Impressions Left by Like Water for Chocolate

“There are some things in life that shouldn’t be given so much importance, if they don’t change what is essential.”

― Laura EsquivelLike Water for Chocolate

There are many different directions I could take when relating the word impression to Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquirel.

likewhatI could start off talking about the transformation of beginning to final impression I acquired from this book.  Usually when determining what book I choose to read, I go for ones that visually appeal or impress me. However when I chose Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel I went completely against my element and solely chose it due to it’s layout. Anything involving cooking, especially Mexican/Latino novels are not usually my first pick, but the fact that the book is divided into twelve sections named after the months of the year and each section begins with a Mexican recipe, captured my interests. Different from choosing a book when I read for pleasure, I researched into this book further to conclude if it was one I would actually enjoy and discovered to my delight that it touches base on some of my favourite themes; being cruelty/violence at homes and self growth, making for a novel that I believed would suit my interests.

This book was anything but a burden. Not only an easy/quick read, it was also an unexpected delight. I was surprised how easily I could connect it back to other books and even personal experiences regarding love and heartbreak. Ignoring my usual instincts to chose a book based on it’s cover’s impression on me, not only led me to this enjoyable novel, but also A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini which shares similar plots/themes. Like back in the summer when I read Hosseini’s novel, I was surprised how much I enjoyed a foreign-originated novel as much as I did. Both novels had taught me how similar people’s situations are no matter where they are in the world and has impressed the reality that heartache and cruelty/violence isn’t limited to one race or ethnicity.


When considering the novel itself and the themes of cruelty/violence at homes, forbidden love and self growth, each character has had a crucial impression on the next.

Tita is the youngest of three daughters of Mama Elena and the main character of Like Water for Chocolate. As the youngest she is prohibited by family tradition from marrying so she can take care of her mother until she dies.  She develops a close relationship Nacha (the cook of the family) and the prime caretaker for Tita as she grows up. Nacha is only in the novel for a short time as she dies of the day of Rosaura’s wedding (the middle child), but plays an important role in influencing/impressing Tita (as a sort of guardian angel) with advice in even the toughest situations, and seems to be the backbone that Tita always refers to (as she is the one who ultimately makes Tita fall in love with cook and teaches her all she knows). When Nacha dies, Chencha the maid becomes Tita’s only companion after her sister Rosaura betrays Tita by marrying the love of her life Pedro and moving away to San Antonio. The marriage of Pedro and Rosario is forbidden by her bitter mother Mama (or Mami) Elena but allows her sister to marry Pedro. Due to her strict rules and forbidding of her youngest to get married, she tends to be the prime source of Tita’s suffering. Throughout the book even after her death, Tita’s mom haunted Tita in whatever she did. She was never appreciative of Tita’s actions no matter what she did, never complimented her, wanted her to succeed in anything, and ultimately was okay with her living a miserably, lonely life. Her bitterness and constrictive grasp on Tita at times almost leads her to giving up on love, but right before her death leads her to the hands of Dr. John Brown, the family doctor. As Tita goes through her breakdown he is the only one there for her, and eventually falls in love with her and helps her out of her six month long period of absolute silence. Although they become engaged, it’s his companionship that helps eventually leads Tita to denying him and pursuing Pedro. Mama Elena’s death is what brings all three sisters together. Rosaura and Pedro come back home with their newborn Esperanza which once again sparks up the romance between Pedro and Tita. Unable to deny the lingering love for one another, Pedro and Tita make love for the first time as well multiple occasions following. Rosaura aware of this connection finally agrees to let them have their affair as long as it’s kept a secret, but eventually ends up dying due to digestive problems. It’s important to note that like her mother, Rosaura had the plan to not allow Esperanza marry since she wanted her Esperanza to take care of her until she died. Tita knew wholeheartedly how unfair and destructive the situation was (as she was the first in the novel to experience it), but it doesn’t become a problem anymore with her mother’s death. Esperanza ends up marrying Alex, Dr. John Brown’s son that he had with his first wife, ultimately breaking  the family tradition that disallows the marriage of youngest daughters. It is after this wedding when all obstacles not allowing Pedro and Tita to be together are finally out of the way, and make love in without any objections for the first and last time (dying peacefully and ecstatically together). Tita is the great-aunt of Esperanza who we find out at the end of the novel was the narrator the whole time and has decided to carry out Tita’s legacy. You’re probably wondering about the third daughter. Gertrudis the oldest daughter, escapes half way through the novel from Mama Elena’s grasp with a rebel soldier who eventually because her husband. It’s revealed after Mama’s death that Gertrudis is the result of an affair that Mama Elena had with her true love (a black man). When Mama had discovered she was pregnant with his child they had planned to run away together, until he was randomly killed during the night and left Mama to settle with her husband at the time (who ends up dying shortly after). It’s finally understood how Mama Elena’s suffered from a lost love is what caused her to be so bitter the rest of her life. While still inexcusable, it is that exactly bitterness that the novel revolves around. Throughout the whole book Tita struggles with individuality and the pursuit of love (which are both discouraged by Mama). While her mother could have made Tita’s life a hundred times similar and less miserable, without the struggle to be with Pedro, the couple might have never realized their complete love for each other…..clearly each character had a deep impression on the next. Without the interactions that took place between every person, there would be infinite alternative endings that most likely would not result with Pedro and Tita ultimately being together.



