y production.In this novel, tradition manifests itself as the greatest obstacle that can stand between the love of two people. Tradition is set as the factor in this Mexican culture that predetermines the destinies of people even before they are born. However, when this framework of rules and social standards bottle up and leave a person trapped with no air to breathe, a defense mechanism arises and builds enough strength to rebel and bring about the change that is necessary. Esquivel presents the plot during the turbulent civil war years of Mexico, exactly written to emphasize the great war that is about to take place between a desperate soul and her own strictly bound world. Also, to foreshadow the revolution and change that is about to take place within this character, Tita. It had been an unbroken tradition that Mama Elena was certainly not about to change: “Being the youngest daughter means you have to take care of me until the day I die”(10). After being told that she could never marry Pedro, Tita realized that she would never experience or truly know what love is. This became a catalyst for Tita’s powers to surge and for her lunacy to later on take place. After losing Nacha and her sister Gertrudis to the sorcery of her food, and Pedro to her sister Rosaura, Tita’s loneliness and desperation only seemed to swell. Soon enough she became mentally unattached because she could no longer take the torture of dealing with her mother, and was taken away by a doctor to be treated and spiritually revived. This Dr. John brought back life and love to Tita. He taught her that everyone needs another being to light up their lives just like fire needs oxygen to survive. Through him she felt the magic of love again; however this love was directed at Pedro, for she could never forget him. By doing this, she fought back. She liberated herself from her mother’s and her background’s traditions. It i...
