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Arts and Humanities
- What similarities do you see between Candido and his literary namesake,
Candide? What dissimilarities? Do you think TC Boyle's philosophical outlook
and theme share common ground with Voltaire's? How so? How does Boyle's view
appear to differ from Voltaire's?
- And speaking of satire....Do you think the satire in "Tortilla Curtain"
is consistent? Or are some characters sharply satirized while others are presented
quite seriously, without satire? Does the satire have to be distributed evenly?
- By what criteria may we determine the effectiveness of a literary satire?
What esthetic advantages and sacrifices accompany Boyle's use of the genre
in "Tortilla Curtain"?
- Given the extremes of wealth and poverty described in Boyle's L. A. County,
what historical antecedents can you identify? How much weight should be assigned
to economics in a historical analysis?
- Analyze the imagery of early-to-mid-twentieth century Mexican muralists
like Orozco and Rivera. Devise or catalogue imagery that might effectively
portray social conditions in and around exurban Los Angeles in the present
(as described by Boyle).
- How does Buddha/Lao Tzu/Plato/Aquinas/Rousseau/Nietzsche (etc.) explain
the human afflictions of greed, arrogance, and indifference?
What advice would this philosopher prescribe for people like the Mossbachers?
Social Science
- Some readers have accused TC Boyle of employing stereotypes in his characterizations
in "Tortilla Curtain." Do you perceive any stereotyping--of Mexicans? Of women?
Of young, urban professionals? Of affluent, educated white males? Of liberals?
Of conservatives?
Does the stereotyping serve a literary purpose, or is it a flaw arising out
of Boyle's own assumptions?
- Does what you know of the demographics of Southern California render the
book's plot less than plausible? Could what happens to Candido and America
really have happened in suburban Los Angeles in the 1990s? But then, to what
extent does satire have to be plausible?
- After reading the Tortilla Curtain, do you feel any different when you look
into the eyes of Mexican people in our community? Can you think of ways in
which Mexicans might feel more a part of our community? Do you see any of
the same prejudices in your heart that were terrorizing the Arroyo Blanco
community? When you see a Mexican at the grocery store, in the laundromat,
or at the park, do you now feel any more inclined to make contact? –
or at least to look the person in the eyes and smile?
- Discuss the following passage from Barry Lopez's "Arctic Dreams":
To what extent is its argument relevant, respectively, to Anglo and
Hispanic migrations to Southern California as represented in the novel? "It
is a convention of Western thought to believe all cultures are
compelled to explore, that human beings seek new land because their economies
drive them outward. Lost in this valid but nevertheless
impersonal observation is the notion of a simpler longing, of a human desire
for a less complicated life, for fresh intimacy and renewal. These, too, draw
us into new landscapes."
- Perform a Maslovian analysis of both the Mossbachers and the Rincons. What
needs are/are not being fulfilled in each case? What behaviors might be predicted
by the frustration of these needs? To what degree are your predictions borne
out at the novel's conclusion?
- What forces are responsible for the unraveling of the social contract in
Boyle's L. A. County? How would you advise policy makers in addressing this
failure?
- Analyze the conflict between the Mossbachers and the Rincons as a conflict
of culture. What public policies or educational efforts--if any--are likely
to ameliorate this conflict?
Immigration
- Compare and contrast the national-level discussion regarding immigration
and the individual-level discussion presented in Tortilla Curtain.
- Speaking of satire....Do you think the satire in "Tortilla Curtain" is consistent?
Or are some characters sharply satirized while others are presented quite
seriously, without satire? Does the satire have to be distributed evenly?
Languages (cross-cultural communication)
- One issue facing this nation is that of an increasingly bimodal (spanish/english)
speaking population. It has been in the news at both the national and state
level. How does this larger issue fit with the issues faced by the characters
in Tortilla Curtain?
Physical/Natural Sciences
- How is the Chaparral vegetation similar (or not) to the shrub steppe around
Ellensburg?
- Link fire ecology to the chaparral.
- Link El Nino (and Pacific Decadal Oscillation) to weather and fire conditions
in the chaparral.
- How do climate conditions affect the geomorphology (and mass movement) in
the chaparral?
- Discuss the role of natural cycles--carbon, nitrogen, hydrological--in disasters
like that which overtakes the canyon in "Tortilla Curtain." Specify
human interventions affecting these cycles.
- Consider how changes in atmospheric chemistry affect natural communities.
Outline a study to monitor both atmospheric composition and
a given plant or animal community in an area of the Northwest resembling Boyle's
L. A. County.
- Propose a plan to mitigate wildfire impacts in forested areas of Kittitas
County undergoing residential development.
- Does any correlation exist between coyote behavior and ecosystem health?
Devise a plan to study coyote/human interactions in an exurban area of Washington
State.
Education
- Compare and contrast the benefits/drawbacks of education completely in english
(with spanish speakers taught english) vs bilingual education.
- Define health from a holistic perspective. How would you assess the health
of the Mossbachers and the Rincons, respectively? Cite passages that support
your assessment.
- Adopting the role of Director of Educational Programs for a charitable nonprofit,
plan an outreach program to assist undocumented workers with literacy or ESL
needs. In your plan, account for the elusiveness and mistrust of your client
population.
Business/Economics/Accounting
- It is said that the market respects demand, not need. With that principle
in mind, advise policy makers in California and Mexico on a feasible plan
for employing people like America and Candido Rincon.
- In what respects do our communities--CWU for example--replicate the economics
of Boyle's L. A. County? In what instances do we employ an invisible underclass
to do our scutwork at unconscionable wages, meanwhile denying legitimacy to
its members?
- What provisions of NAFTA might have some bearing on events described in
the novel? Discuss causes and effects with reference to specific circumstances
illustrated by Boyle.
- What role should the private sector play in alleviating humanitarian crises
like illegal immigration? What role does it play in creating
them?
- Outline a cost/benefit analysis of both amnesty for, and deportation of,
undocumented workers. Be sure to incorporate both ethical and fiscal criteria.
Misc.
- What's the origin of the names of the Mossbacher's pets?
Contributors include: Bob Hickey (Geography), Warren Street
(Psychology), Ruthi Erdman (English), Dan Beck (Biology), Rob Schnelle (English)...
Special kudos to Rob Schnelle as the top question provider!
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