Impressions don’t end at fossils or dental impressions.

Stamps ie. rubber stamps are a small tool that consists of a handle attached to a piece of carved rubber and that is dipped in ink and then pressed on paper to print an imprint (impression) like a date, name, symbol, etc.

Rubber stamping or stamping, is a craft in which ink made of dye/pigment is applied to a carved or molded sheet of rubber in the shape of an image or pattern. The rubber is often mounted onto an object like wood, brick or an acrylic block. It’s uncertain as to who actually invented the first rubber stamp, but it should be noted that the history of the rubber stamp is closely intertwined to dentistry and the use of rubber in dentistry molds. L.F. Witherell claimed to have invented it ‘by accident’ when cutting out stencils from thin sheets of rubber packaging. However earlier another man supposedly used a curved piece of wood with rubber letters on it to stamp bath tubs in NYC.  Its even suggested that rubber stamps were once used by Native Americans in order to imprint patterns like birds, flowers or tribal symbols on their bodies that they would later on tattoo over. Early stamps were almost always made from engravings, “a design etched into a steel die, which was then hardened and whose impression was transferred to a printing plate”. Interesting enough, temporary stamps with simple designs can even be carved from particular foods like potatoes.

Rubber stamps have recently gained a reputation in an art form (mainly in the United States). Those who choose to carve their own rubber stamps go about it either with old-fashioned gum erasers, eraser-like rubber, or pre-supplied carvings sets. The print/designed that is carved can be used to embellish a work of art or be viewed as a work of art on it’s own. Art stamps available in intricate designs are used now-a-days for decoration of useful tings like letters or greeting cards, and are often combined with other techniques to create original artwork.

It doesn’t stop there! In politics a rubber stamp is also considered “a person or organization that gives automatic approval or authorization to the decisions of others

  • Did you know there are over 1000 rubber stamp manufactures in the USA and most are family own?


Doing Good Impressions

Everyone enjoys a good impression. An impression is not only an imprint or mark left on someone/thing, but a “humorous imitation of the voice and mannerisms of a famous person done by an entertainer.” People like Robert DeNiro, Nic Cage, Arnold Schwarzenegger, etc., have very distinct voices therefore are commonly impersonated. However it’s always appreciated when an impression is does of someone who is rarely impersonated, done by the opposite sex, or is done by someone with a huge age difference.

