Narrative Strategies of Magical Realism in Spanish-Language Literature: A Case Study of Laura Esquivel's Como agua para chocolate

This article explores the narrative strategies of magical realism in Spanish-language literature, focusing on Laura Esquivel’s novel Como agua para chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate). The study examines how Esquivel blends everyday reality with fantastical elements, using narrative techniques rooted in Latin American literary tradition. By analyzing the structure, voice, use of culinary symbolism, and emotional logic in the novel, the paper highlights how Esquivel reshapes historical and cultural discourse through the lens of gender and emotion. The findings contribute to a broader understanding of magical realism as a culturally coded narrative device that challenges linear time, patriarchal norms, and rationalist paradigms.