BMU Paper Bless Me, Ultima, a story of a young boy who has to learn how to grow up very quickly, with the help of an old women cunandera, or healer. Her name is Ulitma. She is an old soul and a person who whenever duty calls, will be there ready to help. She takes the boy, Antonio, under her wing and helps him through the toughest time in his life. In Anaya's novel, Bless Me Ultima, Ultima serves the purpose of curandera or healer, but she also serves as the powerful force of good for the main protagonist of the story, Antonio, helping him understand the world as he tries to grow up. Antonio's bond with Ultima can be physically and emotionally felt. "I felt Ultima's hands on my head and then a great force" (58). Antonio is describing the feeling of Ultima's power. This moment is a brand new experience for him. Before this point, Antonio had never felt the true power of magic that Ultima possesses. Antonio before this point had always considered Ultima's power as intangible, not able to be felt physically. When he feels the physical pressure of her power on him, Antonio has a true epiphany about what Ultima was capable of healing. From this point forward, Antonio feels the physical presence of Ultima when ever she is near him. This moment really proves how powerful Ultima is as a healer. Antonio also learns to see how powerful Ultima's healing can be for others in the community, even more powerful than the church. "The priest came. It did not help" (239). Antonio learns how much his mother and many others respect and value Ultima in their minds. Ultima learned from the best and therefore, her powers have been seen far and wide. Antonio's mother believes that even though she goes to church and prays like everyone else, sh... ... middle of paper ... ...uja means witch in spanish. Because people did not understand what Ultima does or how she had so much power, they automatically assumed that she was evil. The scene also shows the pure presence she brings into the area. By just walking onto a yard, the whole crowd can go silent and just stare in awe of dismay. That is how well known Ultima is for her abilities and acts. Ultima has proven to Antonio many times that when all else fails or doesn't prove effective, her constant presence and power is all that he needs to get through anything. Whether it be through the physical force of her healing powers, her amazing ability to triumph when all else seems lost, or her ability of effect all parts of one's life positively, she is more than just a regular healer. She is the rock to everyones life, the constant, the one person who never lets one down ever, no matter what.
Antonio’s mother, Maria Márez, says that "growing into manhood is a sin" because she believes that the pure quality that is bestowed on to children from god is lost when a boy becomes a man. She fears that Antonio will lose his pureness, so she constantly urges him to become a priest because she believe that God is the only one to “save” him from the destructive ways of manhood.
She is very close to her father so this impacts her deeply. She feels the need to step up and care for her family. This turns Antonia into a very hard worker. She begins working with Ambrosch, her brother, by plowing the fields. She takes on the responsibilities of a man. This makes her stop going to school. This worries Jim until he finds out that Antonia is actually very hurt by the event of her father dying. Antonia cries in secret and longs to go to school.
“Look! He pointed to the church where the priest desecrated the altar by pouring the blood of dead pigeons into the holy chalice…When the golden carp appeared Cico struck with his spear and the water ran blood red. What is left? I asked in horror… The magic of Ultima! I insisted. Look! He pointed to the hills where Tenorio captured the night-spirit of Ultima and murdered it, and Ultima died in agony”(244).The passage is one of Tony’s dreams, where all the things he believed in were crushed. This loss makes him feel lost, not knowing what to believe in anymore. Tony also shares his feelings with the reader through the questions he asks Florence in his
with the love and support that Mama Elena fails to give. She is also the
When Antonio first became homeless, an older man tried to steal one of his belongings, which was a simple hot plate. His first instinct was to attack the man and take back his property. While doing so, Antonio thought, “We have almost nothing, and this man wants to take it from us” (43). In addition, he mentions how, “It felt good to hit this man… For a moment, he felt strong and free; fury was a much better drug than self-pity.” (43). When Antonio discusses about the old man and his crimes, he may be alluding to Longoria and what he did to Antonio’s family. The man who tried to take away part of Antonio’s possessions is referring to Longoria and how he took away Antonio’s family. The act of beating the old man refers Antonio’s eventual act of revenge against Longoria and the satisfaction he experiences afterwards. Both acts demonstrate Antonio’s willingness to sacrifice and harm other in certain scenarios where it is necessary. The significant difference between Longoria and Antonio is the intention behind their actions. Longoria killed hundreds in cold blood for his own selfish desires and beliefs, while Antonio only harmed a total of two people to get revenge and to enforce justice in the only way he could. As mentioned before, Longoria’s actions are evil because he commits them for selfish reasons and without remorse. In contrast, Antonio’s actions are seen as necessary evils. A necessary evil is defined as an act of evil (as perceived by society) that is committed in a certain scenario where it follows a utilitarian approach; an approach in which the action does more good than harm. When Antonio beat up the old man, he was merely protecting his belongings and enforcing the law. More importantly, when Antonio killed Longoria, it was for his wife, his son, and the hundreds of other innocent lives that Longoria had claimed; Antonio did an act of
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.
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
The historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are fledgling to compete with Predominately White Institutions (PWIs). HBCU were established to serve the educational needs of black Americans. Before HBCU college was create blacks were generally was denied admission to traditionally all white institutions. Since black Americans was prohibited from whites schools HBCUs became the principle means for providing postsecondary education. There are several reasons why all blacks’ schools does not compete with predominately white schools. HBCU’s most of the time do not keep their accreditation, their tests scores are very low, and do not get as much funding
He is apprehensive about seeing Antonia, fearing that she will no longer be the idealized person who exists in his memory. Jim is not let down when they meet, as even though she is now a “battered woman … but she still had that something that fires the imagination, could stop one’s breath for a moment” (226). Age has not dampened the spirit that Jim was drawn to throughout his youth and now his adulthood. He speaks about her through a lens of true love and respect, telling her children that he “couldn’t stand it if you boys were inconsiderate [towards Antonia] … I was very much in love with your mother once, and I know there’s nobody like her” (222). Jim refers to Antonia as a “rich mine of life,” and it is clear that Antonia’s type of richness is more valuable in Jim’s eyes. Through her, he is able to realize that tangible fiscal wealth is far less precious than the impalpable beauty of emotional connection and
The women priests in the temple heard what Medusa spoke and they were shocked. The word spread what Medusa spoke through the entire temple and my company started to leave. Citizens of Athens knew I would be furious if anyone compared me to a different
Although he is always trying to understand new beliefs, the Goddess, the Virgin Mary, remains in the most special part of Antonio’s heart. She represents Meeting the Goddess, as Antonio is now seeing her through mature eyes: “I fastened my eyes on the statue of the Virgin until I thought that I was looking at a real person, the mother of God, the last relief of all sinners” (Anaya 47). As he begins to discover the meaning in both his old and new beliefs, he begins to accept his spiritual questions. By understanding the fact that they cannot always be simply answered, he enters his Apotheosis and ascends as he achieves wisdom and self-acceptance.
Loves power has suggested to many that it serves as a link to the divine, and that the feeling instilled in man by love comes from the supernatural, be it God or otherwise. In La Vita Nuova Dante Alighieri makes it clear that he believes in the transcendent power and effects of love.
Pessoni, Michele. “‘She was laughing at their God.’: Discovering the Goddess Within Sula.” African American Review 29 (1995): 439-451.
In scene 5 we learn how powerful she really is by the way she makes a
In the beginning it appears that Olenka is waiting for Mr. Right, but it is really so, that Olenka, is dependant and needs to love and have the love of others. She finds this love, this unconditional love that most look for, in people such as her aunt, the school’s French master, and even her father.