DR. BRETT SCHMOLL
OFFICE: FACULTY TOWERS 201A
OFFICE HOURS: TUE AND THU 12-1
OFFICE PHONE: 661-654-6549
BASICS OF THE COURSE EACH WEEK
These are time sensitive. You do not receive credit if you write them after the deadline each week. Furthermore, if you are in the habit of writing everything on Saturday you will not receive full credit. Why? There would be no time for others to interact with your writing. Write early; write often! Right? Right!
First, there's a blog entry (about 250 words) which will have you respond to a hopefully thought-provoking question. Each week, you must do the blog entry with enough time left in the week to be able to enter into dialogue online with your classmates. Write, reply, write more, reply more, and then write and reply more.
Second, there's a reading. There’s no blog entry associated with this. Just read.
Third, there's a written response to the reading. Your reading and writing on the blog must be completed by the SATURDAY (by midnight) of the week in which the reading falls. This entry should be a long paragraph. YOU DO NOT NEED TO RESPOND TO OTHER STUDENTS' PART THREE EACH WEEK.
Monday, October 20, 2014
WEEK SIX WRITING ABOUT WHAT YOU READ
Since you have started to read Tortilla Curtain this week, what is one line that stands out to you? Why that one?
Since I started reading "Tortilla Curtain" the sentence the line that has stand out for me is the one in page 8. "No quiero un matasanos, as he growled, wincing as he staggered to his feet in a cyclone of twigs, dust and crushed tumbleweed, no lo necesito." This line is interesting to me because Cándido does not want to seek medical assistance because he knows he is illegal in the country. He says that he doesn't want to see a doctor who "kills healthy people." He believes that doctors are just there to take away your money even if one is healthy but furthermore, he doesn't want to see a doctor because they might deport him back to Mexico. This is an issue in the United States, where many Mexican immigrants do not want to validate their rights because they are afraid of deportation.
A sentence that has stood out to me so far in “Tortilla Curtain” is “America had been terrified to begin with –what she and Candido were doing was illegal, and she’d never done anything illegal in her life”(p.61). I really liked this sentence because it shows the dedication that America has for Candido. Even though she has never done anything illegal ever she is putting her life on the line with her husband for herself and her husband. It may not mean much for other people, but to me this sentence explains how a marriage should be. I’m definitely not saying to go out and do something illegal because your spouse is, but helping and supporting your spouse should always be a priority. For America and Candido, they have no one else with them right now in the book and they are depending on one another every day through these beginning stages of the novel.
The one line that stood out to me in the beginning of the book is “”And then, before the words could turn to ash in his mouth, it was out: “I told you ---- he was Mexican.”” (P.15). This passage refers to the amount of money he gave to Candido after trampling him with his car. He just gave him twenty dollars, as if that is all that he deserved because he was a Mexican. Throughout this book Delany seems to constantly be on the tipping point of his liberal views. It is an ongoing moral war within his head. Delany, in the beginning, did not seem to mind Mexicans, because they too are humans like him. He seems to be able to look above all of the bigotry of his social acquaintances, but not when it directly affected him. Delany, at this moment, seemed to hit the tipping point. This is when he begins his journey into the darkside of racism. It is as if this one shocking incident of hitting a man had awoken a beast deep within the depths of his character. It was an alter ego that could not be seen at the surface. This one small statement is a glimpse into the character he is going to become. In the phrase “I told you ---- he was Mexican” Delany places the value of Candido, a human being, below the status of his race. To him, the illegal Mexican on the road, did not deserve compassion or the treatment he would’ve given any American.
Hi Azael. I like what you said about this specific line foreshadowing the character that Delany becomes. I found this part of the book to be very sad in the way that Delany just though that twenty dollars would be able to help Candido after he was hit by a car! Maybe Delany did it out of guilt or just not knowing how else to approach the situation, but I agree with you that this scene shows Delany's future character.
