Two Lovers in The Tortilla Curtain By Tina, Desiree, and Jesell Perez

Two Lovers

Mary Wells was considered the Queen of Motown. Motown was important in popularizing soul music. Born in Michigan, Wells skyrocketed to fame in the sixties. She had many signature hits, but “Two Lovers” is her most relatable. It’s about a woman who loves a man, but he has two different sides to him. On one side, he is kind and on the other side he’s horrible to her. However, the woman still loves him regardless of how he treats her. She loves both sides of her lover unapologetically. Smokey Robinson wrote this song. He was inspired by an old movie, Mojo. Smokey believes, “Love doesn’t have no boundaries, no formulas, and no rules.” Those words come across as Mary sings her heart out on this song. Mary Wells was not only the voice of her generation, but also the many generations to come. The song’s audience is every woman who has ever been in her situation. Men do have two sides to them, not all but most. The same can be said for women. What “Two Lovers” is saying is that it is okay to love somebody like that. Love doesn’t have to be perfect. People don’t have to be perfect. Relationships don’t have to be perfect.

Two Lovers, Mary Wells	The Tortilla Curtain, T.C Boyle
Well, you know he treats me bad, makes me sad Makes me cry but still I can’t deny	She threw it all at him, angry, hurt, terrified; and then he rose up of the blanket and slapped her. Hard. (83)
Darling’ well, don’t you know that I can tell Whenever I look at you that you think that I’m untrue?	If she was lying to him it was to spare him, he knew that, and his heart turned over for her in his drunkenness. (187)
He’s sweet and kind and he’s mine all mine He treats me good like a lover should	Nothing bothered him now, not his lip or his cheekbone… thinking of the beer and the turkey and America… And she smiled. She actually smiled. (264-265)
Cause you’re a split personality And in reality, both of them are you, baby	-He clowned for her, danced round the sand spit with the bird atop his head, doing a silly jog. (282) -Angry, frustrated, his face turned into an expression that would have terrified him if he caught sight of himself. (207)

Reference: www.songfacts.com
www.imdb.com/name/bio