Besides the obvious separation between the haves and the have-nots, TC Boyle uses the "canyon" as a symbol of the division, as the mansions are perched above and temporary shelters for social classes. transients look down from below. This is how the Mossbachers and the Rincons live, separated and segregated. Delaney and Kyra in a private community, consisting of a golf course and homes located on a pristine 1.5 acre lot, while the Rincons live in a makeshift shelter with a makeshift stove and no plumbing (Boyle, 30 years). The Mossbachers are protected within the walls and gates of Arroyo Blanco, from outsiders, from the deviant activities of Mexicans, from gangsters and thieves, and from a house that shelters them from the elements. And on the other side, Candido and America live a life exposed to the harsh and cruel world of oppression and violence.