Tips to a good impression:

  1. Find a person to do an impression of. A line or expression they’re known for saying is usually key.
  2. Tune in your voice so it matches. This may involve repetitive listening of the same line over and over again until you can match their too. You may even have to exaggerate lip movements or modify t0nque positions to perfect it.
  3. After attempting the voice, deepen your approach. Try copying the voice exactly and if not, try your best to get as close as you can.
  4. Analyze the person’s cadences. A cadence is “a regular beat or rhythm or the way a person’s voice changes by gently rising and falling while he or she is speaking”. Might that person slur their words, have a lisp, crooked mouth? All of these have an impact on the tone.
Impressions or impersonations are more than just a funny imitation of someone. It’s taking a person’s voice and making it your own on command. Touching further upon this subject I asked my fellow peers how they felt about the fact that something as personal as their voice can be duplicated. Every person I asked said they never thought of an impersonation as more than a comic act, but after they thought about it realized how much of a violation it is. Many felt creeped out or uncomfortable, and a few even insulted. This wasn’t limited to students either, even teachers felt as if their individual identities were ‘stolen’ in a sense, considering that their voice is unique to them. My favourite response however was against all other opinions. Coming from an old English teacher of mine who said it may be identity theft in a way, claimed that if she heard her own voice she wouldn’t even recognize it therefore would be incapable of feeling violated. She compared it to hearing your voice on a recording and asking “do I really sound that way?” She explained how when people talk they don’t pay attention to their tone, but rather their thoughts and ideas they’re attempting at getting across. This reasons with people with stutters, who on the contrary pay more attention to the way they form their thoughts or ideas, rather than the ideas themselves.

Analyzing Poetry




Ryan Jennings


 A lifetime can be likened to a lonely beach of sand.
a stranger makes a mark one day, an imprint of a hand.
As time goes by the beach once clear is now a cluttered field
of memories and keep-sakes of the ones that we hold dear.
Time does its best to wash away remembrances of those –
the ones we never meant to meet – the ones we never chose.
But as though some odd twist of fate these are the ones we cherish.
The time we spend with these such friends, will never, ever perish.


  • Read the poem once. Then read it again and find the literal meaning.

A lifetime can be likened to a lonely beach of sand.  Your life is similar to that of a vacant beach.
a stranger makes a mark one day, an imprint of a hand. Just like in your life, when someone first walks on a beach, they leave behind footprints or impressions.
As time goes by the beach once clear is now a cluttered field This once empty beach is now full of all sorts of impressions from all kinds of people.
of memories and keep-sakes of the ones that we hold dear. In this cluster of impressions, the best ones are what we remember.
Time does its best to wash away remembrances of those – The beach and our brain are one in the same as they try to erase bad memories.
the ones we never meant to meet – the ones we never chose. We never really do get to chose who comes into our lives.
But as though some odd twist of fate these are the ones we cherish. But it’s funny how everything happens for a reason, even something that seemingly should have never occurred.
The time we spend with these such friends, will never, ever perish. And it is those occurrences, those impressions, those people, that we remember.


  • Read the poem again to find the connotative meaning of the poem.  “Why this word and not another?”

A lifetime can be likened to a lonely beach of sand. Everything has felt the grip of loneliness at least once. The feel for lack of substance or presence of something greater is universal.
a stranger makes a mark one day, an imprint of a hand. everyone/thing starts off as a stranger. It takes a good leap of faith to chose to make something no longer strange.
Time does its best to wash away remembrances of those – We do what we can to forget our pain, but it’s always subtly somewhere.
But as though some odd twist of fate these are the ones we cherish. Our fate as we all know is unpredictable. It has it’s fair shares of twists and turns that may at times astound us.


  • Find the poem’s symbolic meaning. “What could this stand for…why?”

 A lifetime can be likened to a lonely beach of sand. The beach itself is obviously not lonely because it can’t have any feelings. Rather, lonely in this context could mean ‘untouched’  by a person
As time goes by the beach once clear is now a cluttered field Not physically a clutter field. The multiple marks can become so innumerable it can actually be flustering.
Time does its best to wash away remembrances of those – Time can’t wash away anything. The waves can, and your brain can “wash away” memories from one’s brain. (Although never permanently erasable)


An Artistic Revolution


The Impressionism Period was a movement in art culture centered in France in the 1870’s and 80’s.The movement began in Paris where it went against all traditional views and is named after Monet’s early work; Impress: A Sunrise.Monet’s artwork was heavily criticized by art critic Louis Leroy; being viewed as controversial and a threat to the values that fine art meant to uphold. It wasn’t until Camille Pissarro (the first impressionist painter known as the “dean of the Impressionist painters”) died in 1903 that critics agreed that the movement was the revolutionary and the painters themselves were among the finest.


