How do the interactions between Mama Elena and Tita support a theme? What are some examples that show this?

Like Water for Chocolate focuses almost exclusively on the legacy of one family, the De la Garzas. The De la Garza family comes with its own set of traditions, which are both favorable and inhibiting. The cooking tradition is passed along from Nacha to Tita and later to Esperanza’s daughter. By keeping alive the recipes, the future generations of De la Garzas are able to remember and honor their ancestors. However, the tradition of keeping the youngest child from marrying threatens to inhibit two of the work’s characters from finding true love. Unlike the cooking tradition which exists only to serve and please its adherents, this tradition is abandoned because of the displeasure it produces.

Redemption for the victimized is a common theme in the work. Those who commit wrongs are typically punished for their actions later. Mama Elena, who disciplines her daughter and keeps her from marrying, must later rely on the care of that daughter after she becomes paralyzed. Rosaura, who steals her sister’s lover and is obsessed with her public image, dies while passing gas and is shunned by her husband and friends because of her foul odor. Tita, who withstands the most abuse in the novel from family and lovers, is also the most triumphant by the novel’s end.