leticia

I like the movie “ Tortilla Soup” because many can relate to the characters and have similar problems as them. The movie is about a Mexican- American family who are trying to find their identities. Martin Naranjo is a very strict father and his three daughters Leticia, Carmen and Maribel, each one with their unique personality.
Leticia the oldest, is very conservative and is obedient to his father. She is in her thirties and is chemistry teacher. At the beginning, she only wore dull colors and seems to have a very boring personality. She has no social life and she portrays a depressed face at all times. She was a single women living with her father in her 30s. As the character realizes that it feels good to be bad, she discovers herself.
When Leticia finds the anonymous love letters, and wonders who the admirer is, it makes her change. She thinks her secret admirer is the coach Orlando Castillo. She is more aware of the way she looks and tries better ways of being attractive.She wears make up and wear more colorful clothes. she seems more confident and excited.For the first time, she disobeys her father. She gets married with the coach and later confronts her father.
Her personality changes and becomes who she reality is. At the end of the movie, she becomes a happy and confident person.

For many centuries, many people believe these words “Yahweh shaped an earthling from clay of this earth, blew into its nostrils the wind of life. Now look: man becomes a creature of flesh” (The Book of J, 61).This story explains the creation of the first humans and the disobedience of eating the forbidden fruit. Another fascinating book is the Odyssey, Odysseus traveled with his men on his way home. They had many adventures because they had to get food to eat. In this two books, food is very important because is a form of communication and knowledge.

The story begins in a beautiful garden; the first humans are tempted to eat the forbidden fruit. Adam and Hava eat the fruit and are removed from the Garden of Eden. Many people believe in these words which has created many religions and sects. But why do people make a big deal of this event? God had forbidden them to eat because if they did they would die and have knowledge of good and bad. Therefore, this questioned God’s authority and his power. The disobedience led them to suffering and God removed them from the Garden of Eden. In The Book of J, it also mentions the story of Cain and Abel. These two brothers made an offering to their God; Cain offered fruit and Abel from his flock (The Book of J, 66). Food is communication with God.

Food has been an essential necessary for everyone. If there is no food, we question our provider just like in the case of the Odyssey. When Odysseus traveled through the ocean with his men, at one point they had no food and they questioned him. They had to stop in unknown lands to get food. In relation to The Book of J, Moses led the Israelites to freedom into the promise land. But before they reached their destiny, the Israelites encountered many obstacles.

Yahweh provided them with sufficient food: manna. The Israelites complained about the manna saying “But now our spirit dries up from looking at nothing-nothing but manna” (The Book of J, 164). They were craving for the food they had eaten in Egypt but forgetting they had been slaves. Instead of being thankful, they began to weep and criticize Yahweh and Moses. Hearing the Israelites Yahweh spoke to Moses and he said to the people “who will feed us meat as good as we ate in Egypt [...] Yahweh will deliver your flesh, for you to eat” (The Book of J, 165).

Food can be a form of communication and knowledge. In The Book of J, God uses food to show his authority, power and knowledge. The forbidden fruit, manna and the offering is a form of communication between God and the people. In the Odyssey, food was necessary for survival. The story relates many adventures Odysseus and his men had when trying to get food.

Works Cited
Homer. Odyssey .Trans. Stanley Lombardo.Ed. Indiana:Hacket Publishing. 2000
The Book of J. Trans. David Rosenberg.Ed. Harold Bloom. New YorkGrove, 1990.

The Day of the Dead

Having an immortal life has been one of the most desired since ancient times. Around the world people celebrate at different times and occasions to honor, worship or remember the dead. Each one has a similar purpose but the way they do it, it is different.
Many traditions on the Day of the Dead it is related to spirits, ghosts and other creatures.
In Mexico, before the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the land, they noticed that the natives had many rituals which they honored the dead instead of fearing them. For “at least 3,000years” ago, people have been practicing the ritual, which now in modern days, we know it as the Day of the Dead or el Dia de los Muertos, according to The Arizona Times. Before Spanish influenced the natives with their own belief, they use to celebrate it in the month of July and August . Many people believe that during this time of the year they are able to have an interaction or communication with the dead.
Therefore, people honor their loved ones by going to the cemetery to visit them and most importantly make special food. From all the festivals and ceremonies, in some places in Mexico, it is important make altars for the dead or visits them in their tombs. Relatives, friends have to place their favorite food and decorate it flowers, usually when it begins on October 31st and ends on November 2nd.
During this time, Mexicans make sugar skulls to make a joke because they assume that the dead will eat themselves. Las calaveras or skulls are decorated with different colors and designs. The aromas of the food make the spirits happy and are able to enjoy what they loved before Not only there is food, but there is music and people dancing and singing to commemorate the dead. The altars have food, candles and colorful flowers to remember or show respect between the two worlds, the living and the dead.

Food

Food can satisfy everyone in different levels. It can provide energy for our bodies to keep on living. Food is a comfort or a dislike to our stomach. People who love to cook can express themselves. They use their talent to enchant or make you sick. For centuries, families use their meal time as an opportunity for each member to communicate and share about their day. People can also be represented as a whole. For example, in different cultures, food can represent or symbolize a belief, celebration or any important occasion. In Mexico, El Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead, people bake human shaped bread and cook other food to remember their beloved ones. This unique celebration reveals their beliefs about the dead.
In literature, food can represent different things .Laura Esquirel uses food to represent Tita’s feeling in the novel Like Water for Chocolate. Tita’s actions are controlled by her mother but in the kitchen, Tita is free. She is able to express her feeling in her cooking. The very first chapter of the book, Tita cooks Christmas rolls. In this occasion it represents the beginning of Tita’s and Pedro’s love. She expresses her love and desires in her cooking. Tita’s food is a way of communicating with Pedro since their love is forbidden.
In conclusion, everyone needs food to survive. We enjoy eating it and spending time with our family. At the same time, reading about food, we can learn about culture. In my opinion, food plays an important role in society and individually. It affects the way the world views our culture and how food makes us feel that day.