One of the lines that stood out to me was “ ‘Yeah,’ he said, sinking back down into the blanket” on page 30. Candido said this and reacted in this way when his wife, America said that someone would need her to clean the floor or stove. You can see his pride dwindle by the fact that he could no longer provide for her at the time. This whole accident that left him wounded physically, has also left him wounded mentally. Even though it is hard to let her go on her own to find work, he knows she is right to go because if she does not, they will not survive. She has to become the sole breadwinner of the family and it pains Candido to admit that. It seems like his blanket was a metaphor, meant as a type of shield that blocked him from finishing his duty as the provider. With this line, I also saw America become a stronger woman. It was now her job to make money and support her family. As this story evolves, I can see why Candido was so worried about America going off on her own to find work. There are many dangerous people who try to them, and for no particular reason either.
One line that stood out to me was (page 18) "Yes, he'd said, and he was saying now, the word on his lips somewhere between the two worlds, but at least you have garbage." I felt that this line was capturing because it really made me think about how fortunate I am. Thinking about how everyday society throws something out, and how our minds can easily forget the worth and value in something. For Candido, and others like this in our own society, to think "at least you have garbage" really makes you cherish I you have. I personally have never been in this mindset before,longing for the garbage, just to say you have garbage, is a big deal. In third world countries, I am sure their inhabitants might think this way as well. America is very fortunate.
Throughout the book I found that the Coyotes were metaphorical for immigrants. Delaney faced issues with coyotes stepping into his property and taking his dog. Delaney feels territorial. He then proceeds to feel the same about immigrants. Looking back to the beginning, Delaney even refers to the coyotes and Candido as one in the same. He starts to tell his wife he hit something in the road. He states: “A dog, I think it was. Might have been a coyote, but kind of big for a coyote.” This quote only appeared significant once I reached the end of the book.
As I've been reading along I've made marks of several lines that have caught my eye. One of the first I noted was towards the bottom half of page 10 in the third paragraph. "There was a desperation in that, a gulf of sadness that took Delaney out of himself for a long moment, and he just stood there in front of the office, receipt in hand, staring into space." I thought this was interesting as this was the moment when Delaney's attitude about the situation began to change. Up until that moment, Delaney was terrified, for both the well being of himself an that of the man he had just hit. Not one page later, "Delaney felt his guilt turn to anger, to outrage." This was also the moment where Boyle begins to reveal some of Delaney's personal beliefs an characteristics that only become more profound as the story continues to play out.
“He had to laugh. He couldn’t help himself. “Lettuce? Fruit? This isn’t Bakersfield, this is L.A. There’s no fruit here. No cotton ,no nothing.” His face tightened on him and he winced. “There’s nothing here but houses, houses by millions, roof after roof as far as you can see…” (Page 28). This sentence stood out to me because he didn’t think his wife was good enough to work. This was his way of making fun of his wife. Since he got hurt he was no longer able to provide for his family. This made him angry because he couldn’t do anything about it. This I can relate too because my ex always made fun because I was making more money than he was. He felt like he was not the provider for the family, so he would put me down. I felt like I could do anything I didn’t let it get to me. Now I am working two jobs and getting a lot more hours than he is. So any women could the same as a man but better. Therefore, no man should make fun of a woman for wanting to be independent.
TC Boyle states, "Two eyes, dull with pain, locked on him like a set of jaws (17)." Help me! I gaze at you with intensity with the hopes that you can read my mind. We all do it, but the fascinating part is understanding the meaning behind what is being said without words. It's an unspoken language we all know; the language learned from a young age. Do you remember when you did something wrong in public and you felt this burning sensation coming from across the room? YIKES! Our parents spoke loud and clear to stop what we were doing - with the stare of death!!!! Why this stood out to me is because the meaning TC Boyle was expressing resonated within my mind palace. The description was very descriptive that made me see exactly what he was trying to convey. Imagine your eyes having jaws and reaching out grabbing you like Viennese fly traps. It is very appropriate for a Hollows-eve line for a grotesque story. This line reminds me of my youth and my mother giving me locked eye stare making me freeze in my tracks, looking back at these memories now, makes me think how powerful this statement really means. Very well written TC Boyle.
