Chapter 4,5,6 Tortilla Curtains Question

Chapter 4:

1. Why does America return mad?

2.Who was Candido married to before America? What relationship does his ex-wife and America have?

3. What does Candido hear, after drinking water in the stream?

4..What are America's experience at the labor exchange?

5.Who is Candelario Perez?

Chapter 5:

1.What does Delaney admit to Kyra?

2.What sense does Kyra uses, to analyze the houses she sell?

Chapter 6:

1.Why does America snap at Candido?

2.How much money does America make for working six hours?

  

Vocabulary; Chapters 5, 6, & 7.

Chapter 5:

p. 63 rancid: rotten; strong scent

p. 68 consummate: ultimate; best

p. 69 nuance: slight difference 

p. 71 haggard: worn; weak

p. 72 auspicious: encouraging; favorable 

                                                      Chapter 6:

p. 81 irremissible: required; necessary 

p. 84 insinuating: provoking doubt 

p. 85 tepid: lukewarm 

p. 86 perpetual: continue; lasting 

p. 94 truncated: shorten


Chapter 7: 

p. 99 detonation: explosion 

p. 100 erroneously: wrongly; defectively 

p. 105 perverse: mean; troublesome 

p. 105 obliterated: eliminated 

p. 105 vacillation: irresolution 

Tortilla Curtain Chapters 1 & 2 Questions

Chapter 1

1. If you were in Delaney's position would you have handled the situation in the same way?
2. What are the pros and cons of his decision?
3. Do you think he will get caught?


Phuong Ha
1. No, I would have gotten Candido help instead of giving him money because the feeling of guilt would haunt me. 

2. The pros of his decision is that he got rid of the problem just by handing over money to Candido because he did not ask for anything else; also, Delaney was not sued because handing over money was a simple action to take considering the fact that Candido could not sue him because he was afraid of getting deported. The cons are that he would not have known if Candido got any help and would have to live with that guilt; also, karma would get him back for the action he has taken as result of the accident. 

3. Yes, I think he will get caught because since he is injured he brings even more attention to himself. 

Chapter 2

1. Put yourself in Candido's shoes, would you have gone to the doctor?
2. Why did America seek work?
3. Why does Candido not approve of her working?

Phuong Ha
1. No, I wouldn't have. I wouldn't have gone because if people had found out I was an immigrant, I would have to suffer being injured along with getting deported because there was a low chance I was going to get any help at all. 

2. To help Candido since he was injured; but also to help him succeed in living the life they had planned to live together. 

3. Candido wants to feel like he can provide for America and doesn't want America to be suffering the way he does trying to find a job. 

Chapter 8 & 9 Vocabs

Chapter 8

Innumerable: Too many to be counted

Inexplicable: Unable to be explained or accounted for.

Indiscernible: impossible to see or clearly distinguish.

Armistice: An agreement made by opposing sides in a war to stop fighting for a certain time; a truce.

Incessantly: endlessly: with unflagging resolve

Vestibule: An enclosed entrance compartment in a railroad car.

Corroborate: Confirm or give support to

Forlorn: Pitifully sad and abandoned or lonely

Fortuitously: fortunately: by good fortune

Amorphous: Without a clearly defined shape or form

 Chapter 9

 Pasquinade: A satire or lampoon, originally one displayed or delivered publicly in a public place.

Surmise: Suppose that something is true without having evidence to confirm it

Ulster: A man's long, loose overcoat of rough cloth, typically with a belt at the back.

Indignant: Feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment.

Bulbous: Fat, round, or bulging.

Complacent: Showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements.

Deficiency: A lack or shortage

Interminable: Endless

Lustreless: Lackluster: lacking brilliance or vitality

Provincial: Of or concerning a province of a country or empire.

Raspingly: gratingly: in a harsh and grating manner

Commensurate: Corresponding in size or degree; in proportion.

