Chapter 3
Plot
After Nacha’s death, Tita takes over the role as head cook.
In a state of depression
Recieves roses from Pedro
It was intended to congratulate her for becoming head cook.
However, Mama Elena and Rosaura, who is pregnant with their first
child, see this and the relationship between them gets worse
Her depression gets worse
First time receiving flowers
Prepares a quail in rose petal sauce
But forgets that if the rose petals soak up blood, they might produce
dangerous chemical reactions
Makes use of roses received from Pedro
Preparation
Nacha coming into Tita as if she was cooking for her
Happens when Tita wants to express her love for Pedro
Remove petals
Get pheasants but did not have so get quail
Quail could represent Tita because it is killed and then tied up, in Tita’s
case by Mama Elena.
Than when she is opened by being eaten, she lets out all of her
feelings of love which affects Gertrudis.
Kill it
Mama Elena metaphor
Then she prepares the rest of the food perfectly as if Nacha came to her
Everyone is delighted with the food
A food filled with lust and love
Especially Pedro
Creates a contrast to how he reacted to Tita’s cooking by comparing his
reactions to that of tasting Rosaura’s first food
Flashback
The emotions move onto the people who are eating it
Especially Gertrudis
She is the medium
Tita is the transmitter and Pedro is the receiver
Roses symbolize Tita’s love when the roses soak up her blood
and becomes red
She goes running out to take a shower later because she is sweating a lot
and when she turns on the water, the water evaporates before it touches
her because of the heat released from Gertrudis
Motif: heat=matches
She then runs out of the bath after it starts to catch on fire naked
Her scent then reaches a soldier, Juan, in the Revolutionary Army
Magical realism
He comes for her in lust and sweeps her away
Relates of later appearing idea of match when Gertrudis glows
The smell remaining in the house even after Gertrudis left signifies that
Tita’s feeling never disappeared.
This moment is seen by Tita and Pedro and both of them long to be in that
position and run away.
Foil
How Gertrudis running away with the soldier represents a foil with Tita
not being able to express her love for Pedro.
Gertrudis represents Tita’s true feelings
Tita would but Pedro said nothing
Makes the metaphor with being the last chile in walnut sauce left on the
platter
Mama Elena always bringing Tita back into reality
Later Tita goes out to see the stars in the sky
One thing that is connecting her with her dreams
She only wants a tint of the warmth that her sister was feeling
Her feelings for Pedro were still leaking out.
The narration changes from third person to first for a split second into Tita’s voice
when she screams “dam good manners”