As I began to read “Tortilla Curtain”, at first it was a bit confusing to understand what the author was trying to transmit to his readers, but as I kept reading, it finally made sense. An accident had occur and Delaney was worried that he could not find the other individual involved in the accident. As I continued reading, a sentence stood out from all others so far. It read, “no quíero un matasanos, as he growled, wincing as he staggered to his feet in a cyclone of twigs, dust and crushed tumbleweed, no lo necesito." The reason why I found this line interesting was because although Cándido was the victim in the accident he did not wish to find any medical help. Reason being, that he feared and knew that if he asked for medical help, I he ran the risk of being deported back to Mexico. The United States is known for high rates of immigration and as migrant individuals in the U.S. they share a common issues; the fear that if they get any U.S. assistance our government will just through them out of our lands and problem solved.
But those animals-they howled outside the door and pounded at the walls to get to her, and nobody did a thing (p.27). This sentence of the reading caught my attention because all the imagery words used. Words like howled and pounded presented a sense chaos and urgency for the victim. I felt terror for the young helpless girl and disgust for the men who sought to abuse her. In this single sentence, I also got the feeling, Candido is a decent man who despises men who take advantage of helpless women. We seen a very human aspect of Candido here.
There are so many good lines in the Tortilla Curtain, but the one that sticks out the most to me was “To his shame, Delaney’s first thought was for the car (was it marred, scratched, dented?). and then for his insurance rates (what was this going to do to his good-driver discount?), and finally, belatedly, for the victim” (page 4). I think this one line really illustrates Delaney’s character. It would be socially acceptable for Delaney to first be worried about the victim, the person he hit with his car, but instead he is consumed with worry about an inanimate object. I like how it begins with “to his shame”, demonstrating that he knows he should be worried about the victim and not his car, but ignoring social protocol, he continues worrying about his vehicle and his insurance rate. This line illustrates the self-centered manner of Delaney, and his socially inaccurate priorities.
The line that stood out to me so far is “He had no recollection of what had happened to him – nothing, not a glimmer – but he knew that he hurt, hurt all over” (p. 22). The reason why I liked this line is because it reminds me of what happens to me every time I read something that seems to go on and on, I forget what I just read. I usually have to read things about two or three times just to understand it. I only read two chapters of the book and all I understand is that there’s this one guy named Delaney who hit Cándido and Delaney gave Cándido $20 to leave. Later on in chapter two we meet América, which confused me until I read that it’s the name of a girl, and find out that she and Cándido came from Mexico. This explains why Cándido refused medical treatment. He is afraid that once he is treated he will be sent back to Mexico. Other than this, I am not sure what the importance was for the first two chapters.
The line that stood out for me was "I mean, I'm sorry, I-why did you run out like that? what possessed you? Didn't you see me? (pg.7) This wasn't my first choice but someone already took what I was going to say but this one also stood out once I looked back at the chapter I read. The reason I find this sentence interesting was because the character is expressing two conflicting emotions. I blame it on shock because for 1. your thought process is really slowed, and 2. your also not thinking in your right frame of mind in this state. What Delaney whats to do in this statement is apologize but also declare his innocence in this one sentence.
The thing that stood out to me the most was page 15 when he is talking to his wife. When he “and then, before the words could turn to ash in his mouth, it was out: “ I told you- he was Mexican’’. When I read this it kind of got me mad because this is how a lot of people think now a days. Even with all the growth our society has endure in our modernization of this civilization. Its hard to image hearing that coming out from someone’s mouth. How can a human bean be so unjust to a person who they just hit with there car. Then turn right around and be like he is nothing. He may not have his papers but that doesn’t make him less of a human who’s life shouldn’t matter
On interesting line that I saw was from Delaney when he was picking up pasta from the grocery store. "His impulse was to intercede, to put an end to it, and yet in some perverse way he wanted to see the dark alien little man crushed and obliterated, out of his life forever." This was on page 105. It was interesting that he was just complaining to Jack that no one cared for the immigrants and people treated them badly, but then he has this thought. Delaney needs to make up his mind on what he truly stands for.
