Kiss of the Spider Woman

Content Warning: The source material and study guide contain discussion of murder, torture, political persecution, anti-LGBTQ+ bias (including anti-gay slurs), racism, addiction, suicidal ideation, and child sexual abuse.

In prison, Molina and Valentin can only get groceries when people from the outside bring them in; otherwise, they get prison food, which is described as unappetizing. As a motif, food is therefore intertwined with oppression and power—all the more so because food is used as a tool for manipulation. The warden gives Valentin food poisoning to weaken him and make him more vulnerable to Molina’s attempts to extract information. To explain Molina’s absences from the cell and thus cover up her conversations with the warden, Molina and the warden tell Valentin that Molina’s mother is bringing her groceries. The warden ensures that Molina gets the exact food she wants, and Molina also uses those groceries to gain the trust and affection of Valentin—e.g., by helping him recover from the food poisoning. Moreover, because it’s her food, Molina gets to decide what Valentin eats and when. 

This last point is especially significant in light of the novel’s exploration of

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