Mama Elena And Gabriela's Love example essay topic

It seems as if most Latin novels and films are very infatuated with depicting strong and passionate love. Both "Like Water for Chocolate" and "Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon" represented love in its pure nature and in its various stages. In both literary works love was repressed by outside parties, Tita's love was repressed by Mama Elena and Gabriela's love was periodically suppressed by societal codes. The Latin writers and directors do a very good job in depicting the roller coaster ride called love.

Both films accentuated the role of love and food in Latin society. Coincidentally both titles contain culinary references, which further accentuate the intensity of the love. While societal circumstances seemed to be absent from "Like Water for Chocolate", they often played a significant role in" Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon". Although the novel "Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon" delivers a more potent form of social commentary then "Like Water for Chocolate", the two were inherently similar in so far as their major focus was love and the obstacles it faced. The novel "Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon" contains two stories which occasionally intertwine.

One story is that of the battle between the old forces who want to preserve Ilheus in its stagnant and backward state partially in fear that opening the harbor could make the region more vulnerable to new and radical ideas. The people on the other hand believed that trade would lead to a more enlightened society. A society where wealth would be better distributed amongst the people would shortly follow. This was an idea that didn't sit very well with the rich lords who already had hit the ceiling in respect to the money and power they can attain... Things were very clearly defined in the old Ilheus culture, by the strength of the man and his heavy hand. This was evident by the opening scene where a man killed his wife for adultery and it was later speculated that he would be found innocent.

The verdict was later announced in the end of the movie where the Doctor was found guilty. The opening of the harbor and the verdict served as a reflection of the changing times. Although battles ultimately took a backseat to the story of the passionate love shared by Mr. Nacib and Gabriela, Ilheus's social circumstance managed to affect the course their love was to take. A love which was very similar to the one shared by Pedro and Tita in "Like Water for Chocolate" The social pressures faced by women post wedding under traditional Ilheus culture were very oppressive. The sentiments shared by women in those times were best described in the novel when Malvina swears that "The husbands were absolute masters and the wives were reduced to passive obedience. Worse then being a nun.

She swore to herself, that she would never let herself be trapped" (Amado 299). Malvina's defiance of societal codes leads her to get beaten and later leads her to exile. While these social laws were difficult on most women, it didn't seem to bother Gabriela because she was oblivious to them. Her childish attitude which was really accentuated in the film allowed her to lead the life she wished to lead. These pressures became clear to her only when she decided to marry Mr. Nacib. Marriage for women subsequently meant the forfeiting of their already limited rights.

Marrying into high society thrust Tita into a new world where conformity meant survival. She couldn't understand why people would choose to go to lectures rather then circus's which were manifestly more fun. She loved being Mr. Nacib's cook and mistress but resented being his wife. The role of social pressure in "Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon" in shaping the path Gabriela's and Mr. Nacib relationship would take was very similar to the role Mama Elena played in obstructing the course Tita's and Pedro's love was to take.

Mama Elena and social pressures both served as obstacles for the respective relationships in their quest to realize love under the circumstances which they elected. Subsequently the climax of love for both couples took place only after the obstacle was conquered. The introduction of Gabriela into Mr. Nacib's world was only possible because of food. Gabriela's beauty extended far beyond her appearance, it went down to her hands and right to the food she made. The only conventional uses women had to men were to cook them dinner and then to later have sex with them. Her eminent beauty and her great ability to cook made her the object of affection for very man.

She was the epitome of a great wife. Her exquisite beauty led to the hardships she faced as Mr. Nacib's wife, because Mr. Nacib's jealousy caused him to officially marry her, thus condemning her to a life of conformity. Married life was very miserable for Gabriela she began to see less and less of the person she deeply loved, and she was forced to act accordingly to the rules set for married woman. There love only went back to its original state following the nullification of the marriage.

For them love was simplest and most enjoyable when it was love and not some pretentious act they put on for everybody else. When love becomes public it quickly gets tainted, that was something Gabriela's didn't understand and something Mr. Nacib was accustomed to. The glue of this relationship was the childish nature of Gabriela. The part I thing Mr. Nacib liked best about her unlike everything else in his life she was the only thing who didn't have any strings attached. The affect of marriage on Gabriela was similar to the effect Rosaura's and Pedro's marriage had on Tita. They were both made miserable by the marriages and both marriages tormented them like nothing they had ever experienced.

Tita lost the love of her life to her sister and had to see him everyday, while Gabriela lost the love of her life to social sanctions and social codes, and was forced to see him under circumstances which weren't suiting for her. The love shared by Tita and Gabriela were both of the same magnitude, and what ties them even closer is there innocent passion for life. They both faced tremendous hardships in their quest to realize true love, a love which had no strings attached a love which would transcend the boundaries of the physical world and all the obstacles it brings with it.