One line that stood out to me is the beginning part of the book when Delaney goes from feeling guilty to angry after he had hit the man with his car " 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" (p. 11) . This line kind of got me upset because not only was it offensive and ignorant but that I now that many other people have thought similar things about Mexicans. It is easy for people who don't understand a culture or a people to make assumptions and group all of them into one category. At this point Delaney feels angry about this man being in his country yet he knows nothing about him and not to mention that he had just hit him with his car. This line also caught me attention because I'm sure that many people had thought of similar thoughts about cultures that they don't really understand. Sometimes we are quick to label and judge people without giving them a chance to prove who they really are.
One line that caught my attention was on page 11 where Delaney says " 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." when talking about how the trails were littered with trash. This sentence struck out to me because this is how most people who don't like immigrants see immigrants as. Many people who are against illegals coming into their countries think that the illegals are stupid, dirty, irresponsible people who are going to turn this country into waste. However these are all qualities that can apply to anyone regardless to race. There are plenty of people here that are citizens who possess these qualities and who are careless and irresponsible. Blaming their problems on the illegals is not right. This sentence and the fact that Delaney was so angry about the guy and willing to write to his congressman says so much about his character. Delaney feels like this man is stupid and irresponsible just because he is illegal yet Delaney is twice as stupid and irresponsible as the illegal man because Delaney first worried about his car before worrying about the well being of the man he just ran over. Also Delaney was trying to walk away from the accident and pretend like it didn't happen which is illegal as well and he even paid him which is even more dumb. If Delaney was really responsible and smart he would have took the guy to the hospital and try to help him out but instead all he did was worry about his car and his perfect car insurance discounts. There are many people out there in the world that see other illegals as dumb and careless when in reality those people who are judging the illegals are the ones who are dumb and careless themselves.
In the book that we are reading the tortilla curtain, there is one sentence that stood out to me the most. Just to keep in mind I have just recently started reading the book but had to go back to the first part. The sentence that stood out to me the most was on page 7. The sentence stated, "The man was on his back, limbs dangling, as loose-jointed as a doll all flung in a corner by an imperious little girl." The reason why this sentence stands out to me is first how descriptive the sentence is. It gave me a real visual of what was happening at that very second. While reading it I could physically see this man on his back with his limbs dangling. It's sounds very horrific but very impressive with the wording. The second reason why I was very interested in the sentence was this little girl that was mentioned. I can only imagine what the little girl was seeing when she saw this man on his back looking so disgusting. And what stood out to me in this sentence as well was how descriptive this person described the little girl and her doll. That it was flung in the corner. I wonder what the child was thinking of looking at that crazy horrific sight. It makes me think about my little sister. I would hope that she would never have to go through that type of trauma. It would be very devastating to myself having her see this unbelievable sight.
A line that stood out to me was “He remembered his first trip North, hotbedding in a two-room apartment in Echo Park with thirty-two other men, sleeping in shifts and lining up on the streetcorner for work, the reek of the place, the roaches and the nits”. This line stood out because it makes me remember of the many stories of struggle that they encountered when first arriving here in America. For example, my parents told us that at one point they lived with about 30 people in a house that had three bedroom and one restroom. They told us that the conditions were so bad inside the house that it was way better sleeping outside on a dirt lot next to the house that they stayed at. Furthermore, the line stood out to me and made me realize how fortunate I am compared to what my parents had to go through.
