Bless Me Ultima Research Paper

Bless Me Ultima Research Paper
Megan Sandin Sandin 1
Mr. Cyphers
Honors English
1 September 2015
Albert Einstein once said, "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing." Many authors, including Rudolfo
Anaya, allow curiosity to affect one's cultural beliefs to become a backdrop for the character's development in their novels. Rudolfo Anya in his novel,
Bless Me, Ultima writes about a fairly young boy who is discovering cultural beliefs and new things about the world that surrounds him. Similarly in
the story Snow Julia Alvarez writes about a young female immigrant who is new to America and is discovering things that she has never experienced
before. In both pieces of literature, the author is able to reveal, through the characterization and representation of their culture, that curiosity and
experiencing new scenarios in life help shape your own cultural beliefs....show more content...
Rudolfo Anaya introduces Antonio by showing that he is young and is adventurous. At a young age Antonio was exposed to a very traumatic
situation that not a lot of boys his age experience. Antonio witness the death of a man that lived in his town. "I wanted to reach out and help him, but
I was frozen by my fear. He looked up at me and his face was bathed in water and flowing, hot
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Summary Of Bless Me Ultima By Rudolfo Anaya
The geography of the town of Guadelupe from the book Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya is immensely symbolic. After Lupito was murdered at
the river, Antonio becomes "afraid of the awful presence of the river, which was the soul of the river" (15). The water conveys the impurity of the town
it surrounds and at the same time, it symbolizes the cleansing of nefarious acts and thoughts of the town's people. The river also illustrates how life
continues to flow no matter the case. However, Antonio comprehends that the town's detrimental avocations will soon reach his family when he reveals
to himself that "the innocence which our isolation sheltered could not last forever" (20). Their isolation restrains the corrupt ways of the city and its
people.

Bless Me, Ultima Essay
Stephanie Granados
Caleb
English, Big Lit
Bless me, Ultima draft #1
Bless me, Ultima is a novel by Rudolfo Anaya that takes place in a poor farming community in Guadalupe, New Mexico. Antonio, the main character
in the book, at such a young age he is witness to death, violence and evil. He is forced to make decisions that will affect his future. As this takes place
Antonio is surrounded by various conflicts that in a way help him make his decisions. These conflicts; Good versus Evil, Mother versus Father and
various religious conflicts are also the main themes in the novel.
Throughout the novel the theme "Good versus Evil" is portrayed by two characters, Ultima and Tenorio. Ultima, a healer, being essentially good and
Tenorio...show more content...
Before curing Lucas, Ultima asked his brother if he would accept the responsibility of disturbing fate and he accepted. These kinds of events continue
to happen all throughout the story. Tenorio tries to kill Ultima because according to him, she is responsible for his daughter's deaths. Towards the end
of the story he finds out that Ultima's owl is actually her spirit so he goes after the owl. Antonio tries to warn Ultima but is not able to do anything
about it. Ultima's owl is shot, causing Ultima's death and so is Tenorio as he tries to shoot Antonio. Before Ultima's dies, she speaks to Tony'
"'My work was to do good,' she continued, 'I was to heal the sick and show them the path of goodness. But I was not to interfere with the destiny of
any man. Those who wallow in evil and brujeria cannot understand this. They create a disharmony that in the end reaches out and destroys life–with the
passing away of Tenorio and myself the meddling will be done with, harmony will be reconstituted. That is good. Bear him no ill will– I accept my
death because I accepted to work for life–'"
With these last words and events the conflicts and problems come to an end and a resolution. Another theme that deals with Antonio more directly is
the conflict between both sides of his family, his mother and his father's. Antonio's mother is a Luna, her people are more devoted to the "campos," the
earth, the moon and they are calm and peaceful, while his father