Most well-known Impressionist painters: Claude MonetPierre Auguste RenoirCamille PissarroAlfred SisleyBerthe MorisotArmand Guillaumin, Frédéric Bazille who all worked together and influenced one another


The story behind the name of this era is for the theory that when painting, colour should be flat out dropped on a canvas instead of being mixed on a palette. As a-matter-of-fact, impressionism is for many for a state of mind rather than a technique; therefore artists other than painters are considered impressionists. These painters ignored all Law of Simultaneous Contrast created by Chevreul in 1823 defining how certain colour combinations affect our perception of art. Pictures are created from freely brushed colours using short “broken”strokes of mixed and pure unmixed colour to achieve an effect of intense colour vibration. Impressionists found that they could capture the effects of diffused sunlight by sitting outside under white umbrellas  painting en plein air

Opinion of the public

One artist unable to sell his works tried to display them in a local exhibit but was refused. At the time no one accepted the movement and many artists were being slammed by critics and the public constantly. Some well-known painters even held back participating in certain exhibits at this time due to the amount of criticism. Only a few people admired this type of artwork and for many artists’ life was uneasy and miserable. Slowly Impressionists were becoming more and more appreciated. Galleries were still very selective and how many/what paints they accepted, and in 1894 25 out of 65 artworks donated by painter Caillebotte to the Luxembourg museum were rejected. Then with Camille Pissarro’s death in 1903, everybody agreed that this movement was the movement was the revolutionary and the painters themselves were among the finest.

Ever since I saw my first Renoir, I fell in love with impressionism. The combination of patches of color and scattered light gave the paintings a kind of innocents. It moved me to discover rather than recognize what I was looking at. Here the familiar references were gone and I could wander.


Look familiar? Famous Dutch impressionist Vincent Van Gogh painted Starry Night in June 1889 which marked a turn turn towards greater imaginative freedom in Van Gogh’s art. Thought to be Van Gogh’s greatest painting, ironically enough he was extremely unhappy with the outcoming, complaining to this brother how most of it “says nothing to me, because it lacks individual intention and feeling in the lines.”


Don McLean’s song ‘Vincent’ (Starry, Starry Night) is based on the painting

Who Do You Dress To Impress?


-Betsey Johnson







What college guys had to say on certain fashion trends:


Fossils Fossils Fossils

  Fossil Fun Facts 

What are fossils?  

Fossils are defined as the remains or impressions left behind by plants, animals or any living organisms thousands of years after they were alive. There are two classified types of fossils.

Type I : the remains of the dead organism/the imprint left behind; example: bones, teeth, hair, skin impressions, impression of an animal/plant

Type II : (trace fossils) something made by the organism while it was living that was turned into stone; example: footprints, burrows, poop

How are fossils made?   

There are several ways fossils are formed. A few:

Freezing (refrigeration) – The best but most rare occurring way to preserve ancient materials. The organism must be frozen from time of death until it is discovered. In Alaska/Siberia there have been animals such as mammoths and rhinoceroses found with flesh, skin and hair intact.

Drying (desiccation)– Also known as mummifying. Soft tissues of animals and humans can be preserved for thousands of years if they’re completely dried out.

Permineralization-The most common form of preservation. Starts with the organism dying in or near water close enough to fall in. The water insulates the remains while sediments starts to pile on. Eventually the organism becomes compacted by how much weigh is on top of it and the built up sediment turns to rock and leaves behind an impression of the organism.

Replacement – Cell walls in organisms dissolve and are replaced by minerals

Fossil Formation Flowchart

How old are fossils?  

Scientists agree that in order to officially be considered a fossil, the specimen must be at least 10,000 years old and usually range up to a whopping 500,000,000 years old.

Oldest Fossil – Traces of microscopic life found in Greenland dates back somewhere between 3,700 and 3,800 million years ago.

For more information behind how paleontologists date fossils click here

Fossil records  

The Largest Nautiloid –  Endoceras; from the Ordovician Period, 13 feet (3 1/2 meters) long.

Biggest shark- Megalodon; 40-50 feet long; 48 tons.

