her seems to channel this. The concepts of love and tradition also play important roles. While Tita loves Pedro, family tradition dictates that she must stay with her mother until she dies. Likewise, the feelings of racism that are tide to tradition create love troubles. These create a circle of more tradition preventing more love.
On a note for the college essay, I have not done too much. The exercises in class were very helpful, but I don't feel that they are appropriate for a college essay intro. Instead of saying, "I am a unique writer", it says (to me), "I am sense-obsessive". However, I do trust Ms. Falk's judgement in the appropriateness of these essay starters. Also, I am at a miss as to what else to include in my paper. Essentially, I have not written a lot.

Love and lust are two terms of great importance. These are defining terms of interactions between men & women. However, these two terms have widely different meanings.
Lust is generally a sexual attraction between two people. Lust is basically a chemical attraction between two people, one that can be attributed to primal nature - the urge to reproduce. This attraction is normally what brings two young people together - a more sensual instinct.
Love is more complicated. While it is not entirely separate from lust, the two are distinctly different. When one person loves another, they do not look at each other and think solely of sex - this is lust. While two people in love may have this feeling, they will most likely feel a sense of care, a feeling of security, and an urge to simply pass the time with their loved one. This urge is generally found by people more advanced in years. This is because the more mature are not entirely overtaken by lust, and have the intellect to find love in a person through their personality, not just their attraction.
Essentially, when two people strongly want to be together, this can be from either lust or love. It is lust if they feel hormonally attracted and love if the two simply want to be together.
It is quite possible that men & women see these two terms differently. Women are generally less motivated by lust than men, and thus can understand the difference, and probably would have similar views as here. However, men are more influenced by hormones & continue to feel lust through their life, thus making it difficult to distinguish between the two, and thus combining the two together. In the end, lust and love are interconnected, but their individual significances make huge distinctions.