English No Mas
Tuesday was my last day in English at Long Beach City and I wrapped it up by turning in a 5 page essay on the illusions of the American Dream as portrayed in the novel The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle. A frustratingly and sometimes agitating effort but overall a good portrayal of these very interesting people. It’s the story of two Southern California families whose lives collide when Delaney, the husband of the upper middle class family, hits Candido, the husband of the struggling illegal family, with his car. Their lives cross paths on a few occasions but it’s the initial event that sets off a chain reaction of racial tension that forever changes the lives of these people. It really is a good book and I would suggest it but maybe with a little caution. Its themes have a more than a pinch of satire which piggybacks on some very politically heated issues. Considering that the book was written in the mid nineties and has definite relevance to today’s issues of immigration I can see this one becoming a much bigger target for the politically charged. I do find it funny that the political alliance of the target family in T.C. Boyle’s novel has flip-flopped so drastically since the 90s just because of the change of administrations from Clinton to Bush. I won’t spoil any of the meaty stuff but if you are up for a frustrating rollercoaster ride into the lives of these people then by all means check this one out.
Anyway, on the penultimate day of class, Professor Rose rounded up the class out front of the English Department building and took a class photo. There were a few wonderful people in this class that really spoke up and voiced some opinions Click on the picture for a larger version.
