Like Water for Chocolate

The novel, Like Water for Chocolate really made me realize the meaning of love, and the importance of Mexican tradition. Laurel Esquivel takes a different perspective of Mexican writing by using women as the main characters. It is way different when women are involved because they are filled with emotions. This whole story is based on emotions. Unlike some people, I really enjoyed the recipes of the story. Each recipe really helped in portraying the emotions. I easily could relate with the emotion of sadness when Tita cried in the cake. Esquivel described the metaphor so well, that it was hard not to become depressed. Everything that Tita made was describing all the feelings in the story. In class, when we read the reviews, I thought it was funny that people did not like the recipes. It just showed that they lacked critical thinking skills. It also showed that they did not understand magical realism.  

Although it is hard to understand why Pedro would marry Rosaura, it explains the importance of tradition. Tita was actually very respectful to her mother by not running away, but in the end she did get what she wanted. She received true love. I agree with what Tita did because if you truly love someone, then you should fight for what you want. That was the point of the story. You should not always follow rules. It is okay to take chances, and break out of the normal traditions. She might have broken tradition in Mama Elena’s eyes, but Tita had the right to love whoever she wanted. I think it was hilarious that the good child, Rosaura died of a colon sickness. In my opinion, it is ironic because all the feelings and emotions were being emptied out of her, which was so harmful that she died. On the other hand, Tita finally broke the rules, and ended up dying with her true love. Some might find it ridiculous to die of passionate love, but if Esquivel would have let them live; there would not have been a strong meaning. When she died with Pedro, it showed more passion than ever before. I really enjoyed this story and the uses of magical realism and metaphors.

Zorro

Honestly, I have never read any comic books of Zorro, nor have I really had an interest in watching the movies. After reading this graphic novel, I now know what I have been missing out on! After discussing the various types of Zorro it was interesting to know that there are so many different kinds. I would have to say that this graphic novel really got my attention. Not only did Isabel Allende do a very good job with her version of the novel, the artist, Francovilla did a remarkable job with the graphics. Wagner did a phenomenal job with the flashbacks and presented the story in a way that made it very easy to follow. It was very hard to get lost, like in the previous texts we have looked at.  The graphics were so detailed that anyone could tell what was going on just by glancing quickly at each page. Some of the scenes were so intense that I actually felt like I was in the story. For example, the picture of the sergeant with sweat beating down his forehead is one of my favorites. I can just tell he is filled with anger just because of his face and the way the eyes are drawn. The lighting of the picture is so unique. The picture of the sergeant’s left eye is in the light, and he says an angry remark. While moving to the right the picture gets darker, and the two remarks show that the sergeant is even angrier. I think the light demonstrates the level of angriness. The little squares of the character screaming in pain showed even more emotion. I loved how the images show so very little, but signify so much emotion. For example, Zorro’s eyes are drawn on the blade of the sword, and the image sends shivers down my spine.

Zorro definitely fights for justice the best way that he can in this graphic novel. Some people would say that killing people is not the answer to solve problems; however, that is what makes Zorro the hero. He leaves his mark to prove his revenge. Killing with a sword is more skillful than being killed by a gun or other weapon. The images were straight forward and it made the reading easier. There were some images that made the mind wonder, like the horrific rape scene, which made the mind come up with its own images. I think it is very easy to relate to Zorro in the perspective of his revenge and justice. I would never think about killing someone literally, but metaphorically we have all put masks on and have gotten some sort of revenge.  I appreciated the spirit quest and the native people. It gave a whole different meaning to the story, unlike the usual stories with Catholic or Christianity backgrounds. I believe that motivation by power is a strong meaning that made a difference in the story. Overall, I really appreciated the way this graphic novel was presented. The images help make the story more captivating, and I would recommend the graphic novel to anyone.