The Tortilla Curtain Book Review Summary T.C. Boyle Message Board Detailed plot synopsis reviews of The Tortilla Curtain Delaney Mossbacher is a wealthy, conscientious liberal on his way to the recycling center when he hits a pedestrian with his car as he's driving in the suburbs of Los Angeles. The man hit is Candido Rincon, a poor, illegal immigrant from Mexico. Feeling guilty, Delaney gives Candido twenty dollars to compensate for his injuries, and the two men go their separate ways. Yet with the accident, Delaney and Candido's lives become woven together for the rest of the novel. Candido and America (his young, pregnant wife) are camping out at the bottom of Topanga canyon. They try to find temporary jobs at a local work exchange, where white men drive through in pickups and ask for laborers. The work is dangerous, low-paying and hard to get, and the two struggle just to survive, hoping to one day save enough money for an apartment. Meanwhile Delaney and his wife Kyra are living a sheltered existence in a gated community at the top of the canyon.

Kyra is a real-estate agent and Delaney is a nature writer. They sell houses, write, cook gourmet meals and shuttle their son back and forth from school. They like to think of themselves as being good people. As the novel goes on, however, the Mossbachers begin to show their true characters. Delaney especially is threatened by the Mexicans who are moving to L.A. looking for work. He grows more and more paranoid and xenophobic, drops his liberal posturing and starts acting in all the reactionary ways he never thought himself capable of. This attitude forces the conclusion of the novel, with Delaney coming after Candido and America, some kind of confused revenge in his heart. Chapter Analysis of The Tortilla Curtain Is this an adult or child's book? -   Adult or Young Adult Book How much descriptions of surroundings? Books with storylines, themes & endings like The Tortilla Curtain Gabriella's Book of Fire Little Sister Left Behind Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

2 Ways to Search!Comprehension After hitting the Mexican with his car, Delaney is shocked when the man refuses to allow him to call for an ambulance or take him to the hospital. All he wants is money. Why do Delaney’s feelings of guilt for not helping the man turn to anger? How do América and Cándido’s image of the American Dream differ from those of Delaney’s and Kyra’s? The Rincons suffer many physical hardships as well as exploitation in Part 1 before, during and after crossing the border. Make two short lists – one for Cándido and one for América. How do they differ? Why doesn’t Cándido want América to go to the Labor Exchange? Describe the life of Delaney and Kyra Mossbacker. What kind of people are they? Where do their priorities lie? In which ways does América show tireless courage in Part 1? José Navidad, the man who wears his San Diego Padres cap turned backwards, is an evil man who appears throughout the novel. How do we know he is evil from the start? 

Although T. C. Boyle portrays the Rincons as poor victims, he also uses solid arguments against illegal immigration. One example is Delaney’s jogging sequence when he discovers garbage and sleeping bags on the hillside. denise thermal blackout curtain panelsAnother is Jack Jordan’s arguments for a gated community. sanderson dandelion clocks red ready made curtainsWhere do our sympathies lie? eclipse thermal curtains zodiacHide Comprehension Delaney is exasperated over the theft of his car, as well as towards the indifferent way the police respond to the theft. room darkening curtains brookstone

What does this say about society? Who or what does Jack Jordan blame? Kyra is infuriated over the fact that someone has locked a poor Afghan dog in a car. When she confronts the owner, he responds aggressively. threshold botanical blue bird shower curtainWhat does she mean by attributing his nasty response to “urban life”? isodore curtainsHow do Kyra and Delaney’s attitude towards the increase in illegal immigrants searching of work differ? What scenarios go through Kyra’s head when she discovers the grocery shopping cart in back of the Da Ros property? Why do you think the encounter with the man with the baseball cap unnerves her? It is Cándido’s second time in the United States. What made him return to Mexico the first time? América suffers both physically and mentally after being raped by the “half gringo and the Indian”.

What does her meeting with the coyote in the canyon symbolize to her? Describe Delaney's struggle with his feelings on human rights that “everyone has the right to work and earn a decent standard of living.” How do Jack Jardine’s arguments affect him?The Topanga Homeowner’s Association closes down the Labor Exchange. Why doesn’t Delaney think this will help? Although Cándido is exploited on a number of occasions in this section, he still shows initiative. On their walk through Sherman Way and Canoga Park, Cándido and América experience great social contrasts. How do these two areas differ? What goes through América’s head when Cándido leaves her sitting on a corner while he goes with the “chicano” with the hairnet to look for a cheap room? In Delaney’s article, "Pilgrim at Topanga Creek", it is obvious that he both hates and admires the coyote. What reasons does he give for the fact that the coyote population is increasing? How do Kyra’s and Delaney’s arguments regarding the construction of the seven foot wall differ?

Kyra is still haunted by the encounter with the man with the baseball cap. What is written in graffiti at the back of the Da Ros property? Having to eat food from a dumpster is the final humiliation for América. How does she change after that? What does the free Thanksgiving turkey mean to her? Hide Comprehension Boyle plays on the meaning of Thanksgiving. Compare the Thanksgiving party at Dominick Flood’s with Cándido’s and América’s El Tenksgeevee. What do we as readers learn from the comparison? Why could Delaney’s column on coyotes be interpreted as environmentally incorrect? In the beginning people only think that a brush fire has started in Topanga Canyon. How does their mood change when they finally realize that it is much bigger? What is it that América misses most in her present predicament?The fire and wind possess almost human qualities. How do Cándido and América react to them? What happens to the money they have saved? Where do they end up when América’s water breaks?

What role does the Siamese cat play in Part Three? Delaney is frozen with grief and anxiety. Who does he accuse of setting the fire? Why does he feel guilty? Kyra learns that the Da Ros property is totally burned down. What does its destruction symbolize? What does Dominick Flood place in Kyra’s mother’s purse? What type of person was he? Describe the birth of Socorro. How does Cándido demonstrate innovation in Part Three? Delaney discovers that both sides of the entrance gate are defaced by graffiti. Who is he trying to catch by setting up a pair of flash cameras? Whose image does the camera capture? Cándido is almost run down a second time by Delaney when trying to cross a highway. How does Delaney cause an accident? What happens when Delaney tries explaining to the police? Why did Delaney own a gun? What had Delaney planned to do with a gun? What surprises him when Delaney develops the film from the flash camera the second time? What is wrong with América’s baby? The rain and flood brings the three characters together.