RESUME : The tortilla curtain.

C'est mon propre résumé. Il est à chque fois divisé en deux parties pour chaque chapitre. L'histoire et les problèmes liées à l'immigration. C'est parce-que ce bouquin était à lire pour la civi à l'origine. On devait pouvoir répondre à une question sur le livre, en rapport avec l'immigration. Comme il s'agit tout de même d'une oeuvre complète je poste le résumé ici.



The tortilla curtain : summary
T. C. Boyle

FIRST PART : Arroyo blanco

Chapter 1

*Story : Delaney has an accident, hurt a Mexican, gives him $20 and has his car repaired.
At the beginning he is ashamed and feels sympathy but then he gets angered => the Mexican was dumping the landscape , .. > nativism

*Immigration : The Mexican camps on the side of the road,
+ he refuses to see a doctor è illegal immigrant
He & his pain are bought for/worth $20.
He buys low-quality products.


Chapter 2

*Story : The seen of the accident is seen through the Mexican’s eyes. His name is Candido. => internal focalisation.
He girlfriend is named América => she was looking for a sewer job in a sweatshop but got nothing.
Thay have left their little village in Mexico.
América is 17 & pregnant.

*Immigration : He has headache, he his physically weak & vomit => bad alimentation ; she is very poor and we are told she had been caught once and asked for her papers. è so she hides herself when she moves from one place to another. + they don’t have food , practically nothing and they scarcely eat.
Discrete fire > in order not to attract attention
No doctor => he can’t pay and he would be questioned.
If he can’t work they can’t eat.


Chapter 3

*Story : Delaney is a columnist for a monthly magazine ; he writes about nature.
His family life, quiet and soft is described. Delaney’s wife works and he stays at home. Delaney’s dog as been killed and hijacked by a coyote.
Delaney goes to a community/district meeting.
Jack Jr. is aware of the Mexican’s case and he asks a lot of questions.
*Immigration : Arroyo Blanco ; Middle class district. The wealthy and white Americans are separated from other communities. They isolate themselves in their districts. Delaney cares more about nature and specifically animals than about the strangers and member of other communities.

Dogs =/ black , hijackers, criminals and so on.

By the way Delaney isn’t in favour of isolation (the isolation of his community)
=> he goes to a meeting

As there are crime performed (break-ins) Delaney changes is mind.
Private district = cocoon.

Without being legal the Mexican can’t have an attorney.


Chapter 4

*Story : America goes to work.
Past of Candido :
First he was married to America’s sister : Resurrection. He have worked in Idaho and brought a lot of money. But he was fooled by his wife and beaten up by her lover.
Candido & America’s place has been attacked. Candido had t stay hidden.


*Immigration : illegal immigrants have to work restlessly to survive, performing humiliating tasks. The USA is the mean to earn more in few months than in a life time in Mexico. Life is hard in Mexico the work is as hard as it is in the USA and it brings less money. But crossing the boarder is hard and illegal immigrants can be caught and brought back to Mexico.
It’s hard to find sane water. It often has to be boiled.
The labour exchange is risky because this is a target for authorities to perform identity checks. It exists and subsists because citizens partly agree.
By the way illegal immigrant have to face attacks of intolerant citizens.


Chapter 5

*Story :

Going back home Delaney is afraid by a car, so he becomes convinced of the gate’s necessity. Kyra, is wife is very affected by the death of the dog.
Delaney writes an article about a coyote in the nature.


*Immigration : Just as it’s said in the chapters dealing with Candido, Kira wishes to have an extraordinary big house.


Chapter 6

*Story : Candido slapped América because they had a quarrel (she had reproached him for the destruction of their belongings). América got a job but Mary interfered, both have the job.
Candido succeeded in having some of their belongings back. Then he changes place. Candido meets a guy (wearing a cap) who has probably settled down in the canyon.
Candido worries about where América is, he seeks for her. America was cheated of two hours of extra work and the boss touched her thigh.
Candido wonders seeking for America and gets in trouble with a fat guy.

*Immigration : The fact of not being able to speak English makes it difficult for Mexicans who want to obtain work at the labour exchange. Difficulty to find a place, and the difficulty to appoint each other or to communicate for immigrants.
Immigrant can’t be cheated when they are paid since their job isn’t a regular one.


