Marriage
\The marriage of the couple in Under the Jaguar Sun is not ideal. They are taking a trip to Mexico to help bring back the excitement in their marriage. They are able to do this by enjoying the Mexican cuisine. The taste of the food and spices gives the meals a sensual feel and this experience brings the couple closer together and they able to find the excitement in one another that had become stale.
Human Sacrifice
The ancient culture of Mexico revolved around sacrifices to the gods. The couple finds this fascinating. The idea of human sacrifice is not something anyone in modern society can understand. They enjoy being in the ancient temple and attempting to understand the idea of human sacrifice and how it fits into the Mexican culture and in the Mexican cuisine that they enjoy.
Cannibalism
Olivia questions if the ancient priests would partake of the human sacrificial victims. She becomes obsessed with knowing if this happened and how they would make the flesh palatable to eat. The idea of eating human flesh is interesting to her. Her husband fantasies of her eating his flesh as he watches her enjoy her meal that evening. This sensual fantasy brings the couple together and they end the evening having sex. This sexual excitement was missing from their marriage and they are able to renew it with thoughts of cannibalism.
Taste
The couple uses taste to bring the excitement back into their marriage. The spices and Mexican cuisine tantalize the couple’s palates. This mixture of spicy and sweet is a mixture of the couple. Olivia is more spicy and willing to argue her opinion, while her husband is more laid back and takes things as they come. This mixture of taste shows that the couple can come together again in an exciting and spectacular way.
Culture
The Mexican culture is alien to the couple. As they learn about the Mexican culture they are able to enjoy their experiences more. They enjoy all aspects of the culture from its past to its food. The culture is a culmination of past and present and the people and food of Mexico. The couple wants to experience as much as they can as they travel the country. They are willing to accept all aspects of the culture the good and the scandalous. Where their guide plays down the possible cannibalism of their ancient priests, the couple is fascinated by this aspect and enjoy that thought of it. To them, all aspects are important for it makes the culture what it is.