Tortilla Curtain Chapter 3-4 Questions

Chapter 3:
1. What does America eat instead of Protein?
2. List the differences between the lives of the Mossbachers and the Rincons.
3. Explain the "gate debate" that occurred at the Homeowner's Association meeting.

Chapter 4:
1. What causes Candido to feel hope again?
2. How much money has Candido and America saved up and what did they plan on doing with that money?
3. What were some reasons Candido did not want to go back to Mexico?

Tortilla Curtain Summary 1 & 2

Chapter 1:
T. Coraghessan Boyle, the writer of The Tortilla Curtain begins the novel with a huge accident involving Delaney Mossbacher, a white man, hitting a Hispanic person with his car; this causes a significant dilemma throughout the novel. Considering the fact that the person Delaney hits is Hispanic, they have a difficult time trying to communicate with each other. The Hispanic man and Delaney finally managed to communicate; the Hispanic man leave Delaney confused as he requests for money instead of going to see a doctor. After a couple of hours, Delaney continuously has flashbacks of the incident and finally comes to the conclusion that there is a chance that the Hispanic man he hit was an immigrant camping in Topanga State Park, that is why he did not want to go see the doctor.

Chapter 2:
This chapter changes the point of view of this novel; this novel is now being told in the point of view of the Hispanic man that got hit my Delaney, Candido Rincon. Having been hit with a car, he is overwhelmed with pain along with having to deal with his wife, America, and him not having a place to life. America finds her husband, Candido, while on her way to the bus stop and realizes that he is in excruciating pain. Still struggling with not calling a doctor America tries her best to maintain his blood, after several hours of nurturing him America has she leave to work; as much as it hurt Candido seeing America have to work because of his weakness he let her because she reminds him of their future in own a home and being stable in life.

Tortilla Curtain Background info

This book reaches into the struggles of middle class and immigrates trying to fit into a American Dream. A American dream, is the hopes of living in a world of freedom, equality, and opportunities. Millions of immigrates come from Mexico, Europe, and Asia for a better lifestyle. But when they come here, they are exposed to the struggles of fitting in. This book compares a American lifestyle, to a Immigrant who is trying to live the same lifestyle. The novel came out right after California's vote and rejection of Prop 187. Prop 187 was a bill that restricted immigrants from using public resources such as health care and free education.     

Chapter 8-9 summary

Chapter 8
After a day of misfortune, Nick rises, and goes over Gatsby's mansion. When he arrives, he warns Gatsby to leave long island but Gatsby refuses because he does not want to leave Daisy behind. He continues to ramble about his feelings towards Daisy and why he loves her. He states that Daisy was the first girl he felt a connection with even though he lied to her about his background. After Daisy and Gatsby made love, she promises to wait for him after he left the war but at the same time, she was married to Tom, who had everything going for him and her parents approval. Nick goes to his office and refuses to go on a date with Jordan Baker.Then the story shifts to what happens at the garage after Myrtle's death. The morning after the accident, the eye doctor looks for Tom, because he was knows who drove the car but he makes his way to Gatsby's house. When he gets to Gatsby house, he see Gatsby in his pool and shoots him. He dies instantly and then ends up shooting himself. Nick hurries back to Gatsby house and finds Gatsby dead in the pool. Nick then imagines Gatsby's last thought, and pictures him empty without Daisy.
Chapter 9
Money does not buy happiness. Two years after Gatsby's death, Nick writes about Gatsby funeral using exaggeration and untrue stories. Understanding that Gatsby does not want to hold a funeral alone, Nick arranges for a large funeral. As a result, only a few people attend, him, owl eyes, servants, and Gatsby's father. Gatsby's life, he was known for his wealth and glamorous parties that would occur every week. Hundreds of people would attend these parties. He was killed by Wilson because he thought he killed Myrtle but realistically, Daisy did. With all that money, he could not buy Daisy's love. The funeral was suppose to be as huge as his parties but when he loses everything, no one cares about him anymore.