The move to Guadalupe was difficult for Tony 's father because he had to leave his beloved job as a vaquero in order to settle down and care for his family. The traveling and herding of cattle within the open planes seemed to have been a freeing aspect of his father 's life, he enjoys reminiscing of those days yet the realization that it 's over brings on bad feelings.
Tony 's reaction when he first met Ultima was one of enlightenment, he seemed to have realized the truth and "the beauty of the llano" when he shook Ultima 's hand. He learned through Ultima, who seems to be connected to the earth through magic, “all that had been and all that was to come”. She is the one that knows the destiny Tony will have, she has the truth.
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The owl also had shown religious or magical connotations through its aide towards La Virgen and the babies of Limbo as witnessed by Tony in a dream.
The family takes on the responsibility of taking care of the older generation very seriously, especially Tony 's mother who feels that her family must pay their respect to Ultima how helped delivery Tony and his sisters. It’s also disclosed that Ultima helped Tony’s mother through the difficult years of living in the llano. So, this family seems to owe their lives to Ultima which is very similar to Mexican culture which pays heavy respect to their family elders.
In Tony 's dream he is a witness to his own birth. He sees Ultima aiding his mother during birth while his parent 's family and friends flood in and begin to argue on what should be done to the afterbirth in order to insure the child 's future destiny. His mother’s brothers what the afterbirth to be buried so it can fertilize the soil and connect Tony to their ways. His father’s fellow vaqueros want the afterbirth to be cremated and let the wind free him along the land. Yet, in the end of the dream Ultima declares she will be the only one to decide Tony 's destiny in
There are two generation to teach them, one of them is Ultima and Koro. Both teacher have their destiny to guides them. Ultima helps Antonio during the birth but he doesn’t know which side he will be. Ultima said, “[Antonio’s] soul grew under [Ultima’s] careful guidance” (Anaya 15). Similar to Paikea learn
In Bless Me, Ultima, Rudolfo Anaya defends the assertion, “for in much wisdom there is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow,” from Ecclesiastes. Tony endures many trials throughout the novel, therefore increasing his knowledge of life but also increasing his grief and sorrow. After witnessing Lupito’s death, Tony realizes that people are not always what they appear to be. Tony also begins to question his religion because of trials in the novel, some of which include Lucas’ cure and the sighting of the golden carp. In his trek during the blizzard, Tony learns of his brother’s sinful doings and he witnesses the death of a good man. Tony gains much knowledge in these scenes, but, unfortunately, with this knowledge comes grief.
Maria had no authority over her restless family. The source of the conflict between Antonio and Maria originates from her oldest sons taking to going where they please and not caring about their parent’s wishes. The burden of pleasing their parents passes from the eldest sons to the youngest one. With the sole duty of pleasing his parents, Tony internally rebels against their wishes instead seeking to set to rest his churning mind by seeking his own beliefs. His brothers console themselves about abandoning their family by saying that “Tony will be her priest” (Anaya 36) and not knowing that the “dreams of their father and mother [haunt] them” (Anaya 36) also haunted Antonio. Having the responsibilities of his brothers and his family shape the way he grows and thinks. He isn’t just thinking about himself he also has the problems of redeeming his family on his head. Through the story and through Ultima Tony realizes that he is not bound by obligations and can instead shape his own
Ultima is the importance of Independence and making decisions. When Leon, Andrew, and Eugene come home their mother and father are ecstatic that they are back and hope they will stay with them and will become what they desire them too, but that is not the case. In chapter 8, Eugene says to Andrew when he is unsure about leaving their parents behind“I don’t care what it is, Andy!” Eugene shot back “I just feel tied down here I can’t breathe” (Anaya 66). This shows that two of Antonio’s brothers don’t wish to be priests or vaqueros, they yearn to do their own thing and travel the world and feel new experiences. Andrew isn't sure because he wants his parents to be joyful. The juxtaposition is between Eugene and Leon and Andrew and Antonio, because they believe different things, and it reinforces the idea that everyone has different opinions and that they should do what they wish.
In the end, Tony plays the role of both hero and villain. His wife, Marcela, represents both the whore and the virgin Mexican-American. The both prove unfaithful: Tony to America and Marcela to Mexico. Herein lays the schizophrenic world in which good and bad coexist across the borders of two emerging world countries struggling for control of land and culture. There’s a price to be paid for such human greed and unrealistic expectations. Ultimately it proves to be a place where virtue doesn’t remain intact and villains abound, even among the good guys!
