I nominate the coyote, or the coyotes, as the Most Valuable Part of the Tortilla Curtain. They may only show up a few times in the book, but their impact and significance is huge. Like Delaney says in his column, “They are cunning, versatile, hungry and unstoppable.” I’m into “relentless.” They make me think about the book on another level.
I know. I can imagine some readers objecting to me choosing an animal over any one of the main characters in the novel. After all, T.C. Boyle strived to create deep and well-rounded characters that we could all root for. Each one of them displays qualities that deserve
some mention in this discussion.
However, to me, the coyote rises above them all. The coyote is more than an animal or a character; in this case, he (or she) is a symbol. The coyote in Tortilla Curtain represents the forces of nature. Who or what is going to top that?
In part two, chapter five, Delaney writes about the coyote with awe and respect. He knows that there is nothing anyone could do to stop this animal. The coyotes have this special innate ability to adjust to their environment. When there is no water, they will chew through PVC pipe. When there is no food, they’ll find it in your backyard. When you trap or kill them, they’ll simply repopulate and come back at you in bigger numbers.
That’s why it was important that not only did the coyote take the one dog, but after the Mossbachers took the preventive measures to build the wall, the coyote came back and took the other. On both occasions, Delaney watched the attacks with both shock and awe. He knew he was witness to the forces of nature, and there was nothing that he or anyone else could do about it.
In this way, the coyotes made me think of immigration in a much different way. Instead of objectifying Mexicans, I think Boyle draws up a much bigger picture for us to consider:
We're all in this together.
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