As I was reading the first 4 chapters, the first sentence I made note of was, "Just because he spoke Spanish didn't make him a criminal." This caught my attention because it's a common predisposition that individuals that don't speak English, are living in the states illegally. Many people tend to categorize them as "criminals". I would assume that a lot of people are upset with non-citizens due to tax reasons. However, I liked this sentence because it is true. Not everyone who speaks Spanish is a criminal, but Americans tend to give them the same status as a criminal. I think that it's really sad to categorize someone based off the language they speak. In the text, Delaney was trying to disprove that the man indeed wasn't a criminal; however, the narrator ends that notion with, "Yeah, sure. And Delaney was the King of Siam." It was as though the perception of demeaning a non US citizen overpowered the thought of seeing the person as a human being.
Since I started reading "Tortilla Curtain" the sentence the line that has stand out for me is the one in page 8. "No quiero un matasanos, as he growled, wincing as he staggered to his feet in a cyclone of twigs, dust and crushed tumbleweed, no lo necesito." This line is interesting to me because Cándido does not want to seek medical assistance because he knows he is illegal in the country. He says that he doesn't want to see a doctor who "kills healthy people." He believes that doctors are just there to take away your money even if one is healthy but furthermore, he doesn't want to see a doctor because they might deport him back to Mexico. This is an issue in the United States, where many Mexican immigrants do not want to validate their rights because they are afraid of deportation.
ReplyDeleteA sentence that has stood out to me so far in “Tortilla Curtain” is “America had been terrified to begin with –what she and Candido were doing was illegal, and she’d never done anything illegal in her life”(p.61). I really liked this sentence because it shows the dedication that America has for Candido. Even though she has never done anything illegal ever she is putting her life on the line with her husband for herself and her husband. It may not mean much for other people, but to me this sentence explains how a marriage should be. I’m definitely not saying to go out and do something illegal because your spouse is, but helping and supporting your spouse should always be a priority. For America and Candido, they have no one else with them right now in the book and they are depending on one another every day through these beginning stages of the novel.
ReplyDeleteThe one line that stood out to me in the beginning of the book is “”And then, before the words could turn to ash in his mouth, it was out: “I told you ---- he was Mexican.”” (P.15). This passage refers to the amount of money he gave to Candido after trampling him with his car. He just gave him twenty dollars, as if that is all that he deserved because he was a Mexican. Throughout this book Delany seems to constantly be on the tipping point of his liberal views. It is an ongoing moral war within his head. Delany, in the beginning, did not seem to mind Mexicans, because they too are humans like him. He seems to be able to look above all of the bigotry of his social acquaintances, but not when it directly affected him. Delany, at this moment, seemed to hit the tipping point. This is when he begins his journey into the darkside of racism. It is as if this one shocking incident of hitting a man had awoken a beast deep within the depths of his character. It was an alter ego that could not be seen at the surface. This one small statement is a glimpse into the character he is going to become. In the phrase “I told you ---- he was Mexican” Delany places the value of Candido, a human being, below the status of his race. To him, the illegal Mexican on the road, did not deserve compassion or the treatment he would’ve given any American.
ReplyDeleteHi Azael. I like what you said about this specific line foreshadowing the character that Delany becomes. I found this part of the book to be very sad in the way that Delany just though that twenty dollars would be able to help Candido after he was hit by a car! Maybe Delany did it out of guilt or just not knowing how else to approach the situation, but I agree with you that this scene shows Delany's future character.
DeleteOne of the lines that stood out to me was “ ‘Yeah,’ he said, sinking back down into the blanket” on page 30. Candido said this and reacted in this way when his wife, America said that someone would need her to clean the floor or stove. You can see his pride dwindle by the fact that he could no longer provide for her at the time. This whole accident that left him wounded physically, has also left him wounded mentally. Even though it is hard to let her go on her own to find work, he knows she is right to go because if she does not, they will not survive. She has to become the sole breadwinner of the family and it pains Candido to admit that. It seems like his blanket was a metaphor, meant as a type of shield that blocked him from finishing his duty as the provider. With this line, I also saw America become a stronger woman. It was now her job to make money and support her family. As this story evolves, I can see why Candido was so worried about America going off on her own to find work. There are many dangerous people who try to them, and for no particular reason either.