Chapter 7

*Story :

Delaney goes to the shop to buy pastas. He meets Jack & Jack Jr. (the racist guy who asked many question about Candido) and they have a discussion about the gate.
Delaney says it’s useless (in spite of his previous thoughts).
Delaney & Candido meet again as Delaney sees Candido in trouble with a fat guy on the parking of the shop. Kyra feels like possessing the huge house, in fact the Delaneys fit the image Candido has from the average Americans : wanting to possess a lot a things, superficial, useless and excessive in terms of quantity.

Delaney sees Candido’s place and feels like warning the sheriff, then he goes on exploring the canyon and meets the caped-man. Delaney was actually hiking trying to find ideas for his column. When he wants to go back his car, which he had parked along the roadside, is not to be found there.
Seeking his car Delaney experienced what it was to cross the road, to have nothing, being thrown cans at => it fits what immigrants and especially what Candido experienced in a previous chapter.


*Immigration : US A welcomed more immigrant than all the other countries combined the year before, and half of them settled in California.
That stands for the legal & skilled immigrants.

Illegal immigrant cost a lot of money in welfare, emergency care and public services, millions of $. + lots of crime. Though widely speaking they could possibly blend in the society just like the previous groups of immigrants did.
People try to isolate in distant houses in order to avoid the proximity of immigrants.

Several immigrants can establish in the same area. They compete for the resources. But more generally both pollute the landscape.


Chapter 8

*Story : Candido has found Amérca coming back from work. They have bought things at the supermarket. The following day Candido goes to the labour exchange with America but he gets no work. America washes the Budha again but she has no gloves and so it’s a hurting task. América is raped by the guy Candido had met (he always eats chewing gum).


*Immigration : The way immigrants are looked at is full of despise and suspicion. Life of immigrants are made of small good things.
Immigrants accepts all the jobs for money, but if they got wounded they lose their work potential which is the only thing they have, standing for their worth.
Some tasks can be risky. No matter how hard they work their bosses owe them no bonuses. It’s hard to circulate, to cross the road and they have to be careful in order not be discovered and arrested. Difficulty for the immigrants to stock food or to save money, they have no secure place to put their things.
SECOND PART : El Tenksgeevee

Chapter 1

*Story : Jack & the car-sellers have a negative speech. Jack tends to be one more time very harshly critical towards immigrants. Delaney & Kyra quarrel with a man at the parking for he had locked his dog up in spite of the heat. Kyra considers Mexican negatively in terms of business …

She had her fence replaced for a better security of her garden.
Kyra had the fence even more secured (plastic stripes =/ snakes) > insecurity & paranoiac feeling (just like Delaney who fears for the new car to be stolen).
She meets Candido who works for the fence-settler ; she recognizes him.
She finds a shopping-cart inside of the village behind the gate and gets afraid.
The two Mexicans (Indian + capped boy) are in the garden of one of the property Kyra has to close. She meets them and there is a confrontation that seems to end quietly though.


*Immigration : Cars happens to be stolen and driven to Mexico. That’s what the car-seller says => prejudice
Feeling of insecurity & paranoia


Chapter 2

*Story : Candido remember his past and his formers jobs in the USA.
Candido remember the death of two young boys that took place when he tried to escape from la MIGRA. América suffers when she pees. She sees a coyote. Candido bought her a new dress. Candido doesn’t have work anymore since the legal Indian had himself healed.


*Immigration : Immigrants can’t go back to Mexico to pay a visit to their families and wives whenever they want to, because if they do so they will have to risk another crossing of the boarder to go back to work in the USA.
The isolation of the immigrant is reinforced by the fact they have to find Spanish speaking person in order to communicate. + They are far from their families & relatives. Illegal immigrant find jobs less easily as it’s more risky for their “employers” to “hire” them. Plus illegal immigrants can’t benefit of the doctors.


Chapter 3

*Story : Delaney goes to a meeting with Jack. There are lots of neighbours of them. Paranoia increases. They want to wall the whole place up, the labour exchange will be closed by a week.

The coyote has entered the garden again è symbolic, just as coyote, immigrants always manage to enter and no fence neither any measure are efficient.

+ no matter the rage and the determinations of owners (like Delaney towards the coyote, it can’t be helped)


He killed the second dog.


*Immigration : It has to be remembered that labour exchanges are illegal and based on a consensus, and on it only. But on the other and it’s the only stable frame for immigrants and one of their only positive thing and own source of stability. It’s even the only thing which seems to acknowledge them and which also seems to be made for them.


