Food as a metaphor for unexpressed emotions in Like Water for ChocolateAn oppressed soul finds the means to escape through the preparation of food in the novel Like Water for Chocolate (1992 ). Written by Laura Esquivel, the story is set in revolutionary Mexico at the turn of the century. Tita, the young heroine, lives on the family ranch with her two older sisters, her overbearing mother, and Nacha, the family cook and Tita's surrogate mother. From an early age, a deep love of food is instilled in Tita, "for Tita, the joy of life was contained in the delights of food" (7). The sudden death of Tita's father left Tita's mother unable to breastfeed baby Tita due to shock and grief. Therefore Nacha, "who [knows] everything about cooking" (6) offers to take on the responsibility of feeding and caring for young Tita. "From that day Tita's domain was the kitchen" (7). Throughout the novel, food is used as a constant metaphor for the intense feelings and emotions that Tita is forced to hide. The story begins with Tita passionately in love with Pedro Muzquiz and he with her. “He would never forget the moment their hands accidentally touched as they both slowly bent down to pick up the same tray” (18). Their love story, however, is cursed from the beginning, due to an ancient family tradition, according to which the youngest daughter must remain unmarried and take care of her mother as long as one of them can live. Pedro, unaware of the tradition, comes to the ranch to ask Tita's mother, Mama Elena, for Tita's hand. Mother Elena says to Tita: "If he's going to ask for your hand, tell him not to bother. He'll waste his time and mine too. You know very well that being the youngest daughter means you have to take the car..." .. half of the paper... more," and "[making] mad, passionate love wherever they ended up" (242). Unlike her first marriage, Tita is also infected by the powerful enchantment of food. "For the first time in their lives , Tita and Pedro made love freely" (243). The novel ends with Pedro and Tita, overwhelmed by pleasure and emotion, dying in each other. Metaphors are powerful tools often used by authors to communicate a deeper meaning.Metaphors also tend to make the piece more thought-provoking and therefore more interesting and intriguing.Laura Esquivel does a wonderful job of using food as a metaphor for unexpressed emotions in the novel Like Water for Chocolate the aching soul of a young girl and turns it into a cookbook of feelings and emotions cleverly disguised with food. Work cited Esquivel, Laura. Like water for chocolate. Double day, 1992.