Like Water for Chocolate Lesson Plan

What causes Mama Elena's ghost to appear in Tita's bedroom? How does she get rid of her? What does this mean for her pregnancy?

Tita feels immense guilt for having slept with Pedro. When Pedro drunkenly appears outside her window and shamelessly begins to serenade her, Tita is so guilt-ridden that she conjures up the ghost of her mother to further shame her for her illicit affair. However, as Mama Elena berates Tita, Tita experiences a revelation: she knows who she is and that she deserves love. Tita had believed she was pregnant, but it turns out that a phantom pregnancy was a manifestation of her guilt. When Tita stands up for herself, the weight of her guilt...