I am confused as I read through The Tortilla Curtain. Please explain one of the following concepts to me:
The title...what does Boyle mean by a "tortilla" curtain?
Animals as symbols.
Fences and walls.
The American Dream.
Alienation and ethnic division(is alienation key to ethnic identity?).
Gender identity...how are gender roles worked out in this book?
The ending of the book--for goodness sake, someone explain what it means.
Or, if none of that strikes your fancy, choose a theme from the book that you think is important and explain that concept.
The Ending
ReplyDeleteThe end of Tortilla Curtain can have multiple meanings. The loss of a baby yet the caring aspect of a helping hand make the ending open to interpretation. I would like to think Candido grabbed the hand of Delaney, only see his face one last time, as he lets go and lets the guy drown. This is the harsh, somewhat comical, ending I hoped for. Of course there is also the happy interpretation that human compassion and forgiveness go beyond the worst thing another person can do to another. The forgiveness interpretation allows for Candido to save Delaney despite the fact that if it were not for Delaney… Candido would still have a baby in the picture. For Candido to reach out and get past the vile cold feeling of losing a baby is perhaps the message Boyle was going for. The fact that despite the hurtful things one person may do to another that there may be compassion to help a person in need. Much like medical care for a serial murderer who has done terrible things, it is ethical to give the person care and save their life if need be. Candido did utilize ethics in the last part of this book as he followed the golden rule despite the loss of his baby. We can all learn something from Candido; but I would still like to think that it was just one last look at Delaney’s face before Candido punched him with his other arm only to have Delaney wash away.
Gender Identity
ReplyDeleteIt seems that the roles of being the dominant one in the relationship between the two couples are to the women. In the relationship between Delaney and Kyra, it seems that Kyra is the dominant one. Also in the other relationship, it seems that America is the one going against what Candido says. In the book, I noticed that Delaney doesn't really have much say in what goes on in the household. He just lets Kyra do what she wants to do. For example, when Kyra was going off on the driver who kept that dog in the car what seem to her a very long time, Delaney just let her go off on the man. He tried to defend her and calm her down, but she just wouldn't let the situation go. In Candido and America's relationship, it seems that Candido doesn't want America to do anything on her own. When America was gone for hours because she was working, Candido got very upset. I think that Candido's mind was going crazy as to what happened to her and what could've happened to her. America didn't care what Candido said and just went with what she wanted to do, which was work. The women in this book did what they wanted to do and didn't really care whether their husbands agreed with their choices or not.
The Title
ReplyDeleteFrom my interpretation on the title "Tortilla Curtain," the tortilla represents the Mexican life, and the curtain is the divider. Meaning the "tortilla curtain" probably refers to the boundary between Mexico and California. It is the separation between the American citizen and the Mexican immigrant. Which in this case is Delaney and Candido. The curtain not only divides the two countries geographically, but metaphorically it is the division between the two distinct lives and ideology of Delaney and Candido.
Animals as Symbols
ReplyDeleteThe animals Boyle uses in Tortilla Curtain symbolize the characters and the dilemma each has with the other. Most of the symbols in the book are of birds, though another important one is that of the coyote, as well as a lizard. On page 109, Boyle describes several birds in a parking lot of McDonald’s. The blackbirds are described as “one-legged”, and the starlings are “rumpled” and “diseased-looking”. In the middle of them is Candido, and the irony is that Delaney sees Candido as sick and useless as these birds he’s standing by. On the very next page, Delaney is thinking about the different varieties of birds that have been brought in and introduced from different countries and lands. The starlings that he had seen in McDonald’s were descendents of birds released by a “Shakespeare buff who felt that all the birds…in (Shakespeare’s) works should roost in North America” (110). He asks himself a question: “How could people be so blind?” (110). Delaney is blind himself to the fact that he treats his fellow human beings as if they were some sort of simple bird, infiltrating and “ravishing” the species that already lived in America. The real irony with that is that all Americans, Delaney included, infiltrated and “ravished” the land of North America, not just the Mexican people Delaney seems to blame. Another interesting symbol is that of the coyote. Coyotes represent evil and sneakiness, and it is clear that to Delaney, this is a representation of illegal immigrants. The Mossbachs and their neighbors build a wall to keep these coyotes away from their land, and, along with these creatures, the “unwanted” people such as the Mexicans. In the same way, Candido and America use the term “coyote” to describe the same type of characters, such as the people who rob them. Ironically, both sets of characters, though seen by each other as complete opposites, use the same term for each other and both share the fear of these types of people.
