The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle effectively portrayed the emotions felt by ardent supporters and hard-line nativists on the illegal immigration issue. It was very beneficial for me because as I was simultaneously working on a debate project about the Arizona Immigration Law, this novel gave me valuable insight that allowed me to understand the issue from a poignant perspective. I enjoyed the depth of Boyle’s symbolism and his Hemingway-like incorporation of the setting as an integral part of the plot. Also, the differing personalities of the characters created an expression of viewpoints across the entire spectrum of the immigration issue. I found it truly enlightening.
However, I did find the novel to end very abruptly and stop short mid-way through the falling-action leaving me, the reader, empty and pondering about what had happenned to the protagonists in the end. This syntax is very similar to the ending in Ernest Hemingway’s, The Old Man and the Sea, because both leave the reader with the idea that the plot will continue in a sequel. We all know that true to his ways, Hemingway never wrote a sequel to any of his stories and quite frankly, I think Boyle is likely to do the same. Even though this novel had an alternative ending, it also made it unique in the fact that it left the reader in suspense, wanting to read on, wanting to discover Delaney and Candido's fates.
The novel also touched upon the sense of disillusionment/materialism/affluence that Americans exude in their everyday lives. Candido learns early on that even the poor Americans have an apartment and two cars. The influx of illegal immigrants are just an effect of one issue, what about the violence of terrorism, the bondage of slavery, and the cruelty of political suppression present in other countries? By “wall[ing] ourselves in” we have become ignorant of the world around us. Boyles exposes this problem and challenges Americans to drop their feigned ignorance and embrace the problems of the world, a revolutionary idea, one that can change history.
I agree with you when you say that that the novel effectively portrayed the differing and controversial issues involved with the immigration issue. The dichotomy that Boyle portrayed with Candido's point of view as an illegal immigrant and Delaney's point of view as an American citizen was successful in conveying two altering points of view throughout the novel. I also enjoyed the delivery of the piece; Boyle would smoothly transition from Candido's to Delaney's point of view and vice versa.
ReplyDeleteI also thought that the ending was abrupt and left much to be desired. Having invested my time in reading the novel in its entirety from start to finish, it was a little bit disappointing when the novel ended so abruptly and without a definite conclusion. While I do agree that Boyle purposefully ended the novel the way he did because he wanted to establish a tone of suspense, I also suspect that he left the end abrupt and without a conclusion because the issue of illegal immigration has yet to be resolved. Even now, with the Arizona Immigration Law and the current controversy surrounding illegal immigration, I think that Boyle ended the novel because a resolution, even today, has yet to be decided on. The issue of illegal immigration does not have a definitive answer, and neither does the end of Boyle's novel; it is ultimately left open to interpretation and to the future.
I also agree with your opinion that the novel portrayed the disillusionment and affluence of the American people as well as their ignorance. The fact that Delaney's neighborhood wants to erect a gate in order to keep the immigrants out shows that they are ignorant of the true issue at hand. The American population thinks that by erecting some sort of barrier, the problem will automatically be resolved, when the opposite is actually the case.