1. At the beginning of the story, Delaney accidentally hits Candido with his car: “For a long moment, they stood there, examining each other, unwitting perpetrator and unwitting victim.” How does this collision set the tone for the events that follow? Does it come full circle in the novel’s final scene?
2. The residents of Arroyo Blanco seem both afraid of and hostile towards ethnic groups that differ from them, despite their own immigrant origins. What is it about Mexican immigrants in particular that frightens them? How do Candido and America differ from the stereotypes and preconceptions that the residents of Arroyo Blanco have about Mexican people?
3. During an argument with Jack Jardine, Delaney states, “Do you realize what you’re saying? Immigrants are the lifeblood of this country – and neither of us would be standing here today if it wasn’t.” In another instance, Jack says to Delaney, “What do you expect, when all you bleeding hearts want to invite the whole world in here to feed at our trough without a thought as to who’s going to pay for it, as if the American taxpayer was like Jesus Christ with his loaves and fishes?” How do these opposing sentiments play out in the novel and in the broader debate over immigration?
4. The coyote is a recurring motif throughout the novel. Who or what does the coyote symbolize? How effective is the coyote motif in conveying Boyle’s message?
5. At first Delaney is horrified at the prospect of a wall being built around the Arroyo Blanco community, but he later becomes reconciled to it and finally sees it as a positive and necessary thing. How important are barriers, borders, and walls in the novel? To what extent does the wall lock in the residents as well as keep out “undesirable” elements? What does the wall symbolize?
6. The alternating narratives focus on two couples: white Americans Delaney and Kyra and Mexican immigrants Candido and America. What is the effect of alternating these two narratives and how does this technique propel the story? How does the relationship between Candido and America differ from Delaney and Kyra’s marriage? What factors might account for these differences?
7. Delaney and Kyra could be seen to be fulfilling the American Dream, but is this the life to which Candido and America aspire? To what extent do Delaney and Kyra appear to be happy?
8. To what extent do you find Delaney to be a sympathetic character? Why does Delaney transform from a “liberal humanist” to a racist? As he changes, does your view of him change?
9. There are numerous references to Candido’s bad luck. Is he unlucky? Is there anything he could have done to change his situation? To what extent is the story more about an unjust system than about one individual’s bad luck?
10. How do you interpret the novel’s ending? Is this an optimistic conclusion? What kind of message does the final scene convey?
11. Critics continue to find the novel controversial, not only for its one-dimensional portrayal of the main characters, but for the perhaps inaccurate ways in which it depicts immigrant life as alienated, isolated, and completely marginalized from social and political networks. Critics point out that the novel overlooks the sense of community that many immigrants find in the United States. Why do you think the novel exaggerates the isolation of immigrants, and can we still find truths in the novel despite these inaccuracies?
12. Critics have also noted that T.C. Boyle, as a white man, cannot accurately write about the experiences of Mexican immigrants or Mexican culture. Do you think this is a fair criticism, and does Boyle represent Mexican and Mexican American experience in accurate and believable ways?
13. Author T.C. Boyle has noted, “If it's satire, it has to bite somebody, has to have teeth in it, otherwise it's useless.” Who and what is being satirized in this novel, and why?
14. What role does the natural world play in the novel, and how does this portrayal of nature reflect the novel’s message? How is this representation related to the novel’s critique of property ownership/real estate development?
15. The author does not offer a solution to the problems surrounding illegal immigration, for which he was praised by several reviewers. Do you think he should have provided a more concrete solution?

*The title, The Tortilla Curtain, draws on the image of the Iron Curtain from the Cold War. By contrast, the “tortilla curtain” represents the limpness or weakness of U.S. border policy and reflects the wall that separates white Americans from those of Mexican descent physically, psychologically, and emotionally.

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