Gender roles:
ReplyDeleteIn the Tortilla Cutain, the women seem to be the dominant one the relationship. The gender roles seemed to be reversed where one partner does not like the idea. The women are the bread winners in the family and it is more common in today’s age that women have more of these roles. America and Kyra have very different situations that they are living and each do it for different reasons. With America and Candido relationship, America goes out to find work to provide for her family. Candido disapproves her being gone for so long and feels that it should be him that should be the bread winner in the family. Despite what Candido feels America decides to do what is best for her family and goes out to work. Then we have Delaney and Kyra’s relationship. Delaney seems to take care of Jordan more. Delaney has more free time then Kyra becuase he writes in a colum for the magazine "Wide Open Spaces." Kyra has a workaholic attitude and she spends much more time at work then she does with her family she is a real estate agent.
The ending
ReplyDeleteThe ending left me hanging. I was so into it and the ending just killed it for me. I can’t believe the baby was blind, and the worst, I cannot believe she died. I am guessing that what happened at the end was a mudslide? So what happened to Delaney? He was the one that started everything and he could not just let go of his hate to Mexican people. I cannot believe that he blamed them for everything even when he knew that anyone can also be cruel. Candido’s life was not meant to have a decent life. Whatever that he tried to do did not come out good. No matter how hard he worked, everything just fell into pieces. I don’t like the ending, but for me it means that life is unfair, and we have to live with it for the rest of our lives. No matter how a person hates someone, there’s always a room for forgiveness, but having to forget them is hard. This book has made me realize to appreciate of what I have, especially having a roof under my head, food, water and clothes for everyday needs and not to be materialistic. It’s a human nature to blame someone when something does not come out right, but people need to know their limits and know when to stop. The lessons that I learned from here will definitely going to stay with me for the rest of my lives such as value the little things and appreciate what a person have. The ending was definitely an eye opener because no matter how hard a person lives in a normal life, there will always be someone out there to try to bring a person down.
The Ending.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to take a stab at the end of the book. There is a stark contrast between the self-perception of Delaney and Candido. Delaney believed himself to be accepting and a righteous man. Delaney professed to want the best for the environment and his fellow man. His felt powerful and justified in his protests against the gate and the wall. This was interesting because when the opportunity presented himself, he attacked and accused an innocent man of starting the canyon fire. Now the man he attacked was not innocent in nature and had done very bad things, but he had not started the fire. On the other hand, Candido's only purpose in life was to get America settled in a small place of their own. He didn't have time to really think about what he believed or who he was as a man, he was surviving. At the end of the story, Delaney is the man pointing a gun at an unarmed family. Whereas, when Candido sees him being swept away by the mudslide, he reaches out and rescues Delaney. We all like to believe noble things about who we are, about our character. The reality is, we are all human and our instincts are not always kind, loving or generous.
The American Dream
ReplyDeleteThe idea of the American Dream is a main theme of this book. For Candido and America, their American Dream is to just survive without struggling everyday to make money or to eat. They just want a modest home where they can live comfortably. Although Candido wants desperately to give his wife all the ornate and flashy things that the United States has to offer, America knows that they need to be more realistic and be content with what they can obtain. The other immigrants around them have the same dream, to live comfortably and securely without having to worry about where their next meal will come from. Delaney and Kyra also have the own American Dream. Although they live in a nice house and have a fully stocked fridge, they are not content with what they have. Kyra in particular is always looking for something more. She works constantly and is not satisfied with their home. She wants to move into a bigger, fancier house even though she admits they don't need that much room. The differences between Candido's American Dream and Delaney's American Dream highlight the disparities between the two races. The immigrant's dream seems much more practical than the dream of the greedy American, which seems ridiculous in comparison. It further separates the two groups in this book because they are on completely different spectrums and have little in common.
Fences and walls.
ReplyDeleteIn the book, the neighborhood, Arroyo Blanco Estates, is locked in heated debate over whether or not a fence should be put up at the entrance to prevent nonresidents from driving throughout the streets. There are two main sides to the controversy. One side argues in favor of the fence to prevent thieves and crime from entering their homes. These residents use the recent robberies that have taken place to explain the need for protection. The other side argues that they do not want to live in fear. They chose to live in this neighborhood without a fence because they do not want to be trapped inside and give the enemy the power. They say they have a right to feel safe without fences and walls surrounding them like other neighborhoods’ do. Delaney generally falls on the side against the fence, but with the death of the dog, and the creepy guys cruising behind him as he walks down the street, he begins to reevaluate his position. As more events occur he begins to live in fear. He sees Cándido in the supermarket parking lot, his beloved car is stolen from the same area he hit Cándido in, and he slowly starts to realize how many Hispanics are around the city of LA. The fences and walls symbolize the fear that is festering in the hearts of these LA citizens. People fear what they do not know, what they do not understand, and what is different. Delaney is growing scared of change, of different people, and wild animals; all he can come up with is to see Jack Cherrystone’s reasoning and no longer fight the fence.
