Comparative Commentary Dualism of Fire as a Symbol Essays

Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate is the fantastic and romantic depiction of a young Mexican girl named Tita who, in accordance with Mexican tradition, cannot marry because she is the youngest girl in the family. The depravity her situation is only compounded by Mama Elena, her castrating mother, who does everything to make Tita’s life miserable. Tita’s only escape from her monotonous and demanding life comes when a fiery Pedro Musquez asks for her hand in marriage. Tita is crestfallen when she discovers that her own mother selfishly denies her Pedro, but this does not stop the fiery passion Tita and Pedro share. Moreover, in the novel fire and heat are not only representative of love; but also destruction that emanates both†¦show more content†¦The bedspread was woven â€Å"through the night after solitude and insomnia† (Esquivel 176) and represents the sorrow she felt after being denied the chance to be with Pedro. She was initially savi ng it for their wedding night, and now that she has brought it out this night of passion is, in a way, likened to the wedding night. Additionally in this passage Tita â€Å"eating the candle(s) out of the box, one by one† (Esquivel 176), is an allusion to John Brown’s demonstration with the phosphorous and matches. Tita believes that in order to re-ignite her soul, she needs two things: she needs fire and something to burn. The fire and heat is already there, but in order to re-ignite her castrated soul she needs the candles. Also in the first passage the behavior of fire and its tendency to burn bright and hot, but also to destroy is used as to allegorically explain the nature of passion. For instance when Tita and Pedro were, â€Å"experiencing an amorous climax(Esquivel 176) and began to throw off sparks(Esquivel 176) they ultimately ignited the entire ranch(Esquivel 176). The sparks are a figurative representation of their love, but just like with real love and passion, these sparks were also the cause of destruction. However, Tita and Pedros love does not just â€Å"throw off† mere sparks or heat, as did Gertrudis, but it is so intense that it was an, â€Å"erupting volcano(Esquivel 176) that cast stone and ash in every direction(Esquivel 176). This extendedShow MoreRelatedOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 PagesNeo-modernist organization theory: surfing the new wave? Postmodernist organization theory: new organizational forms for a new millennium? Postmodernism as a philosophy: the ultimate challenge to organization theory? Reflective organization theory: symbols, meanings and interpretations Reflexive organization theory: critical theory and psychoanalysis The evolution of management as reflected through the lens of modernist organization theory Perspectives and challenges 2 54 100 148 198 242 282 330