Characters & Conflict
This character’s death functions as the emotional breaking point of the chapter rather than a plot event alone.
Who is Roberto?
Mama Elena breaks this body part on Tita.
What is a nose?
This dish gives the chapter its title and ties food to emotional and historical context.
What is northern-style chorizo?
This character is supposed to take Tita to an insane asylum on Mama Elena's orders.
Who is Dr. Brown?
This order from Mama Elena causes Tita to finally defy her and begin to lose emotional control.
What is her command that Tita not cry over Roberto's death?
After being forbidden to mourn Roberto, Tita retreats to this location.
What is a dovecote?
Mama Elena shoots this animal out of the sergeant's hands when he starts to enter her house against her prior commands.
What is a chicken?
Mama Elena has this unique skill that no one else has been able to replicate after her death.
What is cutting a watermelon
In this chapter, Tita is characterized primarily through this activity rather than dialogue, reinforcing a central part of her identity. (To a certain animal)
What is caregiving/nurturing for a pigeon?
This captain, who comes to the De La Garza Ranch demanding food and animals, unbeknownst to Mama Elena, took Gertrudis away.
Who is Juan Alejandrez?
The pigeon Tita cares for as a substitute for Roberto dies because of this.
What is overfeeding/indigestion? (by Tita)
Tita’s kilometer-long bedspread represents this "cold" motif that she carries with her even as she leaves the ranch.
What is loneliness/unrequited love?
These two farmhands drew out their pistols against the rebel army.
Who are Rosalio and Guadalupe?
No matter how hard Tita tried, she could never meet Mama Elena’s standards for either of these two things.
What are bathing and cooking?
This unusual event happened to the sausage that Mama Elena and Chencha finished stuffing after Tita went to the dovecote.
What is it that it became infested with worms?