Ich halte übermorgen einen Buchvortrag auf Englisch.
Mein Text ist nun fertig müsste aber noch korrigiert werden .
Falls jemand Lust oder Zeit hat wäre ich sehr froh wenn er mal ein Blick darüber werfen könnte
Gruss Siter
The subject of my talk today is the book “The tortilla curtain” written by T.C. Boyle
Let me start by saying a few words about the topic of the book
Topic
The book is about the problem of illegal immigration between Mexico and Southern California. T.C Boyle writes about a family which immigrates to America. In addition he wants to show the different way of life between a Mexican family and an American family. Other important issues are xenophobia and poverty
Summary of the content
The book is very long and it’s not possible to talk about everything in the story. But I try to mention the most important things. The story is about two different families and takes place mostly in the territory of the Topanga Canyon near Los Angeles. I would now like to say some things about the families.
At first the American family: Delaney Mossbacher lives with his second wife Kyra and her son Jordan in a posh housing estate. The family is wealthy. “Kyra” works as a real estate agent (that’s someone who sells a house). Delaney looks after Kyra’s son Jordan and works as writer for an environmentalist magazine. Jordan is the son from the first marriage of Kyra.
Mexican family:Candido Rincon and his pregnant girlfriend America flee over the border of Mexico and wants to live in America. The family is illegal in America and lives in the Topanga Canyon in a camp near the apartment of the American family. The family is living in poverty. Both of them came to California because they hope that they might find some work.
The story starts with a car accident. Delaney (the man of the American family) bump into Candido and injuring him severly. Despite all this Candido doesn’t want to go to a hospital. So that’s the reason why Delaney gives 20 Dollars to Candido.
Candido is seriously injured and not able looking for a job. For this reason his girlfriend America has to look for a job. Finally she finds work and the situation seems more relaxed than before but two days later near the camping ground Kyra is being raped and assaulted by two Latinos.
Delaney Mossbacker is a liberal and tolerant person who has no problems with foreigners. But his neighbours are racists and that’s the reason why Delaney becomes more and more like them. The neighbourhood wants to build a huge wall around the village because they want to protect themselves against the Mexican immigrants.
The situation of Candido and his wife is bleak and hopeless. They don’t have work and there is a lot missing especially food.
Later the situation for Candido and his girlfriend seems to be better. Candido finds work and at thanksgiving two young men give a turkey to Candido and America. When Candido roasted his turkey a fire broke out. The fire was very enormous and reached just the apartment of the Mossbachers. Candido and his heavily pregnant wife America have to escape. They flee and very close to the apartment of the Mossbachers Amercia brings his daughter with the name “Soccoro” to world.
At the end of the story Delaney is a racist and hates Mexican people. In his opinion the Mexicans are the reason for all his problems.
In the final scene Delaney finds Candido near a supermarket and he follows him to his camp. There he observes that the little cottage where Candido and his wife now live after the fire is built of material stolen from his apartment. Delaney takes his gun and wants to shoot him. But then a mudslide rushes down from the mountains and washes them all away. Candido and America can save each other. The baby soccoro dies. Finally Candido gives his hand to Delaney and save his life.
My Opinion
I choose this book because the topic interests me and is still current. All in all the book was not bad but in my opinion it contains to much unimportant things. But it’s interesting that the author switches among the two families and the reader can see the difference between the two way of life.
I am now at the end of my talk. If you have any questions please feel free to ask me.