The Tortilla Curtain By T. C. Boyle

The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle is about 2 families, the Mossbacher’s and the Rincon’s, and their intertwining lives. The Mossbacher’s are a liberal couple living in a gated community, whereas the Rincon’s are illegal immigrants trying to make a life for themselves in America. Throughout the book, T.C. Boyle uses a lot of different types of figurative language and literary tools, none as prominent the image of a coyote. T.C. Boyle uses the image of the coyote to symbolize immigration, immigrants struggle for survival, and immigrants being unwanted.
In the very beginning of the book, Boyle places the Mossbacher’s in an unfortunate situation with a coyote. Delaney Mossbacher describes that he “[rounded] the corner and shot through the courtyard”

where he saw a “dun-colored blur scaling the six-foot chain-link fence with a tense white form clamped in its jaws” (38). He knew immediately that this figure was the figure of a coyote, the coyote had broken into their yard and took their dog for a meal. This is vaguely reminiscent of the Rincon’s crossing the border into America. Just like the coyote, they crossed the fence, (the border), and taken from the people living there. They took America’s resources so they could have a better life.
The coyote also symbolizes the Rincon’s need for survival.

In Delaney’s Article “Pilgrim at Topanga Creek”, he explains that “the coyote is not to blame – he is only trying to survive, to make a living, to take advantage of the opportunities available to him” (221). This is similar to how Candido Rincon takes advantage of what little his surroundings have given him, to provide something to eat for his wife and himself. In the book, after a particularly trying day, Candido has led his wife to an alleyway so they can eat dinner. America Rincon explains, “All at once she understood: garbage, they were going to eat garbage” (245). Candido had just been robbed of what little money they had so he needed to take advantage of opportunities that were available to him so that they might eat that

night.
Finally, the coyote is very unwanted in the Mossbacher’s community, just as illegal immigrants, like Candido and America, are unwanted in many parts of the country today.

Delaney also says in his article that “The coyotes keep coming, breeding up to fill in the gaps, moving in where living is easy. They are cunning, versatile, hungry, and unstoppable” (221). Delaney’s tone alone conveys the idea that he doesn’t want the coyotes in his neighborhood, they are a nuisance to him and his neighbors and they’re unwanted in the area as they chew up waterlines and they have been known to attack the neighbors. Earlier on in the book, the Rincon’s home is tore up by racist vandals who don’t want them in the canyon. Candido describes that there was a “message emblazoned on the rocks in paint that dripped like blood”, the message is “BEANERS DIE” (65). The vandals let the Rincon’s know that they were unwanted, just as the coyotes are unwanted in Delaney’s community. In the article “The U.S. Immigration Debate” from Renewing America, they report that “71 percent of Americans considered immigration a ‘good thing’ for the United State” (paragraph 10). This would mean that a considerable portion of 29 percent don’t agree with

immigration.
Throughout the book, the coyote is a very important symbol for immigrants and immigration. Coyotes symbolize immigrants, they’re fight for survival, and they’re unwanted nature. T.C. Boyle uses this symbolism to help us gets a better understanding of Delaney’s thoughts and prejudice, as well as they thoughts and prejudices of others.