Analysis Of Bless Me, Ultima By Rudolfo Anaya
Tony Marez, the young protagonist, hopefully decides good people suffer because "God comes in cycles, like the weather" and therefore cannot watch
over everyone all the time (Anaya 197). In Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, Tony learns about other religions and strange powers on Earth other
than Christianity, the main religion in his town, on his quest for knowledge. Curious, Tony learns about the Golden Carp, an ancient god in the form
of a large fish, and Ultima, a powerful woman, as he begins to grow up. Anaya uses Ultima, the Golden Carp, and God to show how religion changes
a person's perspective of the world.
Tony's original perspective about the world changes when he meets Ultima, a wise woman who comes to live with him, for the first time and when
Ultima teaches him about the world. When meeting Ultima, an old woman, Tony looks into her wise eyes and sees "for the first time the wild beauty
of our hills and the magic of the green river" (Anaya 12). Ultima, a healer, comes to live with Tony'sfamily because his mother likes the old woman.
With the old healer, Tony's view on the world...show more content...
Looking for knowledge, Tony hopefully prays "again to the God that was within me, but" he disappointedly finds "there was no answer" (Anaya
221). Desperately wanting to know why good people in the world die, the young boy prays to God and hopes for an answer, yet he does not receive
one. Tony's view on the world changes as he questions if God listens to him. Disheartened from his lack of an answer while praying, Tony hopelessly
questions if "the God I so eagerly sought was not there, and the understanding I thought to gain was not there" (Anaya 222). After praying, Tony still
does not have a perfect answer and wonders if God exists or listens to anyone. Without an answer, Tony's original outlook of the world changes as he
uncertainly questions his

Bless Me Ultima Essay
Angella Conteh
September 20, 2017
Mr. Amoroso
AP Literature 1
Bless Me Ultima
Rudolfo Anaya
Topic #4
Conteh Page One
Death is a promise by God that we as humans still have not found the courage to accept nor comprehend. Good or bad. Old or young. God has
promised us all an eternal resting place in heaven or hell, or even in someone. Where we can live through their thoughts and imagination, get a second
chance at life through them. Throughout Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya we see how the dead linger and live in Antonio, unfolding their souls in his
inquisitive mind and hand him the bricks to make them a home of his religious ambivalence.
Life experiences are the foundation of the bridge that a boy of innocence has...show more content...
Engraved in his mind Lupito was tormented by the memories of war causing him to become a beast with a war living in him.
With the fear of Lupito's irrational behavior in their hearts, the men on the bridge filled the role of God in Lupito's life and deliberated whether or not
they would let him live to see another day. Narciso knowing the man before the beast wants to give his friend Lupito another chance at life and begs
him to stop but Lupito is too far in
Conteh Page Two now to to turn back and fires shots in the air, causing the men in a panic to fire back. With death now only a few breaths away the
war within Lupito has found peace but before he can go he must be blessed. Having spot Antonio hiding in the brush of the river he began moving
towards him and in his last breaths asked to be blessed. With the men on the bridge now coming down to view the carcass Antonio flees the scene.
Running home through the forest the only thing in his mind is the Act of Contrition, the last prayer before death.
The tragic death of Lupito sparked the fire of religious ambivalence that will burn bright in the conflicted mind of Antonio. His innocent mind was
now engraved with the dying man's last wish to be blessed causing him to question if God had also witnessed Lupito's demise and if so why did

would he let him have front row seats. With his innocence now ripped from the

Blood becomes the river. The human race dies and only the "she–goats and the he–goats" (109) remain. The lake "cracked with laughter of madness"
and the "ghosts stood and walked upon the shore".(109) Who dares dream such gruesome images? Antonio Marez. He questions God, he communicates
with the dead, the dead ask him for blessings. Just who is this Tony? Tony is only a seven year boy who lives in small town of El Puerto. But he is no
ordinary boy, he is the hero of Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me Ultima. The novel guides you through Tony's life. From childhood to adulthood. It tells you
about the experiences Tony has in life. The difficult tasks he has to overcome. Tony being only seven years old has to go through a lot.
...show more
content...
(26) he feels his soul grow under Ultima guidance. One of Tony's obstacles in life is to become a man. His mother does not want him to become a
man but his father argues saying "everything Tony sees and does makes him a man"(37) but Maria says that it is a sin for a boy to grow to be a
man by saying that "life destroys the pureness God gives". (36) but this is not the only diction Tony has to make. His first dream portrays his
insecurity about his identity. He has to choose between the two is he a "fine vaquero" or a "farmer–priest"(9) He is confused, on one side its his
mother and on the other its his father. Who should he become? He is also confused about which God to believe in. the golden Carp, who he marvels at
the "bright golden–pagan God"(114) on the other side the catholic God "who could not forgive"(120) He does not understand why God cannot
forgive Narcisio who is a good man while the Virgin Mary can forgive the evil Teronio. Tony is confused throughout most of the novel. Tony believes
that the women always forgive, therefore in his child's logic he thinks women in general do not judge but always forgive. He has a lot of decisions to
make. He remembers his dream where he sees Andrew at Rosie's and remembers what Andrew had told him in his dream that Andrew "will wait and
not enter until (Tony) looses (his) innocence".(85) Tony's belief that

