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Rosaura
Gertrudis is Rosaura and Tita’s sister. She is born to Mama Elena through her illicit affair with Jose Treviño. As a child, Gertrudis loves music and dance. As a young woman, she is suddenly inspired by passion and runs away to make love with captain Juan Alejandrez. Because he alone can’t “quench the fire” inside her, she then goes to work at a brothel. She eventually joins the rebel army, and works her way through the ranks, becoming a general. Gertrudis eventually reunites with and marries Juan Alejandrez and has children with him. Gertrudis is affectionate, joyful and independent-minded, and a representative of all the positive aspects of ferocity and passion in femininity.
Gertrudis Quotes in Like Water for Chocolate
The Like Water for Chocolate quotes below are all either spoken by Gertrudis or refer to Gertrudis. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 3: March Quotes
It was as if a strange alchemical process had dissolved her entire being in the rose petal sauce, in the tender flesh of the quails, in the wine, in every one of the meal’s aromas. That was the way she entered Pedro’s body, hot, voluptuous, perfumed, totally sensuous.
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The De la Garza family is at the dinner table eating Tita’s quail in rose petal sauce. This is the meal that awakens in Gertrudis such an insatiable physical lust that the heat from her body causes the shower to catch fire and provides the catalyst for her to run away with captain Juan Alejandrez.Tita’s cooking, infused with her own lustful thoughts about Pedro, makes Pedro feel as if he were devouring Tita herself—or as if Tita were “entering” him, in a reversal of the archetypal masculine/feminine sexual roles. Tita’s passion and creativity creates texture and life in her food, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Vo
Chapter 7: July Quotes
He left because I had exhausted his strength, though he hadn’t managed to quench the fire inside me. Now at last, after so many men have been with me, I feel a great relief. Perhaps someday I will return home and explain it to you.
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While Tita is staying at Dr. John Brown’s house, Chencha brings her a letter from Gertrudis. Gertrudis describes her life since she ran away to make love with Juan Alejandrez. After some time with him, he left her and she began working at a brothel. The tone of Gertrudis’ letter is shameless and triumphant. To Gertrudis, her lust and her sexual adventures are no cause for embarrassment or ridicule. She doesn’t see herself as the object of male lust, but rather as the instigator of sexual passion. Gertrudis’ character provides a foil to traditional sexual dynamics, which frame the male Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut oc
Chapter 8: August Quotes
Pedro! What are you doing here?
Without answering, Pedro went to her, extinguished the lamp, pulled her to a brass bed that had once belonged to her sister, Gertrudis, and throwing himself upon her, caused her to lose her virginity and learn of true love.
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Tita has just accepted John’s marriage proposal, and he has just left to travel to the United States before their wedding. In so few words, then, Esquivel describes the pivotal moment when Pedro and Tita finally have sex. Even though many things have occurred, they have actually only waited about four years since they first met until now. This moment changes everything for Tita, who can no longer deny her enduring feelings for Pedro and pretend to herself that she is falling in love with John. She has crossed an emotional and moral boundary, and will have to deal with Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Delen
Chapter 10: October Quotes
The truth! The truth! Look, Tita, the simple truth is that the truth does not exist; it all depends on a person’s point of view. For example, in your case, the truth could be that Rosaura married Pedro, showing no loyalty, not caring a damn that you really loved him, that’s the truth, isn’t it?
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Gertrudis is nearing the end of her visit to the ranch. During their week of catching up, Tita has hesitated to tell her sister about her pregnancy because she fears her judgment. Now, she breaks the news to Gertrudis and explains her intense fear about how Rosaura might react if she learns “the truth.”Gertrudis’ response is contrary to Tita’s expectations. Rather than judging or blaming her, Gertrudis encourages Tita to reconsider the sources of her guilt. By questioning Tita’s concept of “the truth,” Gertrudis asks Tita to reconsider her narrative of reality. Until now, Tita hasn’t questioned the standards of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui
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Gertrudis Character Timeline in Like Water for Chocolate
The timeline below shows where the character Gertrudis appears in Like Water for Chocolate. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1: January – “Christmas Rolls.”
