This movie brought to my attention the the tradition of having the youngest daughter not marry until the mother dies so she can take care of her. That seems to be like a very old and outrageous tradition. Something like this would never happen this day and age nor would it happen in America. I also think that they way the family handled the situation would be totally different then how it would be handled now. Tita hid her feelings as her sister married the love of her life, as she had no other option. I know that in my family, that would not happen and we learn to speak our feelings. They didn't open up to each other until the end of the film.
I can tell you that, I have an older sister and I got married before her. When I told her I was engaged she wasn't happy, actually she was crying to me about it. In my head I was thinking, what an old tradition. Who cares who gets married first, if I'm in love I am not going to wait around. Unlike the movie, my sister and I talked about this situation right away until we were both happy and understood each other. I feel like families weren't as close about personal topics back then and in that culture.
This movie also showed a lot of magic realism. In one instance, Tita was able to make food that would change things in people, like crying, vomiting, and sexual feelings. Another couple of scenes showed Tita's dead mother coming back as a ghost and was talking to her and fighting with her. In the movie this seemed very real, but knowing that this is not possible in real life.
I very much agree with you when you talk about the old tradition of the youngest child not marrying to take care of her mother. This would not happen in this day in age and there are actually several laws that band the kind of abuse that Tita endured from her Mother. It was hard to watch though. I get into these movies and wish I was there to save the poor girl. My sister would never have gone through with marrying someone that I love. We are much more open with our feeling than people in this generation were. It’s interesting to watch movies like this and try to put the scenes into our would today!
ReplyDeleteJenna,
ReplyDeleteBetter late then never reply. I also found it absurd that a mother would try to keep her youngest child back to care for her until her death. Though I'm not so sure there are actual laws that prevent this act, it is definitely a horrible thing to do to your child. I kept waiting for Tita to blow up at her mother, she sort of does this, and ends up driving herself crazy. As for your personal input, I could see how your older sister would be upset about your engagement news. The emotion probably wasn't really directed at you, but rather at herself for not being where she thought she would be by now. That can't be an easy thing for her to accept, though she shouldn't take that out on you. Could you imagine your parents forcing your sister to marry your husband instead? How effed up would that be?
Chris