Analysis Of Bless Me Ultima By Rudolfo Anaya

“Understanding come with life. As a man grows he sees life and death, he is happy and sad, and he works, plays, and meets people”, says Rudolfo Anaya, the author of Bless Me Ultima. In the novel, we are first introduced by Antonio to his childhood. Antonios mother is a staunch catholic while his father is the son of a vaquero. His father want him to become a cowboy, however his mother want shim to become a priest. This is when Antonio begins to question his destiny. (insert when Anotnio asks is it possible to be both) In chapter one, Ultima comes to live with the Marez family. Ultima is a curandera, a healer who uses folk remedies. Ultima is more like Antonios mentor. “I felt more attached to Ultima than my own mother,” said Antonio. (123)
He thought that the river was going to be forever stained with Lupitos blood. He did not know if Lupito was going to go to heaven or hell. The boy also witnesses the death of the innocent Narsico. After the deaths he begin to wonder why God was not a forgiving god. He knows the Virgin Guandalupe would forgive Narciso but he did not know if God will. The virgin is the personification of the virtue of faith, devotion, and forgiveness. He questioned why Narsico even had to die and he was so innocent. He also starts to wonder about sin and death. It is all so confusing to him and difficult to understand. Ultimas healing powers helps Antonio not just physically but emotionally. Antonio ran home crying when he seen the death of Lupito and as he ran he heard the owls cry, which right after he hears it loses his fear. In Native American culture the owl is seen as a protector, summoning spirit, or as a reincarnation of the virtuous. The owl sends out warning calls that means that danger is near. It also protects Ultima from Tenorio by blinding him in one eye. Antonio did not understand the meaning of the owl and why it was always around until chapter twenty two when he realizes that the owl is Ultima’s soul. “It is the owl that sends out the spirit of the old witch,” says Tenorio. (256) Tenorio kills the owl Ultima also dies. Samuel introduces Antonio to the legend of the Golden Carp. Antonio begins to wonder if the Golden Carp is his god and if he should believe in it instead of the catechism that his mother believes in. The Golden Carp is a symbol of folklore because it is a fish and fish symbolizes the goodness of Earth and nature. It also symbolizes Christian belief because it is symbolic for the great flood from the Old Testament. This is also a biblical allusion. This is one way that the Christian allusions and