The Tortilla Curtain By T. Coraghessan Boyle

Essay, Research Paper

The Coyote

In The Tortilla Curtain by T. Coraghessan Boyle, the writer repeatedly draws analogues between the existent prairie wolf and the nonliteral prairie wolf. Boyle uses the existent prairie wolf to demo how the animate being really is. In this novel the prairie wolf acts as a symbol for many things. Boyle parallels the nonliteral prairie wolf with Jose Navidad who is portrayed as the bad character in the novel. Boyle besides uses the prairie wolf to parallel the illegal immigrants and the manner the prairie wolf lives. Candido is one of the chief characters in the novel that is an illegal Mexican and is paralleled to the prairie wolf. Boyle points out how the prairie wolf is symbolic of illegal foreigners. He besides shows the significances of the actual prairie wolf to the existent carnal itself. In each of these instances, we see how the prairie wolf plays an of import function in The Tortilla Curtain. The prairie wolf in this novel is symbolic towards the characters? actions and their manner of life.

In the first portion of the novel entitled? Arroyo Blanco? we see how Boyle uses the actual prairie wolf to portray the existent animate being. The Mossbacher household consists of Delaney, Kyra, and Jordan. They own two terrier Canis familiariss named Sacheverell and Osbert. One dark a prairie wolf leap over and chows Sacheverell. The household is bosom broken over this so they put up an even higher fencing to maintain out any unwanted animate beings. Again, the prairie wolf jumps over the fencing and eats the other Canis familiaris named Osbert. It seems as though the prairie wolf will make whatever is has to make to last. Even if that means breakage and entrance. The householders association is seeking to set up a gate to maintain out? the Salvadorans, the Mexicans, the inkinesss, the gangbangers, and taggers and carjakers? ? ( pg 39 ) . Boyle uses the prairie wolf as a symbol of interrupting in and taking whatever he wants. Even though the Mossbachers put up an even higher fencing, it still did non maintain the prairie wolf out, merely as the gate may non maintain out the illegal foreigners. Delaney is outraged at the fact that the prairie wolfs have eaten his Canis familiariss. They are seeking to maintain the prairie wolfs out, merely as they are seeking to maintain all the illegal foreigners out of Arroyo Blanco. They want to maintain the interlopers out.

Boyle besides uses the prairie wolf as a symbol to parallel with the illegal foreigners. Delaney Mossbacher writes a monthly column in the paper that is about nature. In one of his columns he talks about how the prairie wolfs live compared with the illegal Mexicans.

? One prairie wolf, who makes his life on the peripheries of my community? has learned to merely masticate his manner through the fictile irrigation pipes whenever he wants a drink. ? ( Pg 212 ) . This is one of the quotation marks from Delaney? s column. In this quotation mark Delaney is speaking about how the prairie wolf lives merely like the illegal Mexicans. This is a definite analogue to Candido. Candido is an illegal Mexican who is populating in the hills seeking to populate off the land. This is really much like the prairie wolfs life. He excessively lives off the land. Delaney besides talks about holding the Los Angeles county animate being control? trap and vitamin E

uthanize? the prairie wolfs. This is really much like the La migra coming to pick up all the illegal immigrants standing on the corner waiting for work. Boyle uses the prairie wolf to typify how they live and how Candido lives. Both are really similar. Boyle points out that prairie wolfs live off the land, as does Candido. Candido is merely like the prairie wolf because he excessively is populating off the land and is utilizing other people? s material to last. Both Candido and the prairie wolf are irrupting on other people? s belongings taking whatever they feel is necessary to last.

Another individual the has the resemblance of the prairie wolf is Jose Navidad. Like the prairie wolf, Jose Navidad is besides an interloper. He is described as a tall pale adult male with between yellow and ruddy eyes. Candido spots Jose at the top of the trail coming down into the canon. They exchange a few words and Jose foliages. Candido feels that Jose is irrupting on his infinite. ? Now he had to worry about this stinking crack-toothed pendejo intruding about down in the canon, as if he didn? Ts have adequate jobs already. ? ( Pg 90 ) . Candido is now really disquieted that Jose may come down to his cantonment and steal all of his material. Jose Navidad is much like the prairie wolf because the prairie wolf intrudes on other people? s infinite merely as Jose has. Subsequently on in the novel Jose goes down to the cantonment and colzas Candido? s married woman America. Jose has intruded on their infinite and took what he wanted. In this instance he rapes America. Besides, Jose and his friend are found on the Da Ros belongings. This is one of Kyra? s belongingss that she is seeking to sell. Kyra confronts Jose and she asks him what he is making here. Jose says they are merely boosting and that they wear? T know this country really good. Kyra tells the two work forces that they are on private belongings and they must go forth. Subsequently on when Kyra comes back to the Da Ros topographic point she sees Pinche Puta written on the side of the house. This shows the character of Jose Navidad. He is an interloper who intrudes on other people? s belongings and does what he pleases. This is merely like the prairie wolf. The prairie wolf besides goes from topographic point to put taking what he wants.

In each of these instances we have seen how Boyle uses his character? s actions to portray the prairie wolf. The prairie wolf has intruded on the Mossbacher? s belongings merely as Jose Navidad has intruded on the Da Ros belongings. In Delaney? s column he wrote that they are seeking to kick out all the immigrants merely as they are seeking to? trap and euthanize? the prairie wolfs. Boyle besides uses Candido to seek and portray how the prairie wolf lives. The manner Candido and America live is much similar to the manner the prairie wolf lives. In each case we can see that they both scavenge around and seek to populate off of the land. In one of Delaney? s columns he writes that the prairie wolf has adapted. We can see how Candido has adapted to his milieus merely like the prairie wolf has. In all of these instances we see how the prairie wolf resembles some portion of the characters. The prairie wolf has proved to be a symbol in this novel because many of the character? s actions have resembled portion of the prairie wolf.