I’m sure most of us have heard the story of the ugly duckling. But just in case you haven’t, allow me to enlighten you on the basics: a very ugly duckling (actually, it turns out to be a cygnet) is made fun of by everyone, taken advantage of, bullied and then returns a year later to be a beautiful white swan that everyone loves and respects. The story ends there, but maybe the ugly duckling held a grudge and came back to take revenge. I’m not quite sure how, but it’s definitely a possibility.
Anyway, the telenovela “Dame Chocolate” is basically along the lines of the ugly duckling, except that the main character is not a duck, it’s a person named Rosita. She starts off as an innocent Mayan girl with unruly hair, a prominent nose and protruding teeth, but once she inherits her grandfather’s chocolate factory and its secret recipe, she undergoes a transformation that is both physical and psychological.
The co-owners don’t like that an underage girl is controlling their factory, so they plan to get rid of her by using her crush on rich bachelor, Bruce Remington, to their advantage. When the truth comes out, she is devastated and runs away with everyone believing her to be dead. She becomes part of an L.A. cosmetic surgery show, and her transformation leaves her unrecognizable. Disguised as her alter-ego, Violeta, she returns to the factory, this time with revenge in mind.
Even if you’re not that into the ugly duckling type of story, “Dame Chocolate” is a great way to improve your Spanish. If you don’t understand what they’re saying, there are always English subtitles.
Grace Wong
Head News Editor
