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CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
Laura Esquivel wrote her Like Water for Chocolate in 1989 then it was filmed by her husband, Alfonso Arau in 1991. Laura involved more or less four
themes in this story: self-growth, cruelty and violence, tradition, and food. There are some studies which more or less have the same focus as this thesis. The first
related study comes from a student of Sanata Dharma University, Caroline Guntoro’s undergraduate thesis titled The Reaction of Tita Against Her Mother’s
Rules in Laura Esquivel’s Like Water For Chocolate. In her thesis, Guntoro uses psychoanalytical approach. Her thesis reveals
Tita’s reaction to the limitation given by
Tita’s mother. Guntoro analyzes Tita’s reaction through her five main characteristics which are submissive, patient, loyal, care, and creative 2016: viii.
Besides, Guntoro also analyzes Tita’s unconscious mind which craves for freedom from her mother’s oppression. Later, her repressed feeling to gain freedom
supports her to take action in order to break her mother’s rules, as stated
This thesis uses psychoanalysis approach, because the writer wants to show the interaction of unconscious and conscious mind of Tita that the
unconscious mind of Tita is her mother’s rule of marriage and the other rules which are not related to the marriage, which are then impulses out
of consciousness through her four reactions to break her mother’s rules 2016: viii.
The second related study is Carole Counihan’s writing from Millersville
University titled “Food, Feelings and Film: Women’s Power in Like Water for
Chocolate”. Counihan stated that food in this story is important since each chapter
of the story began with various recipes, “
Food is a central focus and symbol in the film. The many close-up shots of food being prepared, served, and eaten
emphasize its social and symbolic centrality ” 2005: 202. Food is also assumed
as the voice of women and their emotions. She tried to define each character’s
relation with food in the novel through their responds to their food. I will discuss how the four main female characters
—the protagonist Tita; her mother, Mama Elena; and her two sisters, Rosaura and
Gertrudis —relate differently to food. I will also look at two principal
male characters i n the film—the Mexican Pedro, the object of Tita’s
passion, and the Anglo doctor John Brown, who loves her in vain. Finally, I will also look at how the film defines the relationships of the Indian
servants Nacha and Chencha to food, and those of the two Anglo women in
the film: John’s aunt and his housekeeper, Sue Ellen. I suggest that in these
different relationships the film posits answers to the question of how women can gain power through food 2005: 202.
Tita, the main female character, who was at the beginning of the story told as a girl who was oppressed by her mother finally could fight her mother
back. Her struggle towards her mother’s authoritativeness was not in a form of cruelty, violence, or arguments yet it is in a form of cooking. Through her cooking,
she delivered her repressed feeling and she could express her freedom which was limited by her mother.
The inversion of oppression to empowerment is shown from Tita’s creativity in producing many kinds of delicious food that impress her
surroundings . Mama Elena tries to subordinate Tita’s autonomous will by
cruel repression in the kitchen, but Tita fights back with food 2005: 204. As have been stated above, Counihan’s writing is focused on the food
and recipes as the symbol of Tita’s resistance. She emphasizes Tita’s struggle against her mother and the society through her skill in cooking. Her capability of
cooking shows that she mastered her role as a woman and showed that her territory is not only inside but also outside the kitchen.
Another related study about women’s resistance against patriarchy can be
found in a Sanata Dharma University student, Ruth Bunga Ongi Karyanto’s
undergraduate thesis titled The Character of Ruth in Weldon’s The Life and Loves
of a She-devil: A Portrait of A Feminist. The novel told about an unattractive woman named Ruth. She was married to a handsome accountant by accident. Her
husband oppressed and looked down on her. Ruth made a movement to fight against her husband by developing her intelligence and losing her weight. In the
end, she could prove her husband that she was able to do what men could do,
especially in earning money.
In her thesis, Karyanto focuses on Ruth’s quality development as a
woman. By focusing on that part, she wants to reveal the portrayal of a feminist through Ruth’s action. As stated in her thesis
… this feminist idea can be clearly observed by the representation of Ruth
Patchett as a feminist character in the novel. Ruth’s reaction toward PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
her subordination conforms to feminism’s goal to define herself not as an
insignificant one any longer, but as a valuable person who has the same privileges and rights as men 2003: 2.
Karyanto’s thesis more or less discusses how a woman through her self-
development fights against men’s oppression. The rebellion of Ruth by improving her intelligence, working, and fixing her physical appearance show that
actually a woman can gain gender equality. Some of those related studies have common concern with this thesis
which is about women’s movement. Yet, this thesis concerns on different idea from the previous studies. It gives more attention to the reaction of a woman who
is oppressed by other women. Generally, the oppression towards women is done by men because they have the ideas of patriarchal which dominates all the aspect
of life and makes women as inferior than men. Therefore, this research tries to reveal the resistance of Tita towards the oppression from her mother and her sister.
B. Review of Related Theories