Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Just as the dark room is where Mama E is most vulnerable, here it is the same for Tita. The main difference is that her domain is warm and full of light, color, and good people like Nacha:
Everything on the kitchen side […] on through the door leading to the patio and the kitchen and herb gardens was completely hers—it was Tita's realm. (1,7)
In her home, Tita leads a different lifestyle from her sisters. She works all the time and feeds her family, much like stereotypical mother role, and spends most of her time around Indigenous women—Nacha and then Chencha, who exist solely in the kitchen, away from the elite social circles of Mexico at the time. This causes in her a greater spiritual and mythical bond to food and the world around her. And even though the kitchen is a domestic space, Tita uses it to express herself and derives power and control from her cooking.