Analysis Of Bless Me Ultima
It can be argued, as human beings, we are students of life, and death is one of the hard lessons that we will encounter. Our faith is not a fixed
concept, it is affected by a convergence of factors and events in our life. A person's faith is a complex and differs from one person to another, but one
thing is for certain, it affects how we look at life and how we approach life. Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me Ultima divulges into the life an inquisitive six
year old Antonio as he transitions from a young boy to a man and becomes cognizant of life's tragedies. His inquisitive nature that persists to
understand himself and his world bears an internal struggle that leaves a rift of ambivalence that mentally tears him between opposing ideals....show
more content...
He still goes back to the idea of his preordained future in priesthood. Anaya also uses symbolism to show the stark contrast between the "stain of
blood" and the "sweet waters of my river. The idea that Lupito's blood was spilled as a result of his impure and sinful actions is now tainting and
defiling the purity and sanctity of water could be paralleled to Antonio's innocence defiled and diluted by the horrors he had just witnessed. Arguably,
Lupito's death is an unjustified persecution of an ill man. His actions–actions that he was not completely conscious of–stemmed from the horrors of
war which brings about the question of justice. Why would God let this man–a man not fully conscious of his actions–be held responsible, punished,
and persecuted?
The second death that Antonio witnessed furthered his negotiation with faith and caused him to question God's fairness. Narciso's death permeated
Antonio's vision of a just God. Antonio questions how a compassionate God could co–exist with the presence of evil. During his life, Narciso was
vilified and alienated. Tenorio's killing of Narciso is an example of an archetypal Good versus Evil situation. Tenorio, the nefarious manifestation of all
that is evil, condemned Narciso, a misunderstood but ultimately, a good man, to his death. He looks to God for Narciso's salvation.
"I knew what I had to pray. I had to pray an Act of Contrition for his departing soul... I

Analysis : ' Bless Me, Ultima '
Sixto InterianoSeptember 20, 2017
Mr. Amoroso LAP
"Topic 3" When were young we are full of interest and wonder to understand the meaning of life, yet although we never truly comprehend the reality
that we see right in front of us. Our mind craves knowledge and that's when we tend to ask questions, but never an answer and would be brushed aside
leaving us with questions with no resolution. Our mind would wonder down bizarre paths but we go no further then what we know. Rudolfo Anaya's
Bless me Ultima proscribes that feeling when we are young our minds strive with curiosity to seek guidance to face the harsh reality of life in a
manner we ourselves are prepared for when that time finally arrives. Rudolfo Anaya" Bless Me,...show more content...
Ultima can be viewed more as a motherly figure then Antonio's own mother Maria in so many ways that Antonio would feel much more comfortable in
what he had to deal with throughout the novel. As much as his Maria would smoother her son with love and affection she strives for Antonio to
become a priest.
As there are more male characters Antonio would much prefer to be beside a female figure for a sense of comfort and guidance. Ultima walks
with Antonio although the road is long they take their time taking it step by step, Ultima's teaching is viewed as a center focus on trying to
prepare Antonio in a way that won't terrify him or leaving him to deny everything that he has believed in. The river is a perfect way to start of
Antonio's path to reality "I knew that if she did not answer my question that part of life was not yet ready to reveal itself to me. But I was no longer
afraid of the presence of the river." (Anaya 42) Ultima takes her time so that Antonio can comprehend everything that is being thrown at him in that
case the deaths, the constant feud of his religion, and the pressure that he is being put through. Ultima would hate to rush the process especially when
Antonio life is still ahead of him, there is a strong sense of patience in her and will be by Antonio's side when he's ready to face it head on. It will take
time going down a rocky path. Although there is

