“The tortilla curtain” (extract nº2)
by T. C Boyle (1995)
voc :
pick lettuce = récolter des laitues Morelos = a state in Mexico
could not help = il ne pouvait s’empêcher nothing fancy = nothing out of the ordinary
winced = faire la grimace the gringos = a colloquial shorthand for “Americans”
scratched = se gratter lure = the attraction
bite = morsure vaccum cleaners = aspirateurs
lumber = bois the dump = the dirty place
gas range = cuisinière the boulders = the big stones
a yard = a small garden cluttered = surrounded
dry up = mourir de soif swung round = looked back
to mop a floor = to clean a floor
A. Context (see correction extract nº 1)
B. Summary
This passage was extracted from “The Tortilla Curtain” which is a nickname for ... the story is set in ... Candido and America are ... The passage was written from ...’s point of view. The author has choseb an internal focalization in order to ... América and Candido fled their country because ... The passage deals with ... / It raises the issue of ... / The message conveyed in this passage is that the American dream ... Both Candido and America symbolize = they embody the ...
The passage can be divided into 3 parts
a) The first part deals with ... Candido seems to be more ... than America because ... He warns her against / He advises her to ... / Unlike Americá, he knows ... / Candido is stunned by ...
b) The second part focuses on Americá’s ... She is looking forward to ... She is eager
c) In the third part, Americá seems to ... Her disillusion ... she is getting moody because ... she fears that ... she is rather annoyed with him and assumes that ... She would rather ... than ... The “mist” and the “broken teeth” symbolize ...
This extract is both a pessimistic and optimistic point of view of the American Dream. On the one hand, ... On the other hand ...
C. Analyzing the passage (see correction extract nº1)
A. The American dream
B. Messages of the text
C. Opinion Do you believe the American dream is a myth ?
This passage was extracted from 'the tortilla curtain' which is a nickname for the illegal mexicans who cross the border between united states and mexico. This story is set in Los Angeles, Candido and America are two illegal imigrants who enter in United states to achieve the american dream. The passage was written from an omnitient's point of view. The author has chosed an international focalization in order to resalt the diferences between the reality and the promises.(LAURA)
ResponderEliminarInés-This passage was extracted from “The Tortilla Curtain”, written by T.C Boyle in 1995. Tortilla Curtain is a nickname to refer hispanics(tortilla) and the borderline(curtain). The story is set in Los Angeles, at the bottom of the Topanga Canyon. Cándido and America are a mexican couple who passed the border from Mexico to the US, looking for a better life. The passage was written from America and Candido's point of view. The author has chosed an internal focalization in order to convey better the feelings of this kind of people, who are suffering a lot trying to chase their dream. By their point of view, it's easily to understand what she's living, and how are her conditions of life, in Mexico and in US.
ResponderEliminarAmérica and Candido fled their country because they wanted to achieve the american dream, and they wanted to escape from their lives in Mexico, touched by poverty and instability.
The passage deals with America's expectations about her new life in this new country, and how those expectations are as hard to achieve. The message conveyed in this passage is that the American dream is really hard to accomplish, and even if you cross the border, they will have to face other problems as: how will they earn money? How and where are they going to live?
Both Candido and America embody the counter example of the American dream, because they were expecting a good and an easy life once across the border, but it's not the truth, they have to continue fighting to achieve their dreams.
This passage was extracted from “The Tortilla Curtain” writed by the author T.C. Boyle in 1995. The story is set in Los Angeles, Candido and America are the main characters who are married. They are two Mexicans who enter the US illegally, dreaming of a better life in California. The passage was written from omniscient's point of view. The author has choseb an internal focalization.
ResponderEliminar.América and Candido fled their country because they were looking for a better life in L.A.
CArmen
ResponderEliminarTe passage was extracted from "The tortilla Courtain" wich is a nickname for designate the fact of crossong the borderline for Mexicans though THe United States.It's called tortilla beacuse it's a tipical food from Mexico and courtain because they cross the border between Mexico and USA. The story is set in Los Angeles. Candido and America just arrived to the Californian city, they want to live there and find a job. The passange was written from America's point of view. The author has chosen an internal focalization in order to express how she feels and create a more reallity situation.
América and Candido fled their country because they had a bad life. People in Mexico is so poor so in the USA they could find a better life, more confortable and free of economic and social problems. The passage deals with a conversation between Candido and American in L.A. They talk about the American dream and how they could live. But there's a contrast delivered by Candido when he explains the reality.
The message conveyed in this passage is that the American dream is not the reality. The United States is just an attractive country, an illusion but the reality is different, life there is much difficult than what people think.
Both Candido and America symbolize the American dream.
Summary Beatriz Román.
ResponderEliminarThe passage was extracted from the "Tortilla Curtain" which is a nockname for the illegal immigrants who want to cross the border between Mexico and the USA. ( Tortilla refers to the immigrants and "curtain" to the border.)
The story is set in L.A. Candido and América are to Mexicans who enter the US illegally, dreaming of a better life in California. The passage was written from América's point of view. tÇhe author has chosed an international focalization in order to persuade all readers of the whole world. América and Candido fled their country because they wanted to find a way out of poverty, to live the American dream, toachieve their goals working hard.
The passage deals with the conversation between Amñerica and Candido who are talking about where to work. America said to him that she would work picking up lettuce or even fruits, but in L.A there is nothing, nothing, only huge houses like palaces, where América dreams of having one, one day. The message conveyed in this pasage is that American dream of having a normal life, to fing the way out of poverty, to have a better life...
eduux
ResponderEliminarThis passage was extracted from the tortilla curtain wich is a nickname for mexicans who cross the border, the story is set at the bottom of the Topanga Canyon outside Los Angeles, in the hills above Malibu .The main characteres are candido and America two Mexicans who illegally enter the US, dreaming of a better life in California.The passage was written from candido’s point of view. The author has chosen an internal focalization in order to highlights the feelings and thoughts of those mexicans.The message conveyed in this passage is that the American dream is a fake and even a trap for those poor immigrants who actually have a worst situation than in their home countries.Both Candido and America embody this polemic topic.
The passage can be divided in three parts:the first part deals with the problem of working in the us: candido seems to be more realistic than america because he has a critic relexion about his fiance possibilities of working in a fruit plantation, the second part focuses on America's