Like Water for Chocolate and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
Like Water for Chocolate (LWC) written by Laura Esquivel and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (ODLID) written by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, are two very different types of novels with more evident discrepancies than similarities. The first novel LWC, splendidly illustrates the life of a young Mexican campesina named Tita whom lives under the authoritarian rule of her mother. The second novel ODLID, originally a Russian publication, demonstrates the life and hardships of a middle-aged man named Ivan Denisovich in a Soviet work camp in Siberia. The themes revolve around both protagonists, Tita and Ivan, whom each set the overall tone of the novels. The dominant theme in both novels is the oppression the protagonists are exposed to on a daily basis. Consequently, the characters and the plots also incorporate aspects of oppression such as parental censorship and personal ill treatment. The characters, theme, and plots correlate with one another and also are associated with the cultural background of each novel, ODLID from Russia and LWC from Mexico. The influence culture has on the development of the characters, theme, and plots sets the stage for apparent similarities and differences between both novels.
The primary examples of cultural influences in LWC and in ODLID, are the mindsets of the protagonists. The cultures influence the rather listless conduct of the protagonists by establishing precincts that cripple their inner aspirations. Initially, Tita's conduct is influenced by the Mexican culture. She demonstrates a submissive behavior towards her mother. This is explained by Mexican culture of the early nineteen hundreds, when it was commonplace to obey the parental figures and never challenge their say. The children were taught they had no voice and had to follow their parent's instructions under all circumstances. In LWC this cultural principle takes a toll on Tita and forces her to constantly concede to her mothers commands and demands. "You don't have an opinion and that's all I want to hear about it. For generations, not a single person in my family has ever questioned this tradition, and no daughter of mine is going to be the one to start"(Esquivel 11), shows Mama Elena's, Tita's mother, reprimand forbidding Tita from ever getting married.
In ODLID, Ivan's conduct throughout his sentence in the Siberian work camp reflects the culture from which he was brought up in. He is humble, helpful, keen and adroit at all times. He is not aggressive or loathing towards others, rather he accepts his fate hoping to be free once again, surviving one day at a time. The aspect of Russian culture at the time, an alleged communist state in which the masses were controlled and life was monotonous, forms the origin of his way of being. In both cases the culture influences the conduct of the protagonists, causing both of them to fall in line and comply with their oppressor's wishes.
Culture also influences the themes of both novels in distinct ways. In the novel LWC, a debatable theme is the oppression of Tita. In her case the oppression is directly linked to Mexican culture since she is restricted from personal desires, such as love and marriage, due to the culture's customs. Her oppression is caused by her cultures' belief that parents are to be strictly obeyed by their children. Mama Elena monitors Tita's life, basing her decisions on her past experiences and on her personal knowledge, condemning her youngest daughter to a life of solitude and imprisonment. Similarly in ODLID, a dominant theme is also the protagonists' oppression in the Soviet work camp. The prison itself and its staff oppress Ivan. The prison camps incorporate traits of Russian severity, controlling military personnel, poor facilities, and morbid living conditions all of which impair Ivan. The Soviet wardens exploit the prisoners for their personal benefit and power-driven ego. Ivan's controlling surroundings bestow onto him much agony and hardships.
Even though culture influences the diverse means of oppression the protagonists are subject to in a similar fashion, there are important differences. A main difference between Tita's oppression and Ivan's is the fact that his is fixed indefinitely, since his only option to escape his oppression is the end of his prison sentence. As Solzhenitsyn concludes his text, "There were three thousands six hundred and fifty days like this in his sentences, from reveille to lights out"(Solzhenitsyn 203). Contrastingly, Tita's source oppression is her mother and she has the possibility to free herself from her oppression if she wills to do so. Ivan can will his freedom all he wants but it will not change a thing, his was in a penal camp. Another difference is the Russian and Mexican cultures. Russian culture at the time was much harsher and rather than focusing its attention with enforcing traditions, it was concerned with subduing its citizens.
The plot is the sequences of actions that make up a novel or narrative. The Mexican and Russian cultures influence the plot of the novels in a unique way. A major difference between LWC and ODLID is the pace of the plots. The plot in LWC is very rapid and builds upon itself creating an almost miniature soap opera. This quickness and intricate web of event is related to the Mexican culture well known for its complexity and exaggerations. The plot in ODLID is more monotonous than the plot of LWC. The Russian culture makes it very raw and cold. The work camp and gruesome labor hours enforced by the soviet government slows time down causing the plot, which is solely Ivan's style and routine, to be dreary. On the other hand, both novels incorporate similar minor events illustrating the coercion that encircle the protagonists. The plot unfolds such an event in a discrete fashion, subconsciously influencing the reader's point of view. When Ivan is nearly sent to the coolers for a misdemeanor and when Pedro, Tita's love, marries her sister Rosaura. In terms of culture these minor events show the high regard for severity in Russian societies and the high regard for betrayal.
Novels such as Like Water for Chocolate and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich generally are more different than they are similar. However, the more in detail one analyzes the characters, theme, and plot of each novel, it becomes clear that they both share related cultural influences. In LWC, the Mexican culture plays huge role in the novel introducing the reader to a unique lifestyle packed with cooking, love affairs, attractive dramas, and oppressed dreams. In ODLID, the Russian culture also flavors the novel by creating a very vapid and listless stage on which Ivan Denisovich's daily routine is delineated as realistic as possible. It would be tedious to point out all the ways, in which culture influences each novel, but it is important to take into account the prominent role culture plays in the formation of the individual novels. Like Water for Chocolate (LWC) written by Laura Esquivel and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (ODLID) written by Alexander Solzhenitsyn do not only exemplify great pieces of literature, instead they also serve as tools to map out and comprehend the cultures they were built upon.
