Women and Food

Gender is what sets us apart from one another. It separates us into male and female. Gender has existed as such from the beginning of human kind. The Book Of J shows us examples of "man" and "woman", whom Yahweh created. We have come to know this man and woman as the story of Adam and Eve. Food plays a significant role in the story of Adam and Eve. Because Eve disobeyed Yahweh’s wishes, it leads us to understand that women have a certain connection with food.

Throughout history, being man or woman would include certain tasks that each would include certain tasks that each would be expected to complete. Traditionally, men were out of the house either hunting and gathering, or working in general. A woman’s responsibilities would include making a home, cook, clean and raise a family. The book, Like Water For Chocolate, clearly exemplifies the responsibilities of a woman in a traditional, early 1900’s home. Tita, the novel’s protagonist, expresses each one of her emotions through her cooking.

Laura Esquivel writes Tita’s feelings into her cooking in order to help the reader understand the severity of the situation that the character is facing. For example, all the emotions and tears shed while Tita was making her sister’s wedding cake had transferred to the guests and all who ate it. Everyone was overcome with nostalgia, and longed for the ones they loved most. Guests were crying and became physically sick from the buildup of their emotions. As Tita’s cooking brought about sorrow and intense longing, it also stimulated sexual thoughts during dinner. Her quail dish that was made with rose petals turned out to be a more erotic meal that she thought, causing her sister’s husband ( and Tita’s love interest ), Pedro, to complement her excessively and yearn just to touch her. It stimulated Tita’s second sister, Gertrudis to escape from their home and have sex on horseback with a soldier she barely knew. Tita’s cooking in Like Water for Chocolate symbolizes the voice behind all of her thoughts and emotions. Food helps Tita communicate grief, joy and jealousy throught recipes she carefully prepares.

The story of Adam and Eve is seemingly well know, however The Book of J provides more insight into the entire tale. Yahweh had planted two trees: The tree of Knowledge between good and evil, and the Tree of Life. He forbade both Adam and Eve to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, however the garden’s snake persuaded Eve to do the exact opposite. Within taking the first bite, she handed off the fruit to her man and he ate with her. The forbidden fruit described in The Book of J symbolizes the desire to sample the outlawed, and the imperfect nature of humans.

Women seem to have an uncanny way with the kitchen. We can whip up an amazing meal in very little time or impress many with the presentation of our cooking. Cooking, for many, is an expression of self, in which emotions, desires and simple thoughts are spoken. Tita used food in exactly this way, whereas Eve used food as a way to explore her desires and heal her curiosity. These literary characters provide great examples that food, in general, holds a direct correlation to our ideas and passions.