The Tortilla Curtain and the American Dream
...for him and América. As Cándido struggles through each chapter to make the best out of what he can, he faces many difficulties that prevent him from reaching his “dream.” “He looked around him quickly, that worried look on his face, tensed a moment, then relaxed. His voice softened. ‘Eat, my vida,’ he said. ‘You’re going to need it to keep up your strength.’” (239) At this point in The Tortilla Curtain, Cándido and América are in a deep, spiraling fall towards nothing. They have both lost the money they earned from working, they have no place to stay, and América is considerably pregnant. It goes to the extremes that Cándido persuades América to eat right out of a garbage dump. I think that Cándido is really picking at the American dream by now. Though they have lost their money, and América has lost her patience, Cándido still firmly believes that he can do it. He believes that he still can achieve the goal he promised to América in the beginning: a well-deserved living in the United States of America, with great wealth, safety, and comfort. I don’t think there was one time where Cándido didn’t try to do his best. Whenever he failed, he would try something different. When América felt that there was no way out, he made a determined effort to prove her wrong. I really feel that Cándido never gave up attaining the American dream. América Rincón is the love and life of Cándido, who in the beginning of The Tortilla Curtain, she is portrayed as a young, soon-to-be mother. When Cándido was injured in the accident, América had the incentive to go out and find a job, so that she can support the two of them. This is indubitably uncommon for a Mexican woman, because usually, the males go out and find work. However, América was did not care about the traditional ways, she was more concerned with herself and Cándido. Out of all the characters, América seemed be the most influenced by the American dream. “ ‘I want one of those houses,’ she said. ‘A clean white one made out of lumber that smells like the mountains, with a gas range, and a refrigerator, and maybe a little yard so you can plant a garden and make a place for the chickens. That’s what you promised me, didn’t you?’” (28) Although América’s idea of a place to live in isn’t so rich and exclusive, it is still a start of the American dream. Basically, América’s goal is to be able to live in a home with four walls and a roof. In other words, América does not ask for much, such as jewelry and a fancy car. She just wants to have a start at the tradition of the American lifestyle: to live, eat, and sleep like a Mexican American. América even believed that the water source all throughout America was clean and safe to drink. “This was the U.S.A., plumbing capital of the world, and land of filtration plants and water purifiers and chlorine, and everyone knew of the gringo fascination with toilets: how could the water be unsafe? Here, of all places?” (53) Out of all places? América truly believed that the water she and Cándido drank from the streams and drains were perfectly safe. It’s America, the land of the free, and the land where pure water is provided everywhere. Unfortunately not so, only Cándido was able to tell that the water was not healthy because he had gotten sick from drinking it. One of the climax points in América’s position is the first time she earned money all by herself in chapter eight. “The face she turned to him was joyful, proud, radiant – she’d earned money, her first money ever, and they were going to eat on it, stuff themselves, feast till their stomachs swelled and their tongues went thick in their throats.” (123) Although América was exposed to harmful chemicals while cleaning the Buddha statues, she made decent money for her and Cándido. This is probably one of the most important events that occur in The Tortilla Curtain. Before Cándido and América had money, they had to starve themselves daily, and look for leftover spare food. As soon as América made some cash from working, she and Cándido went to the supermarket to buy real food. At this part of the novel, I believe that América thinks she is getting closer to her dream. Even though it is still too early to tell, she does not know that. All she knows at this point is that she has made money, on her own, for them. On the other hand, America’s vision of the American dream diminishes slowly throughout the novel; she gets raped, Cándido loses the money, and she sadly loses the baby in the end. I feel that América is given the name “America” because she is the only character in the book that has the most willpower to achieve the dream of living in prosperity and satisfaction. Similar to América losing her faith in capturing the dream, the American dream within the decades and years has also weakened its true meaning. In today’s society, it is hard to grasp what the real American dream is. There are many barriers such as selective class statuses and limited res...