Category: Bless Me Ultima

In the novel Bless me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya there is plenty of significant symbolism shown throughout the whole story. The water, the Golden Carp, the Virgin Mary, Ultima’s owl and plenty of others but a very intriguing symbol from the novel is blood. Blood symbolized several things such as the blood of the Marez and the Luna symbolized Antonio’s connection to the cultures of both his mother and father which later causes a lot of uncertainty and skepticism in Antonio’s life as his mother wants him to become a farmer or a priest, but his father wants him to be a vaquero according to the Márez tradition. The blood stained the river symbolized the sins and wrong doings of the people of the town. Blood was also portrayed as a symbol of impurity and the loss of innocence the moment Antonio witnessed the murders.

The blood that Antonio encounters throughout his childhood symbolized the loss of his innocence or the staining of his innocence. After witnessing many deaths with visible blood present, his innocence and his mind are greatly affected by the tragic deaths. “The innocence which our isolation sheltered could not last forever, and the affairs of the town began to reach across our bridge and enter my life” (Anaya 15) shows how quickly things changed for Antonio and how his innocence was lost. One day he’s an innocent little boy sitting by a river admiring the beauties of the world to him witnessing the deaths of two men.

For example, one scenario that really affected Antonio was Lupito’s death which occurred in the beginning of the novel when he shot the sheriff. “He fell forward then clawed and crawled out of the holy water of the river onto the bank in front of me. I wanted to reach out and help him, but I was frozen by my fear. He looked up at me and his face was bathed in water and flowing, hot blood… He made a strange gurgling sound in his throat, then he was still…The horror of darkness had never been so complete as it was for me that night.” (Anaya 22). Antonio was there to witness it all.

In addition, Antonio also witnessed Narciso’s death with also greatly impacted his way of thinking and his views on things. “I had not held Lupito while his body went cold. I had not bloodied my hands with his life’s blood. I looked at the wound on the chest and saw the blood stop flowing; rage and protest filled me. I wanted to cry out into the storm that it was not fair that Narciso die for doing good, that it was not fair for a mere boy to be at the dying of a man.” (Anaya 170) Narciso’s blood stained the snow just as Antonio’s innocence was stained.

Another example is the ceremony performed by Father Byrnes, the catholic priest. At Antonio’s Holy Communion, when the priest raised the chalice, it no longer held wine but the blood of Christ. ‘’It’s blood now,’ Abel whispered when the priest raised the chalice with the wine… I peeped and saw the chalice raised high… The blood of Lupito, the blood of Narciso, winding its way along the river, crying on the hills of the llano…” (Anaya 219) In Antonio’s eyes, not also did the blood symbolize the blood of Christ but the blood of Lupito and Narciso after their deaths. When Antonio pictured the wine as the blood of Lupito and Narciso, it suggested that Antonio is remorseful and compunctious because he couldn’t save them from dying.

The blood can also be an interpreted as a reference to the feud between the two conflicting parts of his life and his beliefs about the forgiveness of God. As Antonio “called again to the God that was within…but there was no answer. Only emptiness.” (Anaya 221). Antonio struggles to understand God’s forgiveness towards everyone, “why couldn’t there be a god who would never punish his people, a god who would be forgiving all of the time?…Perhaps that is why God could not forgive; He was too much like man.” (Anaya 138)

Not all the symbolism of blood was physically visible. In Bless Me, Ultima there were two instances where blood was not mentioned or shown but there was some speculation of the symbol present. The death of Ultima and Antonio’s friend Florence could be used as an example. Ultima’s and Florence’s death occurred near the end of the novel, although they were similar, they also differed.

Florence was not murdered nor was he physically harmed, his death occurred due to the drowning in the river. “We looked and saw the body come up through the water, rolling over and over in a slow motion, reflecting the sunlight… His open eyes stared up at us. There was a white film over them.” (Anaya 240) His death by drowning involved no blood, only suffocation as the cause of death.

On the other hand, Ultima was assaulted by Tenorio when he shot her owl. As humans and most animals bleed, Ultima’s owl must’ve bled the moment it was shot. Ultima was like a holy figure in Antonio’s life so her blood would taint and scar Antonio, Ultima was not physically harmed only her owl which took physical damage. Ultima’s soul is connected to her owl. When the owl died, she died as well. “It was true that the owl was Ultima’s spirit. It had come with Ultima. and as men brought evil to our hills the owl had hovered over us, protecting us.” (Anaya 256)

Even though blood is a very important symbol in the novel, blood wasn’t mentioned in the deaths of Florence and Ultima because they were very significant figures in Antonio’s life. Neither did they didn’t sin but they were also non-catholic. Florence did not believe in God. Florence is bitter against God and blames him for his harsh life and the evils of the world. Florence states that “God has sinned against me because he took my father and mother from me when I most needed them, and he made my sisters whores. He has punished all of us without just cause.” (Anaya 213).