ReplyDeleteOne line that stood out to me was (page 18) "Yes, he'd said, and he was saying now, the word on his lips somewhere between the two worlds, but at least you have garbage." I felt that this line was capturing because it really made me think about how fortunate I am. Thinking about how everyday society throws something out, and how our minds can easily forget the worth and value in something. For Candido, and others like this in our own society, to think "at least you have garbage" really makes you cherish I you have. I personally have never been in this mindset before,longing for the garbage, just to say you have garbage, is a big deal. In third world countries, I am sure their inhabitants might think this way as well. America is very fortunate.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the book I found that the Coyotes were metaphorical for immigrants. Delaney faced issues with coyotes stepping into his property and taking his dog. Delaney feels territorial. He then proceeds to feel the same about immigrants. Looking back to the beginning, Delaney even refers to the coyotes and Candido as one in the same. He starts to tell his wife he hit something in the road. He states: “A dog, I think it was. Might have been a coyote, but kind of big for a coyote.” This quote only appeared significant once I reached the end of the book.
ReplyDeleteAs I've been reading along I've made marks of several lines that have caught my eye. One of the first I noted was towards the bottom half of page 10 in the third paragraph. "There was a desperation in that, a gulf of sadness that took Delaney out of himself for a long moment, and he just stood there in front of the office, receipt in hand, staring into space." I thought this was interesting as this was the moment when Delaney's attitude about the situation began to change. Up until that moment, Delaney was terrified, for both the well being of himself an that of the man he had just hit. Not one page later, "Delaney felt his guilt turn to anger, to outrage." This was also the moment where Boyle begins to reveal some of Delaney's personal beliefs an characteristics that only become more profound as the story continues to play out.
ReplyDelete“He had to laugh. He couldn’t help himself. “Lettuce? Fruit? This isn’t Bakersfield, this is L.A. There’s no fruit here. No cotton ,no nothing.” His face tightened on him and he winced. “There’s nothing here but houses, houses by millions, roof after roof as far as you can see…” (Page 28).
ReplyDeleteThis sentence stood out to me because he didn’t think his wife was good enough to work. This was his way of making fun of his wife. Since he got hurt he was no longer able to provide for his family. This made him angry because he couldn’t do anything about it. This I can relate too because my ex always made fun because I was making more money than he was. He felt like he was not the provider for the family, so he would put me down. I felt like I could do anything I didn’t let it get to me. Now I am working two jobs and getting a lot more hours than he is. So any women could the same as a man but better. Therefore, no man should make fun of a woman for wanting to be independent.
TC Boyle states, "Two eyes, dull with pain, locked on him like a set of jaws (17)." Help me! I gaze at you with intensity with the hopes that you can read my mind. We all do it, but the fascinating part is understanding the meaning behind what is being said without words. It's an unspoken language we all know; the language learned from a young age. Do you remember when you did something wrong in public and you felt this burning sensation coming from across the room? YIKES! Our parents spoke loud and clear to stop what we were doing - with the stare of death!!!! Why this stood out to me is because the meaning TC Boyle was expressing resonated within my mind palace. The description was very descriptive that made me see exactly what he was trying to convey. Imagine your eyes having jaws and reaching out grabbing you like Viennese fly traps. It is very appropriate for a Hollows-eve line for a grotesque story.
ReplyDeleteThis line reminds me of my youth and my mother giving me locked eye stare making me freeze in my tracks, looking back at these memories now, makes me think how powerful this statement really means. Very well written TC Boyle.
As I began to read “Tortilla Curtain”, at first it was a bit confusing to understand what the author was trying to transmit to his readers, but as I kept reading, it finally made sense. An accident had occur and Delaney was worried that he could not find the other individual involved in the accident. As I continued reading, a sentence stood out from all others so far. It read, “no quíero un matasanos, as he growled, wincing as he staggered to his feet in a cyclone of twigs, dust and crushed tumbleweed, no lo necesito." The reason why I found this line interesting was because although Cándido was the victim in the accident he did not wish to find any medical help. Reason being, that he feared and knew that if he asked for medical help, I he ran the risk of being deported back to Mexico. The United States is known for high rates of immigration and as migrant individuals in the U.S. they share a common issues; the fear that if they get any U.S. assistance our government will just through them out of our lands and problem solved.