Bless Me Ultima Literary Analysis
Oscar Claros
Bless Me Ultima
AP Literature Pd. 3
Mrs. Amoroso
Experiencing death can sometimes be the best event someone can go through. Death is more than just someone stopping from existing, it's a concept
that can be perceived as a new beginning. Being able to take the death of someone and turning their philosophy into consideration can be beautiful. In
the novel "Bless Me Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya Antonio gets his faith put to the test when the arrival of Ultima brings him the beginning of the end.
In "Bless Me Ultima" Antonio son of Maria Luna who is a religious woman and wants Tony to become a priest when he grows up and Gabriel MГЎrez
a former vaquero (Cowboy) who's dream is to move to California with his family and work the farms. Since Tony is the only son in the house since his
other three brothers Leon, Andrew and Eugene...show more content...
Florence wasn't all that religious but he went to church anyways just to hang with his friends. Animal, I thought. Were the fish of the golden carp
happier than we were? Was the golden carp a better God? (Pg. 197). This was Tony and Antonio talking about god and how he wasn't reliable that
it wasn't bad to have knowledge outside of religion. Florence is just a small kid and he believes that isn't looking over him. He does not believe in
God because he lost his parents at an early age so he thinks that God is to blame for all of his misfortunes. Florence was found at the river where
the carp swam floating motionless he had drowned. My attention was centered on the northern blue skies. There two hawks circled as they rode the
warm air currents of the afternoon. They glided earthward in the wide, concentric circles. (Pg. 241). These hawks could symbolize the freedom, that
maybe Florence was finally free from his torment that he has while he was alive. Florence was also a child when he died so he was pure of heart he
did not commit mortal

Bless Me Ultima Reflection
HOOK & CONTEXT
Bless Me, Ultima is a chicano story written by Rudolfo Anaya which follows Antonio Marez, a seven year old boy who meets Ultima, a curandera who
moves in with Antonio and changes Tony's beliefs about religion and even himself.
THESIS
Anaya shows us Antonio's interactions with Ultima in order to demonstrate that tony only matures when he loses his innocence, we must realize that
growing up is naturally evil in order to choose whether to stay young and innocent or grow to be mature and have knowledge of sin.
PREVIEW
In order to prove this lesson, Anaya includes three key lenses in Bless Me Ultima: the first of which is the hero stage of a hero returning with a secret
and vital message after Antonio sees the golden carp, the second example uses foreshadowing and takes place when Antonio wakes from his dream
about Narciso, Lupito, and Florence and Ultima consoles him, finally the last proof employs Ultima as a the mentor archetype when she dies.
EXPLANATION AND EVIDENCE ONE
In BMU Antonio changes his beliefs in subtle/slow ways as well as suddenly. This quotation is one of the quick revelations that Antonio experiences
and occurs after Antonio sees the golden carp.
"I thought about telling everyone in town to stop their sinning, or drown and die. But they would not believe me. How could I preach to the whole
town, I was only a boy." (BMU 119)
The "hero returns with a secret and vital message" hero stage is used here in order to highlight Antonio being the only one questioning religion. Anaya
separates Antonio from the gang in order to have him face his conflict internally which makes it much more difficult for Antonio to decide whether
these conflicting ideas are good. My other quotation has Antonio consult Ultima about this problem. When he does this she wisely says:
"'Antonio," she said calmly and placed her hand on my shoulder, "I cannot tell you what to believe. Your father and your mother can tell you, because
you are their blood, but I cannot. As you grow into manhood you must find your own truths–" (BMU 119)
Ultima knows that Antonio's parents will tell him what's good and bad but gives him some key advice: "As you grow into manhood you must find your
own truths–" This connects with

Essay On Bless Me Ultima
In the book Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya, the author introduces Ultima as a curandera, someone who knows "the herbs and remedies of the
ancients." (P. 4). Ultima used this knowledge–passed down through generations––to heal people who were ill or hurt. Many people were very grateful
to Ultima when she performed the impossible and healed their loved ones. But, in a small pueblo town where Catholicism was practiced religiously,
people often still believed the spiritual healing that curanderas used made them "brujas," or witches. Despite the good she did in the community and the
people she helped, some remained convinced that she practiced witchcraft. Those were people that created many problems throughout the story.
Antonio faces many problems in the book because everyone in his life wants something different thing for him, and for...show more content...
10). It wasn't until he would go to school that he would start to learn how to speak English. Antonio's sister told him that the teachers don't let the
children speak in Spanish, making Antonio scared that he wouldn't be able to communicate with his teachers. Language shapes identity in Bless me,
Ultima by showing one of the major problems that Antonio faces throughout the book. Growing up in a Spanish household and going to an English
speaking school shows how he has to adapt to the different lifestyles and customs. Dichotomy is represented several times throughout the novel. For
example, one cultural difference is in the American culture we regularly visit doctors to receive medical attention. On the other hand, in the Mexican
culture people go to local healers, the "curanderas." The second example is the different beliefs on the practices that Ultima uses. Many people say
Ultima is doing good and her ways are ethical, while others say she is using witchcraft rather than using herbs and natural

