Important Quotations in Like Water for Chocolate

“As you see, within our bodies each of us has the elements needed to produce phosphorus. And let me tell you something I've never told a soul. My grandmother had a very interesting story; she said that each of us is born with a box of matches inside us but we can't strike them all by ourselves; just as in the experiment, we need oxygen and a candle to help. In this case, the oxygen, for example, would come from the breath of the person you love; the candle could be any kind of food, music, caress, word, or sound that engenders the explosion that lights one of the matches. For a moment we are dazzled by an intense emotion. A pleasant warmth growths within us, fading slowly as time goes by, until a new explosion comes along to revive it. Each person has to discover what will set off those explosions in order to live, since the combustion that occurs when of them is ignited is what nourishes the soul. That fire, in short, is its food. If one doesn't find out in time what will off these explosions, the box of matches dampens, and not a single match will ever be lighted” - John Brown (pg. 115-116)

“That afternoon, when the uproar had subsided and the water had been dried up by the sun, Nacha swept up the residue the tears had left on the red stone floor. There was enough salt to fill a ten pound sack—it was used for cooking and lasted a long time. Thanks to her unusual birth, Tita felt a deep love for the kitchen, where she spent most of her life from the day she was born. (pg. 6)

“I am sure I will be, since through this marriage I have gained what I really wanted: the chance to be near you, the woman I really love...” For Tita, these words were like a fresh breeze fanning embers that had been about to die. She had had to hide her feelings for many months that her expressions now changed dramatically, and her relief and happiness were obvious. It was as if all her inner joy, which had nearly been extinguished, had suddenly been rekindled by Pedro's warm breath...