Kiss of the Spider Woman

In prison, Molina and Valentin don’t have access to food supplies, which portrays their repression. They can only get groceries when people from the outside bring them in, or they get prison food, which is described as unappetizing. Molina and Valentin share food throughout the novel, however. Often, Molina makes Valentin meals, taking on a stereotypically-female role. When the guards bring them dinner, Valentin sacrifices his larger portion, giving it to Molina,as Molina prefers the rice. This shows how he has started to care for Molina. At the same time, the food is used as a tool for manipulation. The warden intends to give Valentin food poisoning, in order to weaken him and make him more vulnerable, which successfully happens, in spite of Molina accidently eating it once. Molina manipulates Valentin to believe that his mother brings him groceries and in order to trick Valentin, Molina must have those groceries when he returns to their cell. The warden ensures that he gets the exact food he wants, and Molina uses those groceries to gain the affection of Valentin, and also to help him recover from the food poisoning. Because it’s his food, Molina gets to decide what Valentin eats, and when.