Essay on Finding One's Self

First, and probably most important are the three sources of understanding for Antonio. First, there is Ultima, who serves as a neutral source of understanding and comforter for Antonio. The next source of understanding for Antonio is God. Antonio constantly struggles to understand good and evil through the eyes of the Catholic God. The final source of

Ultima is an old curandera, which means healer in spanish, who comes to El Puerto to live with the Marez family after she is left alone in the town of Las Pasturas. When she arrives and turns to greet him, Antonio feels awestruck. According to Antonio, he “felt the power of a whirlwind sweep around me (Anaya 12).” A series of events occur throughout the story which makes Antonio overprotective of La Ultima. For instance, when Antonio and Ultima go to his grandfather’s house to cure his uncle, “Some women bowed their heads, other made the sign of the cross (Anaya 104).” Crossing your forehead in front of someone who is helping your family is a sign of disrespect. I feel that if I were Antonio, I would feel very offended because Ultima is my friend and nobody should be disrespected in front of the people you care for the most. As Antonio grows, he finds himself questioning his religion and comes to accept that everything is not what it seems. For example, Antonio realizes that the people of the town can be very judgemental and will blindly follow anyone because they fear the unknown. Antonio has to deal with is brothers who are led astray by the prostitutes of the town and their unrealistic dreams. After the war ended, his brothers came back, but with different plans for themselves. They leave because they want to be free, but I believe that they chain

An important motif in “Bless Me, Ultima” are Antonio’s dreams. His dreams foreshadow major events and make him question his beliefs, especially revolving around

Ultima goes to stay with Antonio Marez, a young boy who lives in the llano with his parents, two sister, and three brothers. This is because

A clear theme in Bless Me, Ultima is Antonio’s struggle to find who he is amidst two sides of himself: the Lunas and the vaqueros. He fears for his future, where he believes he will have to decide between the two parts of himself, and inevitably disappoint one half of the people in his life. He fears what his life will be. He fears the river. This all changes when Ultima arrives. She teaches him to love the presence of the river, and to love his life however it may come. She shows him that the river is the lifeblood of the herbs she uses to heal and save, and that he can use his life to help others as well. But her spirit, in the owl, also shows him that life, and the river, can be very dangerous (Anaya, 14).

They have familiarized with plants and herbs. Besides, they feel the power that nature possesses. Ultima is feared by many because she is mysterious to everyone. Ultima has a special connection to Antonio because she served as his midwife. Antonio witnesses numerous tragic events that make him understand his history and future. The mysterious woman in Mora’s poem spends her days grinding and mixing herbs and although a mystery to the townspeople, they still come to her “hoping/to be touched by her ointments” (104).

Another example of Antonio's sense of development in good and evil is his home. It is means a lot to Antonio, because the people living in it makes him feel protected and provide warmth to him. When Tenorio and his men came to his house to take Ultima away, Antonio’s father "You walk on my land! That is my business" (Anaya 130). This make Antonio feel that he would be protected by the presence of his father., Gabriel. However, Antonio's mother made home very fond and ardent for him. She had always been affectionate towards him and would show him care. Most importantly, Ultima was the one who contributed to the goodness of Antonio's home. She made Antonio feel as though her presence filled the home with love and safety. It was Ultima who calmed Antonio down after he had seen Lupito die. Whenever he had a nightmare, Ultima would always be right beside to comfort Antonio and " could sleep again" (Anaya 34). Ultima's fearlessness against Tenorio and his three daughters made Antonio feel that he would be safe wherever Ultima was. Overall, the

In the book “Bless Me Ultima,” by Rodolfo Anaya, the role of duality goes very into depth with its many controversial topics. Some of these topics include the contrast between Catholicism and indigenous mysticism, good witchcraft and evil witchcraft, and men and women. Since Antonio must struggle to find his own identity and place he must battle between his family, beliefs, and self. This can be seen between his parents, who’s frequently conflicting views make it difficult for Antonio to accept either of their belief systems, his struggles between the English and Spanish language, and how evil and good affected his innocence.

beauty of the llano unfolded before my eyes, and the gurgling waters of the river sang to the hum of the turning earth.”(1) Antonio’s life spun in different ways that he couldn’t seem to get a grip on, but by the help of Ultima, Antonio was able to make it through his journey of independency. Ultima is more than just a mentor figure to Toni; they have a special connection amongst each other. If Gabriel, Antonio’s father, did decide to leave the llano, Antonio would never have experienced his journey from becoming a boy to a man with the help of this curandera. Moving along in the chapter Uno, things were revealed. Maria and Gabriel differences were starting to become more

Antonio is attempting his best to make acknowledgment with the contentions by attempting to show signs of improvement comprehension of things furthermore he realizes that he needs to end up more develop. From my perspective it would seem that Antonio likes to pick the world & perspective his mom and her siblings including ultima. I assume that he gets a kick out of the chance to perspective his mom & her siblings on the grounds that he realizes that his mom taught him everything truly. His mother's sibling's for the most part the Uncle Pedro simply because he identifies with him. I then affirm that he would lean toward Ultima's perspective in light of the fact that she's generally been there when he required backing. He realizes that his mom will dependably arrive for him and he feels more sheltered with her not any other individual. Antonio respects

Antonio begins to ponder his relationship with Ultima and her seemingly magical powers. Antonio is extremely worried about separating from his mother and he secretly hopes that Ultima's magic will help him get through school. He has had a strong connection with Ultima but now that school is starting he knows that she will not be around to help him. Their bond is becoming more separated, but Antonio is becoming more independent. This is especially hard for Antonio because not only is being separated from his mother, but Ultima as well. Furthermore, Antonio relates the feeling of Ultima´s touch with the feeling of the dirt devil. Antonio begins to realize that although the forces of good and evil may have a similar feel, the souls and the intentions

Antonio is faced with many different options about religion and himself, which throughout the book is a big factor. Many important people in Antonio’s life want him to grow up and be happy, however they also have high expectations for him and want him to follow a certain path in his life. He must chose if he will follow the path of his mother, the Luna, or the path of his father, the Márez. In Antonio’s dreams he hears his mother and father talking to him. In his dream his mother says, “Mother of God make [Antonio] a priest”(pg. 45) while his father says, “He will make a fine vaquero”(pg. 5). When the mother and father says “make” it shows that they want him to be something and follow their hopes for him. Also his parents are saying to Antonio that he must choose which path to take. Antonio’s

Throughout the book Antonio is introduced to many new ideas. The first is the experiences he has with Ultima. Ultima is a healer who learned

The thoughts we think, ways we speak, express ourselves, voices heard, and means of imagination define our identity but can branch out as they are grown from the influences and nourishment of others. The social roles of each character in the novel Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya propel Tony so he doesn’t need to feel suffocated by choices, but embrace them as elements to life that lead to growth. Death and rebirth being a prevalent theme in the novel that can symbolize more than what is depicted in just the story of Antonio. The concept of rebirth exists not only within certain events but also in the unraveling of each character.

Antonio, from Bless Me, Ultima, lives stuck in a world of in-betweens, a world of borders. He is forced to navigate this world and find his place within it, all while trying to please his parents. Tony’s surroundings and cultural background lead to this in between world and force him to pick a side before he has even began to grow up. In Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me Ultima, Antonio is constantly searching for answers about his future and the world around him; he finds these answers through his family, environment, religion, and family friend, Ultima.