Chapter 4

*Story : Candido hasn’t been hired for some days, he has almost recover from the accident and goes optimistically to the labour exchange, but it has been closed. Candido tried to stole some money in a car. Candido and America have to leave and give it a try in an other city.


*Immigration : Immigrants can be cheated when they are paid. The places where work is to be found can be closed by the authorities. Without work all the immigrants projects and hopes are ruined.


Chapter 5

*Story : Delaney’s article about coyotes.


Chapter 6

*Story : Kyra is affected both by her second dog’s killing and by her encounter with the two men. Besides they have tagged insults towards her on the wall of one of the houses she manages. The idea of the building of a wall is now seriously taken in account and enforced. Todd speaks with Delaney and wants to oppose actively the wall’s construction. Delaney wavers, it would be like opposing most of the community, or at least a part of it. Then Delaney catches a Mexican who is trespassing. This is the capped-Mexican. But it seems he was only distributing flies. However those flies are about the construction of the wall which is to be voted
<= (situational) irony.


*Immigration : The increase of the paranoia can lead to the enforcement of exaggerated measures.

Things that can’t be controlled lead to the increase of paranoia. But it happens to be justified.


Chapter 7

*Story : América is bewildered by the hustle and bustle in the street. Candido doesn’t come back. He has left her for 1 h 30 already. América starts seeking for him. In fact Candido has been stolen all the money and he has been hit and is now bleeding. They go back to the canyon. Candido looks for food in a garbage bin on the side of a restaurant.


*Immigration : Immigrants are likely to be isolated. So going in the street actually keeps them in touch with the society. Immigrants are cheated both by bosses and other immigrants and it can be very dangerous.


Chapter 8

*Story : It’s the fall. It’s a harsh season in Arroyo Blanco. The wall is being constructed and Delaney lets the team work around his house. The wall will even make it difficult to go out (to hike for example). Thus Delaney is first angry because of the wall, but he begins to consider the positive effects (private nature), and then is acts very nicely to Kyra.

América worries Candido, she behaves strangely. She refuses to do anything and begins to sink. Candido meets Senior Willis who offered him a $8 an hour job. Candido takes care of America with the money, but because of la MIGRA he has to stop searching work. America still behaves strangely but her pregnancy progresses and she feeds herself with what Candido buys though she won’t talk to him. Candido has saved almost enough to have an apartment. Candido buys to beers for thanksgiving and is even given a turkey at the shop by two customers. America smiles at him and things are back to normal and he and América are joyful. But then the wind settled the canyon in fire.


*Immigration : Seasons affect the immigrants living conditions. The work of la MIGRA and other patrols prevents immigrants from searching work. Having an apartment brings security to the immigrant but also give them an address, a place where they can be reached and found for a job or for whatever else.
Immigrants have a unsecured way of living which is a danger for them but which can also be a danger for the neighbouring places and the environment. Besides they also litter the nature.



THIRD PART : Socorro

Chapter 1

*Story : Delaney and his family go to Dominick Flood’s cocktail party for thanksgiving. (the convicted man who has to stay at home). But as he is about to move, they are warned of the fire in the canyon. The Mossbachers went back home to fetch Jordan and start to evacuate.


Chapter 2

*Story : Candido and América painfully mange to escape the fire, but they keep running since it still can catch them up. They manage escaping the fire but all the money they had in now burnt and América is going to give birth to the baby any moment. Candido seeks for help, he comes back with a lantern.


*Immigration : Immigrants don’t have any medical support, illegal immigrants at least. Immigrants are alone and can’t ask for support or they will be catched.


Chapter 3

*Story : Delaney argues with the capped Mexican, and this latter and his friend are handcuffed. Finally the fire is stopped and Arroyo blanco remains untouched. Kyra is told that the Da rose place has been burnt. Dominick Flood has got ride of his black box and has put it in Kit’s (Kyra’s mother’s) purse (= handbag). The cat is nowhere to be found.


*Immigration : Immigrants are likely to be unfairly accused when they are close from a crime’s place.

Chapter 4

*Story : América gives birth to the baby who is a girl named Socorro. Candido steals food in a garden and steals tools in the shed. He wants to build himself a house. He builds it and puts his life at stake again to fetch a roof for the “house” and food.


*Immigration : Children born on the US soil are automatically Americans. Immigrants face the constant quest for food and shelter in order to survive.