Summary : ' Bless Me, Ultima, Rudolfo Anaya Essay

In the novel Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, one of the main characters, Ultima is accused many times of being a witch. Ultima is a curandera who uses herbs and medicines to cure people. She goes to live with Antonio Marez, a young boy who lives in the llano with his parents and two sisters due to the fact that she cannot live by herself and had nowhere to stay. Although many people think she is a witch, her use of herbs, medicines, and scapulars show that she is merely just a curandera. With her use of chants and having her spirit in her owl, many are led to believe that she is really a witch.

The books thesis is based on why a person was accused of being a witch and the relative circumstances thereof. Marital status, sex, community standing, wealth, and relationships with others all play an important part of a person chances of being accused of being a witch.

Ultima’s role as demonstrates how Chicano culture is a mixture of multiple, conflicting influences. When Spanish Catholics arrived, they claimed curanderismo is a form of witchcraft. Thus, they killed those that practiced the act. But their interaction brought about a mixed culture where curanderismo existed in harmony with Catholicism. Anaya shows this religious blend by describing Antonio’s mother as a devout Catholic who also respects the Ultima’s powers.

Topic of Choice: Cite and Analyze three specific characters or events which lead Tony 's’ revelations that would later foster his religious ambivalence

     After reading the book, Bless Me Ultima, I realized the integral importance of religion and need for religion and answers to life’s questions. At first, while reading this book, I thought it was just about relationships and the meaning in them but as the plot progressed I realized the book, is more than that, it questions the structures that decide the rules, morals and values that society is composed of. There were three types of religion that I identified in the book that young Anthony chose to pursue. The first was the paganistic rituals of Ultima. Ultima came into the life of Tony at a very young age and had great influence n the child. Ultima saved the life of Lucas through Tony’s

She represents the Native American minority culture and Christianity as a curandera. She is a Native American spiritual healer who is derived from Rudolfo Anaya's own experience, "of a woman who was said to have powers to cure sickness"(Hispanic Biography 42). The syncretism of Ultima's Christ like abilities are given in two illustrations.

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.

He kills Narciso in cold blood. He is a true coward and he hides behind others instead of facing those who he seeks to fight.

Having knowledge and wisdom comes with a price and is not easy to handle when everyone is afraid of you for having so much knowledge. In the book, Bless Me Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya, Ultima, a curandera, is seen as an evil, old witch who uses her magic against others. In actuality, she heals Lucas even when she is accused, got rid of the 3 Indian ghosts harassing a family, and tells Antonio she accepts her death because she accepted to dedicate her life in the service of others when her owl died. While some may say Ultima is just a “bruja” and a mad witch who uses black magic, I believe she is actually a wise and kind character and knows many things that others do not. She is ready to help anyone even though she is accused.

The witchcraft phenomenon of the Renaissance period was shaped by a wide range of cultural factors; witchcraft was not necessarily subject to a single cohesive idea or concept, and it was often instead a conglomeration of many different societal concerns, concerns which spanned through all spheres of society. Textual evidence from this period provides insight into the way in which witches were conceived, and how witches were dealt with, while visual images present a companion visualisation of the tensions, which influenced created the witch, and the imagery, which came to be associated with witchcraft.

Only a few books dare to discuss the confusion surrounded by a religious awakening. In Bless Me Ultima, Rudolfo Anaya, Premio Quinto Sol national Chicano literary award recipient, challenges standard religion and brings in different ideas through the perspective of a young and confused boy. Due to the new ideas that he is introduced to, the events that occurs especially deaths, and his eagerness for knowledge all leads Antonio to question his religious beliefs. At the end of his struggle to understand, the boy reaches the peace of mind he was seeking.

Most people today think of witchcraft as a dangerous almost demonic practice. Nevertheless, there is still some debate about whether or not it actually exists which is understandable since witchcraft witch dates back 40,000 years and there hasn't been any solid evidence that proves its existence. Whereas some are convinced that witchcraft is real and may heal them, while others maintain that it only a demonic practice that only exists in folktales and TV shows. However, my view is that witchcraft does exist and it's an evil practice, we can also see this debate in Rudolfo Anaya’s novel Bless Me Ultima where the people of the village or town are split whether she is a Bruja or a Curandera. I believe that she is a Curandera since she doesn't show any signs of practicing witchcraft but helps antonio's family in many ways that doesn't align with my definition of a follower of witchcraft.

Bever clarifies why he believes historians often focus only on the rise of witchcraft rather than their decline. He believes the reason this occurs is because, historians assume “their defeat seemed self-evident” (Bever, 2009, p. 264). The author explains how the rise of witches occurred, “chain-reaction trials started with a few stereotyped suspects but gradually widened to include previously unsuspected commoners and eventually friends” (Bever, 2009, p. 272). Bever also gives discusses of how witchcraft came to affect the society and how it became “an integral part of late medieval culture and society” (Bever, 2009, p. 288). The work relates more specifically to the field of the first centuries of colonization because, although some ideas presented in this article can be inferred, most are not that of the general

At first glance, Befana and the “evil”, haggard witches previously discussed in English literature appear to be identical individuals. However, upon taking a closer look, one would realize that Bafana is everything the stereotypically evil witch is not despite the fact that they are physically comparable down to the broomstick. Italian children would not regard her as an evil character, they rather relate her to Santa Clause during Christmastime. Her cheery nature and gift giving abilities overcome all judgments about her appearance, transforming her into the beloved “good witch” Italian Christians esteem today. Curiously enough, even though the witches discussed in English literature take after a very similar appearance, they are not esteemed and certainly not celebrated. This uncovers a sense of hypocrisy among the Christian history that will certainly be discussed further on in the essay. Opposing opinions in the elderly due to cultural and religious backgrounds cause society, such as in the Puritan and Italian cultures, to produce different fruits of the matching image of a witch.

The perception of the image of the witch has encountered a drastic shift which signals an acceptance of the woman in society, for what she is, a liberation. The witch is another name for