Tortilla Curtain :: Tortilla Curtain Immigration Literature Essays

Tortilla Curtain The chapter starts with Delaney hitting an unidentified man on the highway while going through Topanga Canyon. Delaney hits Candido, one of the other main characters in the play. After Delaney hits him with his car, he then immediately asks himself if his car is all right. He gets over that, and realizes that he just hit a human being. The next paragraph is Delaney searching for the body and yelling "hello." He finally can hear some grimacing that comes from some nearby bushes. He finds Candido there, with blood coming from the Mexican's mouth and his face covered by raw flesh. His upper arm had dirt and pieces of leaves sticking to the blood. He was carrying a bag of tortillas, a grocery bag that was torn with small slivers of plastic through the glass. Delaney tried to speak to him in French and Candido couldn't understand. Finally the conversation ends and Delaney gives him $20 and leaves. He drives to the Acura dealership and tells the dealer that he ran over a dog or a coyote. D elaney then calls his wife from the dealership and his wife tells him to call Jack, a friend, lawyer, and adviser, to ask him what could happen to him if the Mexican filed suit. The chapter ends with Delaney saying he gave Candido $20 and then Kyra his wife asks why only $20. Delaney replies he was only Mexican. Chapter 2: The chapter begins with the introduction of Candido a new immigrant to the U.S. waking up at his "bed" near the river of a canyon. He is hurt from a "gabacho" or a white man that hit him the day before. He threw up instantly and tried to walk down to the creek to where he fell twice. Then America is introduce, she is Candido's wife. She is on the way back from a job interview that never materialized. Then she sees a man lying on the middle of the path to which leads to her camp. The man turns out to be Candido he is sleeping in the middle of the path. She walks him back to camp and she realizes all the scrapes, bumps, bruises, and cuts on his body. The narration skips to Candido where he is in bed back at camp. His pain is progressively getting worse. America offers him a drink he declines then America says he needs a doctor.