Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What important social and political changes were taking place in Mexico in the early 20th century?

Teaching Suggestion: Like Water for Chocolate takes place during a pivotal time in Mexican history, and its plot can be read as a commentary on this period. Students may know little about Mexican history. If so, you might encourage them to make logical guesses as a schema-activation exercise. Then, you might offer students the resources below, asking them to revise their answers based on their new knowledge.

• This article from the Constitutional Rights Foundation explains the reasons for and consequences of the Mexican Revolution.
• This article from the History Channel explores the role of women in the Mexican Revolution.
• This article celebrates the social and political reforms ushered in by the 1917 Mexican Constitution.

2. What does the term “magical realism” mean? What works of literature or film are you familiar with in this genre? How does magical realism differ from other genres, like science fiction, horror, and fantasy?