Though Tita sees the kitchen as “her world,” her sisters, Gertrudis and Rosaura, see cooking as dangerous. Once when they are kids, Tita convinces them to...
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Chapter 2: February – “Chabela Wedding Cake.”
...was marrying Rosaura, but she refused to listen. She ran away, into the room where Gertrudis and Chencha were embroidering imported wedding sheets with a chastity opening so that the couple...
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Chapter 3: March – “Quail in Rose Petal Sauce”
...taste of Tita’s food, despite Mama Elena’s disapproval. Rosaura, stricken with morning sickness, barely eats. Gertrudis, however, feels very hot, affected supernaturally by Tita’s food. Feeling a rush of sexual desire,...
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While washing the utensils, Gertrudis continues to sweat profusely, a pink, rose-scented cloud emanating from her body. When she tries...
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...“Damn Pedro, so decent, so proper, so manly, so … wonderful!” Pedro is thinking about Gertrudis’ naked body, as he has never even seen Rosaura naked. He imagines Tita might look...
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...up a story, telling Mama Elena that federal troops (whom Tita hates) came and kidnapped Gertrudis. Mama Elena is overcome with sadness, but when she finds out a week later that...
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Chapter 4: April - “Turkey Mole with Almonds and Sesame Seeds”
...Roberto. It is early one morning in March, and Tita is packing a suitcase of Gertrudis’ clothes and things to be sent to her through Nicolas, the ranch manager, without Mama...
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Chapter 5: May – “Northern Style Chorizo”
...Unbeknownst to Mama Elena, the captain is Juan Alejandrez, the man who ran away with Gertrudis. The men kill and take all the pigeons from the dovecote above the house, and...
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Chapter 7: July – “Ox-Tail Soup”
...of his American cook’s food or his own remedies. Chencha brings Tita a letter from Gertrudis, who writes that although her captain revived her spirit, she is now working in a...
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...continued their affair in secret through the years, and Treviño was the true father of Gertrudis. Juan de La Garza’s heart attack after Tita’s birth was in fact caused by his...
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Chapter 9: September – “Chocolate and Three Kings’ Day Bread”
...chocolate and bread during holiday seasons past. She mourns the simplicity of childhood, missing Nacha, Gertrudis, and her good relationship with Rosaura. Lately, she has been making a special diet for...
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...that she had never met Pedro, that Mama Elena’s ghost would go away, and that Gertrudis would come back to help her. Tita tries tell Pedro about her pregnancy, but Chencha...
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Unexpectedly, a rebel troop arrives. They are led by Gertrudis, who has become a general, and her husband Juan Alejandrez. Gertrudis says she knows that...
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Gertrudis explains that after leaving the brothel, she joined the army and fought her way through...
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Chapter 10: October – “Cream Fritters”
Gertrudis and Tita are catching up while making cream fritters, which are Gertrudis’ favorite desert from...
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While Tita rests upstairs, Gertrudis tries to finish the syrup for the fritters. Unfamiliar with cooking, she can’t read the...
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...turns into a firecracker, which crashes into an oil lamp and catches Pedro on fire. Gertrudis stomps out the fire and the men carry Pedro upstairs. Rosaura runs to him, but...
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The next day, Gertrudis, Tita, and Juan share a warm goodbye as the troop leaves to attack Zacatecas. Gertrudis...
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Chapter 12: December: “Chiles in Walnut Sauce.”
On the day of the wedding, everyone is impressed when Gertrudis and Juan pull up in a Model T ford coupe. They are sporting the latest...
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...After eating the dish, a magical sexual passion takes hold of all of the guests. Gertrudis, just as she was years before, is the first to shown signs of this. All...
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