Essay on Bless Me Ultima
Jasmine Tran
Ms. Brzowski
English 2 PDP – Period 1
09.12.2012
Seminar Notes: Bless Me Ultima
1.Bless Me Ultima fits the description of "magical realism" because the story talks a lot about a curandera named Ultima. As we all know, a
curandera is a healer. Rudolfo Anaya portrays Ultima as this old lady who has magical and spiritual powers. She seems to bring life to things around her.
"When she came the beauty of the llano unfolded before my eyes, and the gurgling waters of the river sang to the hum of the turning earth. The
magical time of childhood stood still, and the pulse of the living earth pressed it mystery into my living blood." (Anaya, 1)
"Your daughter will not lift the curse, and so I must work the magic beyond evil, the...show more content...
The owl was her soul!" (Anaya, 255)
"I realized that the owl had been with me throughout the night. It had watched over all that had happened on the bridge. Suddenly the terrible, dark
fear that had possessed me was gone." (Anaya, 23)
4. The significance of the story of the Golden Carp to Tony was that it made him question about gods. He knew of oneGod that he was told to always
believe, which is God himself, but now he was told about another God which makes him question his religion and who he should believe in. He felt
like he was sinning for having these thoughts. The significance of the story to Cico was that the Golden Carp was his god. He believed in it and
prayed to it.
" 'Do you believe the golden carp is a god?' he asked. The commandment of the Lord said, Though shlat have no other gods before me... I could not lie.
I knew he would find the lie in my eyes if I did. But maybe there were other gods? Why had the power of God failed to cure my uncle?" (Anaya, 107)
5.Cico trusted Tony with the story of the carp because he said that Tony was a fisherman. Cico said there isn't an exact rule on who to tell the story, it
is just the feeling on who they think they can trust. In the process of Tony's spiritual maturity, the carp represents Tony's innocence in a way. He has
always known to believe in one god, but now he is questioning this other god and his religion, but it also brought him closer to God.
" 'Because you are a fisherman,'

Death In Bless Me Ultima
BMU LAP TOPIC #4
Alyssa Kryzelle Reyes
Mr. Amoroso
AP Literature 1st
25 September 2017
As human beings, we are students of life, and death is one of the hard lessons that we will encounter. Our faith is not a fixed concept, it is affected
by a convergence of factors and events in our life. Faith is complex and differs from one person to another, but one thing is for certain, it affects how
we look at life and how we approach life. Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me Ultima divulges into the life of an inquisitive six year old Antonio as he
transitions from a young boy to a man and becomes cognizant of life's tragedies. His inquisitive nature that persists to understand himself and his world
bears an internal struggle that leaves a rift of...show more content...
He still goes back to the idea of his preordained future in priesthood, as destined by his mother. As a child first witnessing the horrors of life, his
mind instinctively goes to his mother. As if seeking validation, if he were to fulfill his mother's hopes in becoming a priest, he would be gratified and
he would be innocent again. This brings about an obvious turmoil within him and his perceived responsibilities within priesthood. Anaya also uses
symbolism to show the stark contrast between blood and the river. The idea that Lupito's blood was spilled as a result of his sinful actions is now
tainting and defiling the purity and sanctity of water could be paralleled to Antonio's innocence defiled and diluted by the horrors he had just witnessed.
Arguably, Lupito's death is an unjustified persecution of an ill man. His actions–actions that he was not completely conscious of–stemmed from the
horrors of war which brings about the question of justice. Why would God let this man–a man not fully conscious of his actions–be held responsible,
punished, and persecuted when he had done nothing wrong?
The second death that Antonio witnessed furthered his negotiation with faith and caused him to question God's fairness. During his life, Narciso was
vilified and alienated. Tenorio's killing of Narciso is an example of an archetypal Good versus Evil situation. Tenorio, the nefarious manifestation of
evil, condemned Narciso, a

