Arquilevich CCQC #2

In Tortilla Curtain, Boyle shows that the hardships that wealthy American citizens face is nothing compared to that of an immigrant. Now granted everyone has some ups and downs in their life but in Tortilla Curtain the challenges that Candido and America face are much more dangerous and frequent. Candido and America always relied on the the labor exchange to get money even when it didn't give the best jobs. "Hard dirty work,, breathing dust and little pale flecks of crushed weed till you choked"(195).  In this book, Boyle never writes about how Delaney had to go out and do excruciating work. All Delaney ever had to do was sit at his desk and write on his computer. His only burdens were to watch his car in case it got stolen or to watch his dogs in case coyotes got to them. Now granted these are things to worry about but it’s nothing compared to what Candido and America had to go through. “He lifted his hairline and touched the place where the blood was blackest. ‘They got everything. Every penny’”(234). Candido and America are faced with life and death situations and that is there burden. One mistake can make them lose it all. That's why they have to be that much more careful and that's why they have to worry so much more. Because when you’re fighting for your right to feel secure there's so much more to worry about. 

Boyle is able to create a sense of confusion and helplessness by starting his paragraphs with very descriptive details and then finishing it with a powerful fragment. Boyle uses this structure in both scenes where a coyote eats one of the Delaney's dogs. "Delaney became aware of the cartoon jingle that had replaced the voice of the news...- the morning fell apart" (36). This is the first place where Boyle uses this strategy to build up suspension. "Despite his rage and determination and the chorus of howls from his wife and son, he was impotent" (194). In both of these scenes Boyle is very successful in creating an powerful but hopeless scene. This structure is very effective because it makes the reader focus on all of the detail in the paragraph and then it hits you. The realization of what has happened hits the reader and causes a great amount of confusion. Through out the book Boyle is able to utilize this strategy and it is one of the main reasons this book can be so intriguing.