Comparison of a Lost Lady and Chocolate-Like WaterThe worlds that Willa Cather and Laura Esquivel write about are barely congruent. Written at different times, in different styles, and in different cultures, Cather's A Lost Lady and Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate seem, at first glance, to have little in common. Cather's Victorian realism seems completely incompatible with Esquivel's surrealist imagery, and yet, upon closer inspection, one can find common threads woven between the two works. Although the differences are obvious, subtle similarities exist in the setting, conflicts, and central characters. The above excerpt is provided to give the student an idea of ​​what this essay is about. The full essay begins below. Imagine for a moment Marian Forrester in her kitchen preparing a tray for tea. As she works, her mind wanders to the letter she received in the mail today from Frank Ellinger. “It’s been too long since Frank left Denver,” she thinks, looking out the window across the meadow, half expecting to see his form approaching. Instead, she sees an exotic shape in the distance, a young Spanish girl, and in a cloud of dust a soldier approaches her. Without slowing his gallop, so as not to waste a moment, he leaned down, put his arm around her waist, he made her mount the horse in front of him, face to face, and carried her away. The horse, which also seemed to be obeying higher orders, continued to gallop as if it already knew its final destination, even though Juan had thrown away the reins and was passionately kissing and hugging Gertrudis. The movement of the horse combined with the movement of their bodies as they made love for the first time, galloping and with great difficulty. (Esquivel 55-56)An improbable scene in Mrs. Forrester's Victorian world? The worlds Willa Cather and Laura Esquivel write about are barely congruent. Written at different times, in different styles, and in different cultures, Cather's A Lost Lady and Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate seem, at first glance, to have little in common. Cather's Victorian realism seems completely incompatible with Esquivel's surrealist imagery, and yet, upon closer inspection, one can find common threads woven between the two works. Although the differences are obvious, subtle similarities exist in the setting, conflicts, and central characters. Writing in the Victorian era, Cather chose the prairie states of the United States at the turn of the century as the setting for her novel...