Bless Me, Ultima Essay
The loss of innocence in life is an inevitable process. Losing one&#8217;s innocence comes merely by growing up. The philosophy of the loss
of one&#8217;s innocence is a definite theme in the book Bless Me, Ultima. This theme is displayed throughout the entire story and plot of the
novel. There is loss of innocence all around the main character, Tony, with his brothers and the people he meets. Tony also loses a great deal of his
own innocence to the harsh realities of the world which marks his transition from a boy to a man.
The theme of the loss of innocence covers the entire essence of the book. There are many cases in the story where people had lost their innocence of
life and it was lost to them...show more content...
Also the way they talk and act show how their childhood innocence is floating away while they don&#8217;t even know it. Then, there is the big
example in one of Tony&#8217;s friends, Florence. Anatheist, he didn&#8217;t accept the god of the church whom so many others in the
town believed in. He didn&#8217;t have any faith in anything only because his life had gone through too much pain and harsh experiences. It is
understandable of how Florence feels about life and god because of what he had gone through, his parents were dead, her sisters were whores at
Rosie&#8217;s, he had seen and was exposed to too much in such a short time. Children aren&#8217;t supposed to live through things like
Florence experienced and that is what happened to Florence, he knew too much and was yet so young so he had no faith or could not believe in
anything.
Tony himself went through the process of growing up and losing his innocence as well throughout the novel. In the beginning of the whole story,
Tony is concerned with nothing much but his own little world like every child ought to be. His worries and experiences are really nothing compared
to what he had in store for him later on, but although his later experiences would be rather unreal it still would be how any child would grow up, very
gradual learning and taking things in stride. So as the story

Essay on Bless Me, Ultima
Wisdom can only be gained through experience and clarified by speaking with others. In the novel, "Bless Me, Ultima," by Rodolfo Anaya, the main
character, Antonio Luna Marez, is on a quest to understand all of the issues present in his life, and gain the wisdom necessary to make important
decisions regarding his future. It described the hardships of a young child and how these lessons helped him to begin to understand life. There were
many characters within the novel I felt aided in the spiritual development of Antonio, but the one that stands out the most is Ultima, who came to stay
with the Marez family because of her old age. Ultima was an essential part of the story, because she provided Antonio with the guidance he needed and
yearned...show more content...
She tells Tony that they are too wild, and always moving, hauling their families from place to place.
Maria is a traditional Mexican wife, she feels that children should be well mannered and respect all adults. "–And when he returns, I want you children
to show your manners. You must not shame your father or yourmother (7)," she tells her children while preparing for the arrival of Ultima. "My
mother beamed. Deborah's good manners surprised her, but they made her happy, because a family was judged by its manners (11)," Antonio tries to
describe the feelings that his mother has when his sister demonstrated good manners toward Ultima. Maria wants her family to respectable, because
those families that are not are talked about in the community. She wants to be the best mother possible, and tries to make them realize that without
certain things a family will not survive. She stays home and cooks and cleans for her family, because that is what was customary for the traditional
Mexican wife to do. "The first day she put on her apron and helped my mother with breakfast, later she swept the house and then helped my mother
wash our clothes in the old washing machine (14), Anthony explaining what his mothers daily activities consisted of. Maria tended her garden and did
things close to home, she never went out and did things with her friends,

Analysis Of Bless Me, Ultima By Rudolfo Anaya
When growing up, the ideals of parents or parental figures can often impact your life and put pressure on you throughout life. This idea was shown
drastically throughout the book Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya. In this novel, a young boy named Antonio Marez resided in New Mexico where
he lives with his siblings and parents, Maria and Gabriel. His life suddenly took a turn when a family friend, Ultima, comes to stay with him and his
family. She greatly impacted him while he went through struggles with death, religion, and importantly how the ideals of his parents and their
respective wishes influenced him, his siblings, and each other. When you constantly have someone telling you how you should live your life it can
bring about an intense pressure on you. Throughout the novel Bless Me,Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, Antonio's Parents had an adamant ideal of how they
wanted their children to live their lives. Maria, his mother, wanted her children to follow the way of her Luna family. Gabriel, his father, wanted his
children to travel to California with him. Maria wanted Antonio to become a priest. "Her own dream was that I should grow up and become a
priest" (Anaya 5). His father had a dream to move to California. "My father's dream was to gather his sons around him and move westward to the
land of the the setting sun, to the vineyards of California"(Anaya 14). His parents had two different ideas on what they wanted their children to do
which stirred up the pot in the house because of it. As a young child growing up he was very conflicted on how he wanted to live his life especially
because he didn't want to disappoint his parents. This made a confliction within Antonio's Identity. Another dream of his mother is that Antonio gets his
education. "He must know the value of his education"( Anaya 52). Gabriel didn't value education as much. Maria was adamant and close minded on
the situation. Not only did it conflict his identity it also made a confliction within Antonio on religion. His mother wanted him to be a priest so she
wanted him to be a priest.

