"Tortilla Curtain"

Paper Summary:

Examines the character of Delaney in T. Coraghesson Boyle's novel. Argues that the character is a stereotypical racist who is intolerant of the differences between himself and Mexicans and Mexican Americans who interfere with his Southern California Yuppie lifestyle. Features of his intolerance. Depicts Delaney as a man whose intolerance overrides his conscience.

From the Paper:

"The character of Delaney, in T. Coraghessan Boyle's novel Tortilla Curtain, is a stereotypical racist intolerant of the differences between himself and the Mexicans or Mexican-Americans who interfere with his wealthy, yuppie lifestyle in Southern California. They interfere, first, by simply existing, because their existence, to Delaney, brings with it many undesirable qualities and habits:

There wasn't a trail in the Santa Monica Mountains that didn't have its crushed beer cans, its carpet of glass, its candy wrappers and cigarette butts, and it was people like this Mexican or whatever he was who were responsible, thoughtless people, stupid people, people who wanted to turn the whole world into a garbage dump, a little Tijuana . . . (Boyle 11)."

More papers on "Tortilla Curtain":

• Analytical Essay # 69885 : "Tortilla Curtain"
• Book Review # 106220 : "The Tortilla Curtain" and Illegal Immigration"
• Book Review # 106130 : "Cultural Conflicts in "Tortilla Curtain"
• Analytical Essay # 23795 : "Boyle's "The Tortilla Curtain"

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