Another example of the evolution of Tony's sense of good and evil through the utilisation of setting is Tony's own home. To him, his home provided him with warmth and safety. This was due to the people who lived in the house. Antonio's father creates a sense of protection in the home. When Tenorio and his men come to he house to take Ultima away, Tony's father "would let no man invade his home" (pg 123). This gave Tony faith that as long as his father was around, he would be protected. Antonio's mother made home a loving and caring place to be. She would always baby Antonio and give him the affection he needed whenever he needed it. The morning after Tony had seen Lupito killed, Ultima tells Tony's mother not to be too hard on Antonio; he had a hard night last night. His mother puts her arms around Tony and holds him saying he "is only a boy, a baby yet" (Pg.28). The Virgin also makes the atmosphere of Antonio's home peaceful and protected. Tony loves the Virgin Mary because "she always forgave" (Pg. 42). Tony thought she was "full of a quiet, peaceful love" (Pg.42) which she filled the home with. The most important person who contributed to the goodness of Antonio's home was Ultima. She made Antonio feel as though her presence filled the home with safety, love, and a sense of security. When Tony saw Lupito get killed, it was Ultima who calmed him. Whenever he had a nightmare, Ultima was there to comfort Antonio and "[he] could sleep again" (Pg.
The push-and-pull factors in Enrique’s yearn for the U.S not only allows him to rediscover himself as an individual in a world of uncertainty, it also eliminates his constant fear of failing as a promising human being; in addition exhibits the undying hope of a desperate man found in hopeful migrants. In Sonia Nazario’s “Enrique’s Journey,” his mother’s trip streamed “emptiness” into the heart of a once comfortable child and left him to “struggle” to hold memories they shared. Enrique’s life after Lourdes’ departure triggered the traumatizing demise of his identity. He threw this broken identity away while facing many obstacles, nevertheless each endea...
Tony goes on to categorize each setting by it’s nature and surroundings. A significant setting to Tony that takes part in Bless Me, Ultima, is Narciso’s garden. Tony’s first impression leave a bewildered smile, as everyone in town knew Narciso for being a town drunk, “I was bewildered by the garden. Everywhere I looked there were fruit-laden trees and rows and rows of vegetables. l knew the earth was fruitful because I had seen my uncles make it bear in abundance; but I never realized it could be like this! The ground was soft to walk on. The fragrance of sun-dazzling flowers was deep, and soft, and beautiful. "The garden of Narciso," I whispered” (108-109). Instantly, Tony realizes Narciso isn’t bad after all, because just like Ultima, both Narciso and La Grande own magnificent magical powers. Another setting Tony develops a good sense of good, is the pond where the golden carp lives. The golden carp owns a strong effect in Tony’s thoughts, as the carp represents a forgiving good, therefore the place where the carp lives has to be good, “It was a beautiful spot. The pond was dark and clear, and the water trickled and gurgled over the top of the dam. There was plenty of grass along the bank, and on all sides the tall brush and trees rose to shut off the world. Cico pointed. 'The golden carp will come through there." The cool waters of the creek came out of a dark, shadowy grotto of overhanging thicket, then flowed about thirty feet before they entered the large pond” (112). The beautiful pond owns its extra effect on Tony, as the water is clear and dark, opposite to the water of the river, muddy and
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 strength. Physical pain was brought unto Anthony because of Ultima's ritual, showing actual validity of the rituals themselves, that they were had tangibility. She brought torment on the Tenorio’s family (he was the antagonist in the book-the bad guy) saving Lucas though using ritualistic dolls and chants. This showed her magic was not only good but bad as well. Ultima guided Anthony through all of the mental and social torment during his early years of grade school. So in away Ultima was a guide for Tony through his early years to make sense of all of the storms in his early life, but also was an instrument of religion to base his life on. But in the end of the book Ultima ultimately dies and the strength he once found in her is destroyed. She is ...