Examples Of Archetypes In Bless Me Ultima
1.In Rudulfo Anaya's novel of Bless Me, Ultima, many of Antonio's observations are seen as "magical" because of his parent's influential culture
which has an effect on how he uses magic as an explanation for unfamiliar things. For example, Antonio wonders, "Perhaps, like the dream said, the
waters of the river had washed his soul away," (27). This shows that Antonio believed that Lupito's soul had been washed away after he killed the
sheriff, signifying that the river has the power to do that such thing as to wipe someone away.
2.One of the archetypes in Bless Me, Ultima is the Mentor, or Ultima. Ultima says, "'It is a good sign, (...) that is why they call this place El Puerto
de la Luna,' she said to me, 'because this valley is the door through which the moon of each month passes on its journey from the east to the west –'"
(90). This shows that even though they are going into a mission to save a life, she still finds ways to guide him through her ways as a Curandera. The
mentor is showing Antonio her traditions and magical powers that go along with the beliefs of Antonio's mother, Maria. For example, "But last night's
cuts...show more content...
There was a strange power in Ultima's medicine," (27). This shows that Ultima's magic is now affecting Antonio's view on Ultima now that he's

Themes Of Bless Me Ultima
Lourdes Rivera, 1
LAP Topic 4
The foundation of our beliefs can be shaken because of traumatizing experiences. Our religious beliefs can be challenged by the thought of death. Why
does death happen to good people? Why does it even happen at all? These are questions that go through the minds of people who face and witness death
. In the novel Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, Antonio is an attestant to several deaths at an extremely young age. The passing of the people he
saw forged an unwelcome path that opened the door to spiritual challenges he never thought to be within the context of his fledgling existence.
It all started on the bridge one Saturday night, Antonio's father and other townsmen were searching for Lupito the man who killed the sheriff.
Terrifying experiences during war caused Lupito to have post traumatic stress disorder, it made him act without sense. Antonio was curious, he
followed his father and the others but it all went downhill. Several men wanted Lupito dead for what he had done. Lupito fired his gun to draw their
fire but he wasn't aiming directly at them. Then the men fired at Lupito and Antonio saw it all. Through all the blood, Lupito muttered to Antonio, "
Bless Me". The bridge where it all occurred signifies the beginning of the road of the loss of Antonio's innocence. Antonio was only six years old when
he witnessed Lupito's death. The mind of a six year old shouldn't be consumed with the tragedy of death. Lupito took the situation has an

Bless Me Ultima
LAP Topic 2
Brian Sandoval
Mr. Amoroso
AP Literature Period 1 Brian Sandoval 9/20/17
Mr. Amoroso AP Literature
Bless Me Ultima Topic 2
The demons that haunt one by day do not go away by night; they merely lie in wait until one is sound asleep, ready to strike once more. Dreams are
manifestations of one's inner thoughts, both pleasurable and frightening. It is the brain's way of working through the problems that plague the mind,
serving as a warning system and giving premonitions of events to come. Antonio Marez, the protagonist of Rudolfo Anaya's "Bless Me Ultima",
experiences several dreams that serve as reminders to the reader as to how troubled he is due to the circumstances he...show more content...
Despite the fact that Antonio is only a newborn, the two sides of the family have already predetermined his path in life. His mother, Maria, wants
Antonio to become a priest while his father, Gabriel, would rather him be free and follow in his example. Both parents want to instill their own
aspirations upon him and partake in a mentalgame of tug of war with Antonio, the youngest and last son of the family, the final chance to make one
of his parent's dreams a reality. At a young age, Antonio is forced to come to a consensus of which parent will he please and which one will he
forsake. This fact lingers over him and often resurfaces within his dreams. Though he doesn't yet have to reach a decision, this dream acts as a
cautionary reminder that he will have to soon in the future as it slowly approaches.
As time passes within the novel, Antonio continues to dwell on the growing anguish that his parents have unknowingly placed on him. He is lost
within a void of confusion and uncertainty, melding together to create a source for which his terrors feast on. After learning of the Golden Carp
from Cico,Antonio later dreams of the Golden Carp which sets the backdrop for what occurs within the dream. His mother and father argue over
where he was baptized and continue to press that one is right and the other is wrong. "Mother... you are saved! We are all saved! Yes, my

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