The Biggest Trilobites – Isotelus rex; found in northern Manitoba;   28 inches (72 centimeters) long.

Largest Dinosaur – Sauroposeidon meaning “earthquake god lizard”; 60 feet tall (18 meters) ; 60 tons


5 Ways To Make a Killer First Impression

Most people will judge you within minutes of walking into a room. Research says that even after just a few seconds, someone will have decided how approachable you are, if you seem like a friend or foe, and if you’re likable. 

Harsh fact: their opinion won’t always be good.

But what are some ways to make a killer first impression and start off on the right foot? It’s simply in how good you look, talk, and think.


1. Set an intention. 

One of the most important things to do before giving a good impression is to set an intention. Especially at a big event with a lot of important people you should be prepared for the people you want to meet and the interactions you want to have. Focus all your energy on the outcomes, and try to keep it positive.

2. Dress to impress. Clothes, make-up, jewelry, accessories right down to shoes are all types of ‘ornamentation’ people take into account when making judgement. If you look like you forgot to shower the night before, dressed in a too small suit with a wrinkly tie, your interviewer may not be happy…nor want to be within a few feet of you. Dress appropriately for every occasion; ladies there are a time and place for everything…miniskirts included. Wear statement items that give the other person an impression of who you with items such as watches, purses or large earrings.

3. Be conscious of your body language. Body language is a crucial part for any encounter with someone, whether it be a first impression or not. Everything from your posture to how you walk to the way you’re angling your body in a conversation matter. Sit or stand up straight, angled toward who you’re talking to so it’s known that you care about what’s being said. Don’t roll your eyes, cross your arms, or make negative/bored gestures that would turn someone else away. You don’t need to have a smile plastered on your face 24/7, but be approachable and maintain a positive aura.

4. Sound professional. It’s important not only to look good, but talk good too. Have a high-class etiquette and talk properly. Enunciate words and keep the swears and crass jokes at home. If you’re having a serious conversation, resist cracking a joke and instead add insightful information when possible.

5. Be interested and interesting. If you are truly interested in meeting people and what they say, they will realize this in a first impression. Approach someone with genuine interest and put in effort to the conversation as they should be too. Don’t slouch in a gathering, but rather look as if you want to be there. When you are meeting people for the first time you will have better conversations and lasting connections when you are interested because they become interested.

First impressions are simple but take thought and effort. If you genuinely want to meet new people then being interesting or interest should come fairly easy. Don’t try too hard to be someone you’re not but instead show them you at your best so maybe they’re willing to you know outside a pretty situation.

Dental Impressions


  • Custom mouthguards
  • Custom take-home whitening trays
  • Custom dental trays used for precise impression taking
  • Crowns, bridges, and veneers
  • Dentures
  • Custom abutments for dental implants
  • Models for diagnostic study
  • Model for permanent dental record before and after dental treatment


Impression Etymology



Impression (n.) late 14c.,

“mark produced by pressure,” also “image produced in the mind or emotions,” from Old French impression “print, stamp; a pressing on the mind,” from Latin impressionem (nominative impressio) “onset, attack,” figuratively “perception,” literally “a pressing into,” from imprimere (see impress). Meaning “act or process of indenting” is early 15c.; that of “printing of a number of copies” is from 1570s. Meaning “belief, vague notion” (as in under the impression) is from 1610s.”

Impression is also a homonym



  • An effect, feeling, or image retained as a consequence of experience
  • A vague notion, remembrance, or belief: “I have the impression that we have met once before.”
  • A mark that appears on a surface by pressure.
  • The act or process of impressing something/someone
  • Printing – a. All the copies of a publication printed at one time from the same set of type.
  •                  b. A single copy of such a printing. A humorous imitation of a voice/mannerisms of a (usually) famous person done by an entertainer. An initial/single coat of color or paint.


Famous Quotes in literature


Robert Frost

“People have a negative impression of New York that I don’t think is quite fair.”

Billy Graham


Alvin Ailey

I love the word impression because of it’s wide variety of definitions and uses. I love that is not necessarily a positive word, but not necessarily negative either. I love that it’s tone depends on the context it’s in, and it has such an important place in the world. For without impressions, nothing would be leaving their mark on anything.