The Tortilla Curtain

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes references to racism and xenophobia. It also depicts offensive language, a racial slur, and a scene of rape and sexual assault. 

Delaney Mossbacher is one of The Tortilla Curtain’s four protagonists, and much of the novel revolves around his descent from liberal humanism into paranoid racism. He is married to Kyra and lives a comfortable upper-middle-class life in Arroyo Blanco. A New York native, Delaney moved to Southern California two years ago and now writes a column about the local flora and fauna from his perspective as a “recent transplant.” While Kyra earns most of the family’s income, Delaney cares for his stepson, Jordan, and is responsible for most of the household chores. His acceptance of Kyra’s lifestyle indicates a passivity and a desire for belonging that will come into play later in the novel as Delaney’s neighbors’ racist ideas influence him more and more. He is passionate about nature and conservation and takes almost daily walks in the nearby hills.

Despite his purported open-mindedness, Delaney exhibits selfishness and a tendency toward racial bias from the novel’s start. When he hits Cándido with his car, Delaney worries about his vehicle, then his insurance rates, and “finally, belatedly, […] the victim” (4).