ReplyDeleteBut those animals-they howled outside the door and pounded at the walls to get to her, and nobody did a thing (p.27). This sentence of the reading caught my attention because all the imagery words used. Words like howled and pounded presented a sense chaos and urgency for the victim. I felt terror for the young helpless girl and disgust for the men who sought to abuse her. In this single sentence, I also got the feeling, Candido is a decent man who despises men who take advantage of helpless women. We seen a very human aspect of Candido here.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many good lines in the Tortilla Curtain, but the one that sticks out the most to me was “To his shame, Delaney’s first thought was for the car (was it marred, scratched, dented?). and then for his insurance rates (what was this going to do to his good-driver discount?), and finally, belatedly, for the victim” (page 4). I think this one line really illustrates Delaney’s character. It would be socially acceptable for Delaney to first be worried about the victim, the person he hit with his car, but instead he is consumed with worry about an inanimate object. I like how it begins with “to his shame”, demonstrating that he knows he should be worried about the victim and not his car, but ignoring social protocol, he continues worrying about his vehicle and his insurance rate. This line illustrates the self-centered manner of Delaney, and his socially inaccurate priorities.
ReplyDeleteThe line that stood out to me so far is “He had no recollection of what had happened to him – nothing, not a glimmer – but he knew that he hurt, hurt all over” (p. 22). The reason why I liked this line is because it reminds me of what happens to me every time I read something that seems to go on and on, I forget what I just read. I usually have to read things about two or three times just to understand it. I only read two chapters of the book and all I understand is that there’s this one guy named Delaney who hit Cándido and Delaney gave Cándido $20 to leave. Later on in chapter two we meet América, which confused me until I read that it’s the name of a girl, and find out that she and Cándido came from Mexico. This explains why Cándido refused medical treatment. He is afraid that once he is treated he will be sent back to Mexico. Other than this, I am not sure what the importance was for the first two chapters.
ReplyDeleteThe line that stood out for me was "I mean, I'm sorry, I-why did you run out like that? what possessed you? Didn't you see me? (pg.7) This wasn't my first choice but someone already took what I was going to say but this one also stood out once I looked back at the chapter I read. The reason I find this sentence interesting was because the character is expressing two conflicting emotions. I blame it on shock because for 1. your thought process is really slowed, and 2. your also not thinking in your right frame of mind in this state. What Delaney whats to do in this statement is apologize but also declare his innocence in this one sentence.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that stood out to me the most was page 15 when he is talking to his wife. When he “and then, before the words could turn to ash in his mouth, it was out: “ I told you- he was Mexican’’. When I read this it kind of got me mad because this is how a lot of people think now a days. Even with all the growth our society has endure in our modernization of this civilization. Its hard to image hearing that coming out from someone’s mouth. How can a human bean be so unjust to a person who they just hit with there car. Then turn right around and be like he is nothing. He may not have his papers but that doesn’t make him less of a human who’s life shouldn’t matter
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DeleteOn interesting line that I saw was from Delaney when he was picking up pasta from the grocery store. "His impulse was to intercede, to put an end to it, and yet in some perverse way he wanted to see the dark alien little man crushed and obliterated, out of his life forever." This was on page 105. It was interesting that he was just complaining to Jack that no one cared for the immigrants and people treated them badly, but then he has this thought. Delaney needs to make up his mind on what he truly stands for.
