Research the rebellion against the Mexican government led by Francisco "Pancho" Villa and Emiliano Zapata. Explain how this rebellion provides an effective backdrop for the tensions in the De la Garza family.

Explore Freud's psychological theory on the process of sublimation. Write an essay determining whether or not it can be applied to any situations in the novel. Use examples from the text.

Investigate the term "magic realism." Read another work that employs this technique and compare it to Like Water for Chocolate.

Research the position of women in Mexican society in the early part of the twentieth century. How can your findings help define the novel's female characters?