The Title
ReplyDeleteI believe that the book’s title symbolizes the divide between Mexico and the United States, but more specifically, the divide between Mexico and California. The title “Tortilla Curtain” reminded me of the Iron Curtain, which was the name given to the boundaries and conflicts that once divided Europe. Tortilla Curtain seems to be a spin-off of the Iron Curtain in that it also represents a divide between two or more regions, the people living in each region, and the manner in which they perceive their surroundings. From the first chapter, it is evident that Candido and Delaney represent this divide through the way they make observations about one another and the ordeal they face upon first encountering one another. There are significant differences between each character and the cultures in which they come from that make the title Tortilla Curtain comparable/relatable to the Iron Curtain and allows readers to be able to understand just how strong the divide is.
Animals represent symbols
ReplyDeleteDelaney is angered by the wild animal, the coyote. The coyote killed one of his wife's dog. They set up a fence around their homes to protect them from these wild animals. Delaney considered the Mexicans as these wild dogs. Candido also mentions the word coyote. The coyote represents a person who you pay that will help and guide you into the United States. Coyotes don't have very good reputation because sometimes they take your money and leave you behind.
As to gender roles, Candido has no strength and is dependent on America. America is the one who makes the decisions and has the strength to do labor and get paid. Candido feels useless and can't really do nothing because of his condition. Delany's wife also is the one that provides financially to the family home. The difference is that Delany feels perfectly comfortable with his wife being the breadwinner in the family.
The American Dream as explained in The Tortilla Curtain is exactly what every immigrant from Mexico and other Central America countries purse. They leave their home and everything they have ever known in order to live a better life. America leaves her family because she wants that small house Candido promised, and Candido works long and strenuous hours in order to provide for her. Both of them cope with their difficult situation of living with borderline starvation because they feel like something better will come to them. In modern society a similar struggle is seen. Many emigrants come to America with this idea of the American Dream. They believe it was cease their suffering, and for some this is the case, however for others the American Dream doesn’t turn out to be what they expected, much like Candido and America.
ReplyDeleteIn The Tortilla Curtain, gender roles seem to be a little different than the norms in the United States are. In the United States, the men are usually the bread winners and are thought of as the dominant sex. However, in this book it seems to be the opposite. For both couples, Candido and America and Delaney and Kyra, the women seem to be the bread winners. Since Candido was hit by Delaney and injured badly, he had been unable to work, it was up to America to find any work. Although Candido did not agree with her working, mainly because she is pregnant, young, and got lost previously, she insisted on working. For Delaney and Kyra, Kyra seems to be one in charge. She is a real estate agent while Delaney stays home and writes a column for a magazine. Another way that shows Kyra wears the pants in their relationship is how she responds to their dog being taken away by the coyote. When Delaney looked back he could tell how angry she was and he seemed afraid of her. The difference between the two couples is that it seems Candido is more uneasy about his wife having to make the money for their family, Delaney does not seem troubled that his wife makes more money than him.
ReplyDeleteOh definitely the gender roles. The gender roles are much different than what they typically are now in the United States. Men have always been labeled as the "bread winners", so to speak, but in this book the roles are totally reversed. Especially with America. But in a way, she does not have much choice but to be a bread winner so far in the book. Candido can not really do much because of that brutal hit by Delaney so it is up to America to keep him alive. While Delaney and Kyra have a more...Typical? Relationship compared to America and Candido, you can tell that this book made the roles between genders flip-flop for a reason. I have not finished the book yet, but I get the feeling that the flip-flopping of roles has a meaning to it. I just think the gender roles in this book try to show a different side of what is ordinary in our communities. To see a different take on how the roles can be reversed, especially with the situations in this book so far, is much more interesting and eye-opening than the ordinary. One thing is for certain though: Thank god for America or Candido would be in a world of hurt. I'm glad to see that she is caring enough to take over a majority of the duties for Candido to get better.
