What has life taught Tita?

In Laura Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate, Tita de la Garza learns two kinds of life lessons: what is taught to her by society, and what she learns from her struggles toward self-determination and independence.
Tita grew up in a household that was very conservative and did not grant the youngest daughter (in this case, Tita) much freedom as an individual. The youngest daughter is expected to care for the mother until the mother dies.
This placed Tita at a disadvantage socially, because it limited her freedom, but this role in the family and in society did not deter Tita from making a name for herself. Tita channeled all of her sorrows, love, passion, and dedication into two things: her cooking and the man she loved.
By living with passion, Tita rebelled against the social and family role that incarcerated her. This was the ultimate life lesson for Tita—that love has many layers and that loving one's mother and one's family does not mean one should be imprisoned by that love.