In 'Bless Me, Ultima,' Antonio's father and brothers expect him to embody their carefree vaquero lifestyle, valuing ancestral pride and freedom from responsibilities. Ultima, a curandera, plays a crucial role in shaping Antonio's identity and encourages him to think independently, leading to significant personal growth. Through Antonio's reflections, the lasting influence of Ultima is highlighted, demonstrating her importance in his development from childhood to adulthood.

1. Bless Me Ultima Literary Analysis
A majority of fathers in a household expect their sons to grow up as they did. In the novel Bless Me, Ultima, Antonio's father, Gabriel, and his
brothers all reassure themselves that Antonio would be just like them and roam the llano in freedom and learn how to live the vaquero
lifestyle. Their take on a good lifestyle is getting to kow the land and not being tied down by reponsibilities and nonsense. They take great pride
in their ancestry and expect to carry on that pride to not let their ancestors become forgotten. The vaqueros seem to live in a carefree lifestyle,
which means not too many responsibilities to hold them down. The vaqueros who arrived with Gabriel during the birth of Antonio proudly stated,
"He will make a fine vaquero!"(Anaya 5)....show more content...
Ultima is a curandera and is partially responsible in Antonio's everlasting life–changing experiences. Ultima is revolved with endless
misunderstandings based on how she lives and what she does. Ultima plays an important role in Antonio's choice of character and identity. Ultima
teaches Antonio to think more in–depth about certain situations and to think for himself. She believes that a person has complete control of what
or who they want to be as long as they take innitiative. Antonio states, " I think I understood then what Ultima said about things changing..."
(Anaya 246). That statement is when Antonio would analyze what ultima said and when his way of thinking started to change as the story
progressed. Antonio also states that, "Many years later, long after Ultima was gone and I had grown to be a man, I would awaken sometimes at
night and think I caught a scent of her fragrance in the cool–night breeze."(Anaya 13). This can help the reader acknowledge just how important
Ultima was to Antonio's childhood and how she still influences him in his adult
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