ReplyDeleteThe American Dream
ReplyDeleteThe American Dream is something that is overly-glorified. It is portrayed as something so gloriously unobtainable, that is still fought over anyways. Many people are disappointed when they immigrate into this country and realize that the American Dream they had portrayed in their head does not match the reality of what they are living and suffering through. Instead of having the American Dream be this standard level of accomplishment, I believe that it should be measured by individual standards. What I may view as success may be completely different than what my neighbor views success to be.
The American dream
ReplyDeleteThe American dream has different views throughout the book. Candido brought America over to the United States, promising her for a better life and a small house. However, he did not know it was much of a struggle to accomplish his goals. They have to start living in the canyons, barely having food, or a job. Most people come over thinking that is easy to have a luxurious life, but it is a struggle. Many immigrants come to the United States to have the freedom of opportunity to have a better life not knowing it is a hard goal to accomplish. Basically, Candido and America want a life like Delaney and Kyra. Delaney on the other hand, have a different view of the American dream. He wants a child, but Kyra does not want one. She seems to be controlling the situation by working instead of having another child. They are not satisfied of what they have. Krya just want more and more, while America would be happy with a small house. Even though Candido and America did not expect to work so hard, they seem to be appreciative of what they have. However, Delaney have the house and security how Candido and America wants, he doesn't feel that it is enough.
The ending somehow left me feeling hopeful and miserable at the same time. My take on it is that in the worst of times basic human compassion prevails over hate and ethnic differences. At the end, Candido is having the worst moment of his life which is substantial considering all of the things he's been through. His world is literally crumbling around him, his daughter is lost and yet he is still able to save the life of a man who was originally coming to kill him. Without a word about it and with no hesitation, Candido instinctively grabs Delaney. I believe the message is that we are all hard wired to care for one another, although sometimes it takes a land slide to bring it out.
ReplyDeleteAlmost everyone coming to the US has their own version of the American dream, but it’s generally the idea of starting over and having a better life. Candido and America’s version of the American dream is essentially this, starting a new life with endless opportunities. Like many others, they do not want a mansion or fancy cars, but a decent house with a stable job. However, the American dream turns into more of a nightmare for both Candido and America. The dream is further shattered for America when she realizes that Americans are having a difficult time earning a living in their own country. Many people, when migrating to the US, have high expectations. They hear stories of people going to the US and becoming successful or might even know someone personally with a success story. It takes time and a lot of work in order to settle in the US, or any country.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of the "American Dream" has always intrigued me. When I was younger it seemed like a concrete destination that we are all working towards but as we see in The Tortilla Curtain, there is no such thing as THE American Dream. Instead the American dream is the best possible situation that could be achieved based on what people think is able to be attained based on their socioeconomic status and the opportunities that have been made available. For example. Candido's American dream could not be the same as Delaney's because dreams are supposed to be realistic and somewhat attainable. This is because if a dream is not realistic and the person could not realistically see themselves living that dream, then it they would probably find it hard to stay motivated to work towards it. That is not to say that Delaney's american dream is more grand then candido's. You have to take into consideration the relationship of where they are and where they are to where they want to be. The Tortilla Curtain does a good job at showing that each person's American Dream is derived from what peoples ideas of what America is or what America has to offer. Candido believes that America offers security while Delaney believes America offers freedom of creativity and a place to raise a happy family. Another thing that stood out to me about the Tortilla Curtain is that Candido's lover is named AMERICA. He works for her and just wants her to be happy. His American dream is to be secure with America in America. It's hard on him, but he would give his life for her just as he risks his life to stay in America.
ReplyDeleteThe Title
ReplyDeleteThe meaning of tortillas and the fact that he was holding tortillas when Delaney hit him, means a lot to this story. Tortillas represent the Mexican culture and where Candido comes from. The word Curtain represents the division between the Americans and Mexicans. In our world, we are often divided into groups based upon many different factors, including race and color. It is sad to see that even in 2014, we still are living our lives in such divided ways.
I actually like what my fellow classmate just said above about the book, and I would have to agree. I think its an interesting take on the book. Tortillas yes are usually well known in the Mexican culture. This book is bigger than the problem of just Mexican immigrants. It can also refer to an race or culture of immigrants in America. The curtain is the division between any race, but in this case Mexicans and American citizens.
ReplyDeleteIn all honesty I want to explain what the ending means, but I have no idea. This is the kind of book that need to be read twice. Or maybe three times. I know it was supposed to show hardships and how easily things can be swept away from someone who already has so little. Maybe Boyle wanted to show how hard immigrants have to work even when their lives are being swept away when Candido attempts to save Delaney. Honestly the story was an emotional roller coaster. The end was like a sudden crash of misfortune and hardship and we don't even really get to see it. Is there a movie version?
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