He questions whether he belongs to his mother’s family, the Lunas, who live as farmers, or his father’s family, the Márezes, who freely wander the land. His care for his family demonstrates his maturity at attempting to always do the best he can for everyone. Although his parents each want him to follow their families’ paths, they remain absent from Antonio’s true journey of understanding his own thoughts and beliefs, leaving him “frightened to be alone” (Anaya 7); the lack of parental support through his personal conflict leads him to have trouble knowing how to address his confusion, but it also causes Antonio to develop an independence that most people do not possess. He sees hope for finding answers from the moment he meets Ultima when he “knew she held the secret of [his] destiny” (Anaya 13). She chooses him and sends him to save as she helps lead him on his path. Through assisting her, he gains new experiences that contradict his traditional Christian teachings, which encourage him to be open-minded and bold as he challenges everything he believes. The Belly of the Whale demonstrates Antonio’s heroism by highlighting his courage to discover answers to his questions, even after he finds “only silence” (Anaya 233) at his first communion, as he realizes that he cannot find the peace in God that he
In the book “Bless Me Ultima”, by Rudolpho Anaya, there were two families represented, the Marez family and the Lunas family. These two families were very different, but were brought together by the marriage of Gabriel Marez and Maria Lunas. Through the eyes of their son Antonio one may see the comparison of the two. The differentiation of these two families is very clearly noticeable, such as in their personalities, the expression of their religion, and their everyday ways of life.
In Bless Me Ultima, Tony embarks on a rocky journey to discover who he is and what he believes. Tony must make the transition from a naïve six year old boy to a mature man. His experiences continually call his basic beliefs into question, and chip away at his innocence. For example, when he witnesses the brutal death of Lupito, he starts to question many ideas; sin, good and evil, punishment, and his faith. He begins to see the world of man as violent and sometimes ruthless, not the friendly, loving world where he had previously resided. He even becomes concerned about his own father's salvation because of Gabrielle's involvement in Lupito's death and begins to see his father as less than perfect. Death continues to haunt him when Narciso, a good man, is killed defending Ultima, while Tenorio, an apparently evil man, is spared. These outcomes are not what he believes should have occurred and yet again, a piece of his innocence is stripped away as he sees life is not always fair. He is beginning to realize that he must define his own beliefs.
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya is a coming of age story about a young boy named Antonio Marez. The novel takes place in New Mexico where Antonio tries to fulfill his parent’s expectations while struggling with religion. Through Antonio, Anaya defies the some of the principles in religion and expresses her interpretation on the system of beliefs. Antonio’s religious confusion suggests that man should be able to choose his own religion and destiny. In the Bless me, Ultima, Antonio experiences conflict in his religious beliefs because of the deaths he witnesses, the new ideas that he learns, and his open-minded mentality.
Many of Antonio’s dreams foretell future incidents. In the first dream, the night before the arrival of Ultima, Antonio is born and both sides of his family gather together for the arrival of the baby boy. The two families express their hopes and desires for the newborn’s future, but the calm Lunas and the savage Márez fight over the destiny of Antonio. As “curses and threats filled the air, pistols were drawn, and the opposing sides made ready for battle” (Anaya 6), Ultima steps into his dream, her voice full of authority. “Cease she cried…only I will know his destiny” (6). Everyone falls silent when Ultima speaks. Antonio didn’t meet Ultima but this dream foreshadows that Ultima is a powerful and a well respected figure. The fight not only shows the difference between the two families but also hints that there may be problems between them in the future. Right before Antonio’s brothers come back from the war, he has dream about his brothers. They tell Antonio to “stay and sleep while we cross the River of the Carp to build our father’s castle in the hills” (26). The brothers are telling him to stay behind and let them build their father’s castle, which refers to their father’s longing to be restless and build a family else where. This gives a hint that his ...
Tony and Elizabeth Jordan thought they had it all – a beautiful daughter, great jobs, the best cars, and their dream house, but looks can be deceiving. Behind closed doors their marriage is falling apart, and they are constantly fighting, pushing away from each other and hurting their daughter emotionally and mentally in the process to the point where she says to her friend ¨I wish I lived at your house, my parents are always fighting.¨ Tony and Elizabeth are typical churchgoers who have become self-righteous and, in Tony case, even hostile towards the God who created him for his glory. Elizabeth is a real estate broker, and Tony is a salesman who is always traveling. While Tony relaxes in his professional success and flirts with temptation,