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Bless Me Ultima

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Bless Me Ultima
Bless Me Ultima Eventually everyone grows up and leaves their childhood behind. In the story Bless Me Ultima the author Rudolfo Anaya explores the coming of age of the main character, Antonio Maréz. Antonio experiences events and meets people that will cause him to grow up. Antonio loses his innocence because he witnessed three murders and was exposed to Ultima's powers and the golden carp. Tony lost his innocence because he has experienced three people being murdered. In the book Antonio is reminiscing his dreams," And I remembered my dream. Andrew had said he would not enter the house of naked women until I lost my innocence. Had I already lost my innocence? How? I had seen Lupito murdered..."(165). Antonio lost his innocence because he had seen more traumatic events than anyone his age had seen. In the story Antonio says, "These are the men I have seen die! I cried. Who else will my prayers accompany to the land of death?"(243). Antonio lost innocence when he started being scared of someone else dying. Antonio also started to grow up when he saw the powers of Ultima and when he was revealed to the golden carp. In the text Antonio states," I had seen Ultima's cure...I had seen the men come to hang her...I had seen the awful fight just now...I had seen and revealed in the beauty of the golden carp!"(165). Antonio was exposed to new ideas of magic or new gods that have him question his own religion. He started to think for himself. The text states, "Ultima's cure and the golden carp occupied my thoughts the rest of the summer. I was growing up and changing."(122). Tony was assailed by moral and religious questions which he couldn't find answers to. Tony started to grow up because he had chosen to accompany Ultima to cure his Uncle Lucas and started making his own decisions. Through out the story Antonio grows up and changes due certain events. The two main reasons why Antonio lost his innocence are because he saw three people die and encounters new

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