The Tortilla Curtain The Tortilla Curtain..Ouch! – Henry B. Mattimore – Sonoma County, CA
An honest attempt to show both sides of a problem that most of us would prefer to ignore. I liked the way the author does not just write off the affluent liberal point of view as simply racist. Wealthy folks concerned about their property values and protecting their families are not “bad” people. They can, however, be faulted for their unwillingness to look at the complexity of the immigration problem and their desire to have their gardens tended and houses cleaned by Mexican illegals as long as they are not inconvenienced. The immigrants point of view is presented with the subtlety it deserves, through the experience on one couple. In short, I could identify with both groups and came away more enlightened and more likely to understand why the issue is complicated. As an aside, The Tortilla Curtain, has been required reading for high school students in my school district in California. Lately, a conservative group of parents have protested the policy, saying that it is inappropriate because of the book’s depiction of a rape scene. I disagree with their protest. The scene in question was not as graphic as it is being alleged and besides focusing attention on it is to miss the larger point the author is making, namely, how do both liberals and conservatives, the white community and Latinos work together to solve a human problem that affects all of us.
Hank Mattimore
This story really disturbed me. It disturbed me because it forced me to think and confront my own conflicting views of the illegal immigration issue. I can definitely sympathize with the couple who illegally immigrated to the US from Mexico, as they simply are looking for a better life. I can also sympathize with the yuppie couple and their neighbors, who become frightened and defensive as they deal with the surge of recent immigrants into their part of southern California.
The immigration issue is not going away any time soon in this country. TC Boyle’s novel brings up a lot of ugly but true facts, opinions, beliefs, and situations concerning the conflict that can occur when the wealthy are confronted by the desperate have-nots living in their very shadow.
The actual writing is so good, it flows effortlessly and powerfully, with each page as artistic as a poem. While the writing is incredible, the actual characterizations I found to be very two-dimensional, as each of the four protagonists (yuppie man, yuppie woman, immigrant man, immigrant woman) appear to be stereotypical characters, or if I were to be more generous, one could call these four basic “archetypes”.
Although I do highly recommend the book, the four main characters are all essentially unlikeable people. The yuppies are smug and self-righteous, the immigrants are a little naive and too trusting that things will be all right.
The story reminded me a little of an updated version of The Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck, except even the down on their luck Joad family never had the unrelenting bad luck that befall America and Candido. The book also pleasantly reminded me of a powerful film called “El Norte”, another story where the American Dream is not so easy to come by if you are poor immigrants.
I suspect that one of the author’s goals in writing this book was to humanize an issue that has become very politicized. I know I was supposed to really want the immigrant couple to succeed, but my advice to them, based on what happens to them in the book would have been to return home, where at least the people speak your language and you are not afraid of being arrested every time you appear in public.
I guess the book did give me a chance to reflect on my own fortune in life, with a good job, home, and all that; and give me a chance to think about what have I done lately to help my fellow human. “There but for the grace of God go I”. : While leading their lives in their gated hilltop community in Los Angeles, Delaney and Kyra Mossbacher accidently meet Mexican illegal aliens Ca+a7ndido and Ame+a7rica Rinco+a7n, and their encounter brings them together in a relationship of error and misunderstanding. Reprint. read more
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