Mama Elena

E82641

Mama Elena is the domineering matriarch in Laura Esquivel’s novel "Like Water for Chocolate," whose strict adherence to tradition and emotional repression profoundly shapes her daughters’ lives.

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf fictional character
literary character
adaptedIn Like Water for Chocolate
surface form: 1992 film Like Water for Chocolate
appearsAs ghost after death
appearsIn Like Water for Chocolate
associatedWithTheme maternal authority
repression
tradition vs. individual desire
basedIn Mexico
continuesToControl Tita even after death
controls De la Garza household
createdBy Laura Esquivel
diesIn Like Water for Chocolate
enforces family tradition
patriarchal norms
familyName De la Garza
familyRole mother
widow
fictionalUniverse Like Water for Chocolate
surface form: Like Water for Chocolate universe
firstPublicationOfWork 1989
gender female
imposesRuleOn Tita must care for her mother instead of marrying
influences her daughters’ emotional lives
languageOfWork Spanish
literarySignificance embodiment of oppressive maternal figure
medium novel
motherOf Gertrudis De la Garza
Rosaura De la Garza
Tita De la Garza
motive preservation of family honor
narrativeFunction primary antagonist
nationality Mexican
occupation ranch owner
opposes Tita and Pedro’s relationship
personalityTrait authoritarian
controlling
domineering
emotionally repressed
strict
portrayedBy Regina Torné
relationshipToTita antagonistic
residesIn De la Garza family ranch
restricts her daughters’ freedom
role matriarch
symbolizes emotional repression
oppressive tradition
patriarchal authority
timePeriod Mexican Revolution
surface form: Mexican Revolution era

Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Rosaura followsTraditionOf Mama Elena
Rosaura hasMother Mama Elena
Rosaura isDaughterOf Mama Elena
Tita de la Garza mother Mama Elena