Love is a strong emotion, undefined and without a wrong definition because it is different for each person. This emotion is overwhelming and can be experienced in many ways, whether between family, friends or lovers. Like Water for Chocolate, a magical realism novel by Laura Esquivel, love is experienced, represented, and shared by many different characters in the novel. The author uses an aesthetic writing style, in which magical elements blend to create an atmosphere of realism. The protagonist of the story, Tita, experiences love in various ways, such as Nacha's maternal love, romantic feelings with Pedro, and sincere friendship with Doctor Brown. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Mother's love is one of the strongest and most powerful types of love in the world, Tita, although almost deprived of it, forms a special bond with Nacha. Tita's biological mother, mother Elena, "had enough to do between grieving and the enormous responsibility of running the ranch, without having to worry about breastfeeding a newborn on top of everything else." Tita is eventually abandoned by her mother who couldn't care less about her well-being. It is then that Nacha takes on the role of mother and guardian of Tita. Furthermore, throughout Tita's life, Nacha was her guide and advisor. When Tita's true love, Pedro, is about to marry her sister Rosaura, she is devastated. While Nacha tells her "now we are alone in the kitchen, so go ahead and cry my daughter, because I don't want them to see you cry tomorrow". Especially not Rosaura.' In response, Tita considers Nacha a mentor to whom she can pass on her misery. How can he express his pain and disappointment towards Nacha, which he would not dare to show anywhere near mother Elena. Nacha tells her to cry and vent by calling her my daughter and providing comfort and maternal support. Furthermore, when he says that he doesn't want them to see Tita crying during the wedding tomorrow, it demonstrates the care and strong love that Nacha has for Tita, given an effect of comfort and empathy. Furthermore, as Tita baked bread for King's Day, she remembers a time that "seemed so far away, those happy times when Nacha had been with her." His noodle soup, his chilaquiles, his cream bread, everything was very far away. This quote shows Tita reflecting on her childhood which she clearly misses. However, she missed Nacha's loving care most of all. The motherly love that Nacha provided to Tita is bankable for any child. Although Tita was forbidden from marrying her true love and forced to remain unmarried to care for her mother, the star-crossed lovers do not give up on their shared love and passion. While mother Elena refuses Pedro to marry Tita, she offers him Tita's older sister, Rosaura, who he agrees to marry. As Pedro explains to his father: "If they told you that you couldn't marry the woman you love and that your only hope of being close to her is to marry her sister, wouldn't you do the same?" (Esquivel 54). The use of rhetorical questions presents Pedro's deep emotions and hope for their relationship as they cannot separate. He doesn't give up on their relationship and is willing to marry her sister to remain close to Tita. Furthermore, Tita and Pedro fell in love practically at first sight, "despite the time that had passed since that evening, she remembered it perfectly: the sounds, the smells, the way in which her new dress had skimmed the freshly waxed floor, the look that Pedro addressed to her. It was then that he understood what dough feels like when dipped in hot oil. The heat that invaded her body was so real that she was afraid that her face, her stomach, her heart, her breasts would begin to boil like abatter". It was then that Tita can only understand and express her first encounter with love through the context of cooking. She feels as if the "dough" is being fried every time Pedro looks at her. From this moment on, Pedro's gaze will always be accompanied by a feeling of warmth. Tita shows her worries when she uses food to express her passionate emotions to Pedro. The narrator uses descriptive words that convey images that create a scene in perception, in this case creating a connection between food and the body. Tita and Pedro loved each other through thick and thin. The deep harmony that Tita forms with Dr. John Brown begins after he rescues her from the temporary madness that her oppressive mother caused her. As Tita is taken to live with Dr. Brown, she refuses to talk. He convinced her to write with phosphorus on the wall. Dr. Brown's support is demonstrated “when he entered the laboratory that night, he was pleased to see the writing on the wall, in firm, phosphorescent letters: “Because I don't want to.” With those words Tita had taken her first step towards freedom." Instead of freeing her from the ranch, the doctor allows Tita to free herself and discover who she is, as a woman and as a person. Dr. Brown's true character and intentions are shown in the crucial scene where Tita writes on the wall. Listen to Dr. Brown's recipes and theories before you convince yourself to write on the wall. He explains to Tita how 'each of us is born with a box of matches inside but we can't light it all ourselves; just like in the experiment, we need oxygen and a candle to help us.' In this case the author metaphorically describes the oxygen that would derive from the breath of the loved one; since the candle would be any kind of passion, which would light the matches. The fiery heat of matches is Dr. Brown describing an element of human nature, joy. He tells Tita that sometimes we can't just depend on ourselves for happiness. Dr. Brown “takes one of Tita's hands in his, he added simply, There are many ways to dry a damp matchbox, but you can be sure, there is a cure. Tita felt tears running down her face. Dr. Brown gives Tita hope that she can deal with past trauma and make progress in her life. The author personifies the tears streaming down her face, crediting the tears with giving an abstract quality to the human form that emphasizes Tita's emotions. After confronting human emotions and joy, Dr. Brown embraces his love in a way that shows a deep level of care and concern for Tita. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get Custom EssayThe multiple manifestations of love pose a challenge to people torn between complex emotions and a treacherous world. Nacha is tasked with teaching Tita everything she knows about love and family support. Furthermore, when Pedro marries Tita's sister, the marriage does not make their love for each other fade, Tita and Pedro vow to love each other forever. Dr. Brown's support and investment in Tita never wavers, even when he ultimately chooses Pedro over her. Esquivel portrays maternal love, romance, and friendship through Tita's life experiences with Nach, Pedro, and Doctor Brown. Works CitedEsquivel, L. (1992). Like water for chocolate. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Sternberg, R. J. (1986). A triangular theory of love. Psychological Review, 93(2), 119.Hendrick, S.S., & Hendrick, C. (1986). A theory and method of love. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50(2), 392.Fisher, H. E., Aron, A., & Brown, L. L. (2006). Romantic love: a mammalian brain system for the, 5(4),.