ReplyDeleteOne line that stood out to me is the beginning part of the book when Delaney goes from feeling guilty to angry after he had hit the man with his car " 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" (p. 11) . This line kind of got me upset because not only was it offensive and ignorant but that I now that many other people have thought similar things about Mexicans. It is easy for people who don't understand a culture or a people to make assumptions and group all of them into one category. At this point Delaney feels angry about this man being in his country yet he knows nothing about him and not to mention that he had just hit him with his car. This line also caught me attention because I'm sure that many people had thought of similar thoughts about cultures that they don't really understand. Sometimes we are quick to label and judge people without giving them a chance to prove who they really are.
ReplyDeleteOne line that caught my attention was on page 11 where Delaney says " 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." when talking about how the trails were littered with trash. This sentence struck out to me because this is how most people who don't like immigrants see immigrants as. Many people who are against illegals coming into their countries think that the illegals are stupid, dirty, irresponsible people who are going to turn this country into waste. However these are all qualities that can apply to anyone regardless to race. There are plenty of people here that are citizens who possess these qualities and who are careless and irresponsible. Blaming their problems on the illegals is not right. This sentence and the fact that Delaney was so angry about the guy and willing to write to his congressman says so much about his character. Delaney feels like this man is stupid and irresponsible just because he is illegal yet Delaney is twice as stupid and irresponsible as the illegal man because Delaney first worried about his car before worrying about the well being of the man he just ran over. Also Delaney was trying to walk away from the accident and pretend like it didn't happen which is illegal as well and he even paid him which is even more dumb. If Delaney was really responsible and smart he would have took the guy to the hospital and try to help him out but instead all he did was worry about his car and his perfect car insurance discounts. There are many people out there in the world that see other illegals as dumb and careless when in reality those people who are judging the illegals are the ones who are dumb and careless themselves.
ReplyDeleteIn the book that we are reading the tortilla curtain, there is one sentence that stood out to me the most. Just to keep in mind I have just recently started reading the book but had to go back to the first part. The sentence that stood out to me the most was on page 7. The sentence stated, "The man was on his back, limbs dangling, as loose-jointed as a doll all flung in a corner by an imperious little girl." The reason why this sentence stands out to me is first how descriptive the sentence is. It gave me a real visual of what was happening at that very second. While reading it I could physically see this man on his back with his limbs dangling. It's sounds very horrific but very impressive with the wording. The second reason why I was very interested in the sentence was this little girl that was mentioned. I can only imagine what the little girl was seeing when she saw this man on his back looking so disgusting. And what stood out to me in this sentence as well was how descriptive this person described the little girl and her doll. That it was flung in the corner. I wonder what the child was thinking of looking at that crazy horrific sight. It makes me think about my little sister. I would hope that she would never have to go through that type of trauma. It would be very devastating to myself having her see this unbelievable sight.
ReplyDeleteA line that stood out to me was “He remembered his first trip North, hotbedding in a two-room apartment in Echo Park with thirty-two other men, sleeping in shifts and lining up on the streetcorner for work, the reek of the place, the roaches and the nits”. This line stood out because it makes me remember of the many stories of struggle that they encountered when first arriving here in America. For example, my parents told us that at one point they lived with about 30 people in a house that had three bedroom and one restroom. They told us that the conditions were so bad inside the house that it was way better sleeping outside on a dirt lot next to the house that they stayed at. Furthermore, the line stood out to me and made me realize how fortunate I am compared to what my parents had to go through.
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading the first 4 chapters, the first sentence I made note of was, "Just because he spoke Spanish didn't make him a criminal." This caught my attention because it's a common predisposition that individuals that don't speak English, are living in the states illegally. Many people tend to categorize them as "criminals". I would assume that a lot of people are upset with non-citizens due to tax reasons. However, I liked this sentence because it is true. Not everyone who speaks Spanish is a criminal, but Americans tend to give them the same status as a criminal. I think that it's really sad to categorize someone based off the language they speak. In the text, Delaney was trying to disprove that the man indeed wasn't a criminal; however, the narrator ends that notion with, "Yeah, sure. And Delaney was the King of Siam." It was as though the perception of demeaning a non US citizen overpowered the thought of seeing the person as a human being.
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