Six questions or thoughts to consider will be presented. As you consider these in your own life, jot down your thoughts and ideas. These should be your personal thoughts and only shared if you choose.
At the beginning of the story, Delaney accidentally hits Cándido in his car. “For a long moment, they stood there, examining each other, perpetrator and victim.” How does this encounter set the tone for the events that follow? Does it come full circle in the final scene?
The novel is forged on the cultural, social, and financial differences between the Mossbachers and the Rincóns. It alternates between the two couples’ points of view, allowing the reader to enter the lives of both families. How does this technique propel the story? Do you feel that you got to know each of the couples equally well? Was the author fair in his portrayal of each of the couples? Is he too harsh in his portrayal of the Mossbachers?
Cándido and America crossed the border in search of a better life for themselves and their unborn child. They do not ask for much and are willing to work hard, yet they are constantly met with resistance and failure. There are numerous references to Cándido’s bad luck. Is he unlucky? Is there anything he could have done to have changed his luck? What does this story say about the American dream?
The symbol of the coyote appears throughout the novel and represents illegal Mexican immigrants. In his nature column, Delaney writes, “The coyote is not to blame—he is only trying to survive, to make a living, to take advantage of the opportunities available to him.” He concludes the same column by writing, “The coyotes keep coming, breeding up to fill in the gaps, moving in where the living is easy. They are cunning, versatile, hungry and unstoppable.” How do these passages reflect Delaney’s mixed feelings about illegal immigrants? Is he a hypocrite? As the novel progresses, Delaney’s humanistic beliefs give way to racism and resentment, and he directs his rage at all illegal immigrants onto Cándido. When confronted with evidence that Cándido is not the vandal at Arroyo Blanco, he destroys it. Why does Delaney need to believe that the vandal is Cándido? How does Delaney evolve from being a “liberal humanist” to a racist?
Boundaries—both real and imagined—play a large role in the novel, especially the front gate at Arroyo Blanco Estates. In what other instances do boundaries appear and what do they represent? What roles do different characters play in constructing these boundaries?
The novel concludes with Delaney confronting Cándido with a gun, followed by a mudslide. In an almost simultaneous moment, Cándido realizes his baby is missing and reaches down to offer Delaney a hand. One is a frightening image and the other an act of generosity. How do these contrasting images play off one another? Did the conclusion leave you with a feeling of hope or despair?
During an argument with Jack Jardine, Delaney makes the following statement: “Do you realize what you’re saying? Immigrants are the lifeblood of this country—and neither of us would be standing here today if it wasn’t.” In another instance, Jack says to Delaney, “What do you expect, when all you bleeding hearts want to invite the whole world in here to feed at our trough without a thought as to who’s going to pay for it as if the American taxpayer was like Jesus Christ with his loaves and fishes.” How do these two sentiments play out in the novel and in the larger issue of immigration?
Did The Tortilla Curtain help you to better understand the issue of immigration and the people involved? Why or why not?
Sample Solution
