The search for a solution to the unanswerable never ceases, leaving the human race constantly in pursuit of higher power like God. Throughout the lives of all people, religion and belief systems set morals and values, along with influencing actions and decisions made. Across Antonio’s hometown, religion is important to many of its citizens. In this work of fiction, Antonio’s mindset is written realistically for many readers, for he is a thoughtful boy with many ideas, especially about his faith. Rudolfo Anaya’s novel, Bless Me, Ultima, touches upon reflections about Antonio’s reliance on a belief system and the exploration on the thoughts of others. Anaya describes throughout the book and its setting how Antonio’s faith develops and he also …show more content…
Tony possesses the ability to think critically about supernatural circumstances, even in his young age. After experiencing Ultima dispel the curse from his Uncle Lucas, Antonio wonders “Would the magic of Ultima be stronger than all the powers of the saints and the Holy Mother Church? I wondered” (97). Tony frequently questions the power of the Church, but hearing that even the power of a priest could not overcome the evil of the Trementina sisters left a lasting impression of uncertainty about the church. This is one While at the lake, Antonio intently watches the clear blue waters in anticipation of the grand golden carp. It fascinates him in a way like no other, adding yet another doubt against the god of his Catholic faith. Antonio becomes quizzical, seeking a response to his questions about the world by inquiring, “'And if we didn't have any knowledge?' I asked. 'Then we would be like the dumb animals of the fields,' Florence replied. Animals, I thought. Were the fish of the golden carp happier than we were? Was the golden carp a better God?” (197). This interaction further develops Tony’s skepticism and how Florence’s point of view exposes him to yet another belief differing from that of Catholicism. Seeing a second death caused Tony to further lose his faith in …show more content…
He is looking at an entirely different thought process of life, and how it is somewhat a punishment. In a conversation on the topic of sin, Antonio explains to Florence exactly what a sin is, but he does not believe there is an effect, since he does not see one. Tony tells him he will be punished when death comes upon him, and Florence does not correctly interpret the point Antonio was attempting to make, and this is revealed when Florence says “’You mean I can go out and sin, do bad things, throw fingers, say bad words, look through the peep-hole into the girls’ bathroom, do a million bad things and then when I'm about to die I just go to confession and make communion, and I go to heaven?’” (192). Florence does not comprehend the fact that punishment for his actions is inevitable, unless he is truly sorry for the wrong things he has done in life. Pondering further on the matter leads Tony to desire even more the answers to these burning questions. Then when Antonio inquires about being left out of heaven, Florence’s answers “‘Then that would be hell,’ he nodded. ‘I think if there is a hell it's just a place where you're left all alone, with nobody around you. Man, when you're alone you don't have to burn, just being by yourself for all of time would be the worst punishment the Old Man could give you-’” (195). After this is stated, Florence goes on to
Ultima displays the connection she has with Tony as soon as she arrives, by letting him call her Ultima instead of Grande because Ultima believes that Antonio and she have a connection since Antonio was the last child Ultima pulled out of Marias Antonio’s mother womb. After that moment, both Tony and Ultima grow closer and closer. She and Tony spend much time together either getting herbs for medicines or telling stories to each other. When Tony has dreams Ultima teaches him to read between the lines in his dreams and guides him as he tries to figure out his right place in his family, whether to be a Marez or Luna. Wanting to please both his mother and father at the same time. Ultima also teaches Tony the practices of how to dig up a plant correctly, they must tell the plant what they are doing before taking it away from its home. Teaching Tony to show compassion for the things you take for your own use. Ultima shows sympathy through the people she cured, displaying to Tony that her magic is not evil at all. "If my uncle would of come earlier, he would of saved Ultima, but it is better not to think that way. Ultima said to take life’s experiences and build strength from them and not weaknesses.(Anaya 245)” Tony explains everything that Ult...
“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
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
Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima is a magical-realism novel about Antonio, a young boy at the mere age of six turning seven, realizing the many cruelties the world has to offer. As he matures, Antonio is conflicted while trying to choose between the career expectations from his two divergent families and attempting to figure out a true religion. Anaya depicts hidden messages to help the reader comprehend a perceptive insight of Antonio’s inner schism through symbolism.
In Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima, the author uses Tony’s dreams as a way of displaying various symbols. Three symbols that are used often are weather, water, and the Golden Carp. Weather is used to represent conflict. Water represents cleansing, and rejuvenation. The Golden Carp symbolizes religion and Tony’s beliefs. Because dreams are not an exact mirror of reality, they become the perfect tool for introducing symbolism. The author uses the dream as a way to access the recurring themes of the book.
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.
Florence as pure and good but his life was still not spared. At this point Antonio’s view
In the novel, Bless Me Ultima, written by Rudolfo Anaya, two different religions are introduced. The religion of Catholicism is the religion originally practiced by the novel’s main character, Antonio. Throughout the novel, the religion of the Golden Carp is introduced and causes a crisis of faith for Antonio. Antonio must learn to choose between the conventional values of the Church and the modern beliefs of the Golden Carp by comparing and contrasting the two religions.
Bless Me, Ultima enlightens the reader on death and how it can be peaceful. Death is usually seen as a negative or bad situation, in which the novel does well at correcting. The release of a soul should be peaceful and is accepted in many cultures in that sense. In Bless Me, Ultima the juniper tree helps in representing death in harrowing situations. The connection is made when Narciso is found by the juniper tree, dead, while also conveying the peace that the tree represents.
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.
In his dream after the death of Lupito, he is met by his three brothers. Tony tells his brothers that they have to be with their father, because he is planning on moving westward. Tony’s brothers say that he is to be a farmer-priest, because he is a Luna, so he cannot go with their father. Tony says that he must bless the river where his father will be moving to, and when he says that, he hears Lupito’s soul crying for help. Then, the novel states, “I swung the dark robe of the priest over my shoulders then lifted my hands in the air. The mist swirled around me and sparks flew when I spoke. It is the presence of the river!” (28). One of the possible fates for Tony is to become a priest, and he is leaning towards God for help in this lifelike situation. Though the presence of the river is guiding him, if he takes the position of a priest, he is choosing God over other things, such as the golden carp. Tony also does this in another dream. In this dream, Tony’s brothers try to convince him to enter Rosie’s house, which is a sinful place. As his brothers try to persuade him to enter, Tony says, “No!... I cannot enter, I cannot think those thoughts. I am to be a priest” (73). Even after his objections, Tony’s brothers still try to get him to enter, saying that he is a Márez and that he will eventually enter, so why not do it now. In this case,
...icism has such a profound affect on the townspeople’s beliefs; they are unable to look past the appearance of the old man and realize that he is divine. Instead of enhancing the faith of the society, religion has destroyed it.
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.
In the novel, Bless me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, a boy goes through many more experiences than any child in the hot summer days in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. He witnesses the deaths of his close friends and family. This boy expresses his emotions and grief through his dreams, only to wake up with fear and confusion in his mind. Antonio’s life is filled with dreams that foreshadow future incidents, as well as influences Antonio’s beliefs of religion and ideas of innocence.
Independently, as one grows in age, their actions should make a daily reflection to God. In “A Theology of Liberation,” Gutierrez avers that, "The present life is considered to be a test: one’s actions are judged and assessed in relation to the transcendent end. The perspective here is moralistic, and the spirituality is one of flight from this world...