Esquivel Response

Esquivel's novel "Like Water for Chocolate" is extremely different than any otehr novel I have ever read in other literature classes. Esquivel's writing kept me intrigued with the romance and passion she incorporated in her novel. I literally could not put the book down. I developed strong relationships with the characters in "Like Water for Chocolate", especially Tita.

Though it seems silly now, when I was younger, my parents forbid me to see a boy who I cared deeply for. Thought it was under different circumstances, I felt deeply hurt and wanted to run away so badly. In a way, I think this helped me connect with Tita on a personal leve. The hurt that I felt a few years ago that had bottled up inside of me came pouring out to the surface, and I completely related to Tita. How devistating it must have been to be forbidden to be with the man she so passionately loved. Moreover, how awful she must have felt seeing her sister marry her true love.

Unlike Tita, the man I was kept from seeing was most definitely not my true love. In fact, it is obvious to me now that my parents did me a favor, forcing me to drop all communication with him. This is far from the truth in Tita's case. Her mother was an angry, bitter, selfish woman who kept Tita from being happy. In any case, the way I feel now doesn't change the broken heart I once had. Tita most surely must have felt betrayed, and frustrated.

One thing I found interesting in the story was the use of magical realism. I found myself accepting the impossible because I felt so entranced in the novel. For example, in the beginning of "Like Water for Chocolate", Tita is born on the family's kitchen table. The author writes that Tita was born with so many tears, that there was nearly a flood ing the house on the ranch. The tears evaporated by the next day, but the salt from the tears was saved for cooking. In addition, another example is when Tita's sister Rosaras is unable to feed her baby naturally. Tita takes matters into her own hands, and when the baby does not accept anything that Tita prepares for him, Tita gives the baby her own breast. Surprisingly, her body produces the milk for the baby. Obviously, in the real world, something like this would not be possible. However, because Esquivel presents this occurance amongst real life situations, I was able to accept it and move on.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Esquivel's writing, and truly understood the information in the novel. She was very clear, and I loved the way the recipes were incorporated in the book. The magical realism used throughout the book gave an interesting, yet subtle twist to the story. I enjoyed the romance, and honestly, I didn't notice the absence of most male characters until after analyzing the story.

Allende Response

In Allende's novel "Zorro", I felt intrigued by the graphic writing. This type of graphic novel is so much fun to read because you literally get a visual of what the author is trying to portray, as well as an image of the way Allende wanted the characters to look. It is especially helpful in the beginning, when you are distinguishing who the different characters are in the book. The text is extremely different than anything I have ever read before. I found it a little confusing in some ways, however, because Allende goes back and forth between Zorro's childhood, and the actions of Zorro in the future.

One part of "Zorro" that I felt was hard to read were the incidences that happened with Diego and his friend Bernardo's mothers. I felt pity for the young boys who were forced to witness their mothers horrible deaths. I was also terrified for their mothers, who were extremely corageous in their own ways. It is hard to hear about circumstances like those, and they truly terrify me. I also became uneasy when I read about Bernardo's treatment due to the color of his skin. It makes me feel so sad to see that people can be so shallow to others, just because they are of a different race. For instance, when the boys arrived to Spain, Diego's caretaker explained, "But what am I to do with this Indian boy? We had enough of his kind before we left California!"

Not only was Diego's friend, Bernardo, criticized for his differences, but others were as well. There were also other incidences while the boys were growing up that disgusted me. It was upsetting to me that the boys witnessed the beating of a young woman who had done nothing. The men beating her were flogging her because her father had not paid his taxes. Not only is it disturbing that they had to witness the unfortunate events that took place, but the events were unjust, and horrible. These are just the men that Diego was looking to remove from power.

I respect Diego so much in the story for his heroic actions, and I love reading stories in which there is a hero to give the "bad guys" what they deserve. However, I felt myself urging Diego to tell his father that he was the man responsible for helping to better the their home. Instead, he lied to his father, and pretended to be uninterested in the problems accumilating in the place he grew up. In response, Diego's father was saddened, and said, "You will excuse me for the rest of the evening, Diego. I suddenly feel... Ill to my stomach!"

"Zorro" was exceptionally intoxicating, and I enjoyed the graphic nature of the novel. The story was very detailed, and allowed you to develop a relationship with the main characters at the beginning. Also, the text provided reasons for the readers to develop a strong dislike towards the characters that Zorro was trying to eliminate. I found this story even more appealing than those without pictures, because I got a true feel for what the author was trying to reveal.