On the contrary, when Ultima successfully cured Antonio’s Uncle, Antonio realizes that Ultima’s spirituality is separate from the Catholic Church. Antonio becomes aware that the church does not have the same kind of power as Ultima “The power of the doctors and the power of the church had failed to cure my uncle. Now everyone depended on Ultima’s magic. Was it possible that there was more power in Ultima’s magic than in the priest?” (Anaya 99) This suggests to him that no matter what way you interpret the world, you can ever comprehend everything; life requires a commingling of different perspectives, explanations, and beliefs. This really illustrates how different they really were compared to the rest of the town’s people shown throughout the whole novel. They both made an influence in Antonio’s life, especially when it came to religion.

In conclusion, the novel Bless me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya illustrated many different significant symbols throughout the whole story. Blood not only symbolized Antonio’s connection to his culture with the Marez from his father’s side and the Lunas from his mother’s side, but the blood stained the river symbolized the sins of the people of the town and was also portrayed as a symbol of impurity and the loss of innocence within Antonio.

Citations

1. Anaya, Rudolfo A. Bless Me, Ultima. New York : Grand Central Pub., 1994.
2. Anaya, Rudolfo. Bless Me, Ultima. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 1972. Print.

In society, adults and children alike are told they must carry on the family name, but today, more now than ever, there are more and more people carrying two family names on their backs. The most notable culture to carry double surnames is the hispanic culture where a child will take their both father’s and mother’s surname, often adding an y (and) between the two names. For most hispanic children, their last names are equal parts of their identity and they feel no burden in carrying the names. Though, for some children carrying two names can be tough because they may be taught to believe that one family name is more important than the other. In the book Bless Me, Ultima, Rudolfo Anaya uses the characterization of Antonio Márez y Luna (Tony) to illustrate that when a part of identity is often overlooked, it will strengthen and eventually come back in abruptly.

Tony is often told that his mother’s family (Luna) is more important than his father’s family (Márez), the Márez name often neglected by everyone in his family, excluding Tony’s father. For instance, after witnessing the death of Lupito, a World War II veteran who lived in Tony’s town, Tony returns home in hopes that no one had noticed his absence; once he is laying safe in his bed, Tony dreams of his brother’s return home where he says, “We must all gather around our father, I heard myself say. His dream is to ride westward in search of new adventure… and we must travel that road with him. My brothers frowned. You are a Luna, they chanted in unison, you are to be a farmer-priest for mother!” (Anaya 26). Tony tells his brothers that they all must support his father, but he is quickly shut down and told that he cannot help his father without hurting his mother. Tony is told to prioritize his mother’s dream by living up to her family name and become a priest; rather than defending his father, Tony listens to his brothers’ words and chooses not to stick up for the Márez name. Furthermore, on the morning of Tony’s first day of school, he sits down to eat, listening to his mother shush Theresa, his sister, as she cries about him going to school, “‘Hush! He shall be a scholar,’ my mother smiled and served me first. I tried to eat but the food stuck to the roof of my mouth. ‘Remember you are a Luna-’ ‘And a Márez,’ my father interrupted her” (53). Tony spends most of his life listening to his mother speak of how he will become a priest without objections; however, this time when she shares this dream she tries to alienate Tony from his Márez heritage. Tony watches idly as his father protects his son’s other name, trying to remind him that he is a Márez first, even if he does become a priest. not wanting Tony to forget that he is also Márez, even if he becomes a priest. Anytime the Márez name is held in comparison to the Luna name, it is often defaced or written off by others; Tony is repeatedly told that the Luna name is the priority and that Márez should be an afterthought.

As Tony’s schooling advances, his family sees his studies as a way to reinforce the Luna family agenda; though, the Márez still thrives in Tony. Additionally, months later, Tony’s brothers return from the war, yet they are restless to leave again; while discussing their departure amongst themselves, they become trouble by their parents’ dreams but quickly soothing their worries with the fact that, “‘And, they still have Tony,’ Gene said and looked at me. ‘Tony will be her priest,’ he laughed. ‘Tony will be her farmer,’ León added. ‘And her dream will be complete and we will be free!’ Gene shouted. ‘Yahooooooo!’ They jumped and shouted with joy… ‘What’da yah say, Tony, you goin’ be her priest!’ ‘Bless us, Tony!’” (68). Again, the only part of Tony that another person recognizes is his Luna identity. Tony lets his brothers say that all that matters is that he fulfills his mother’s dream; Tony is told that his Márez blood doesn’t matter for he is a Luna and he will follow the Luna dream of becoming a priest. Finally, years later, Tony spends the summer working in the fields with his mother’s brothers; as the return to his home nears, Tony’s uncle, Pedro, tells Tony that he is proud that Tony does well in school and that, “‘It has been a long time since there was an educated Luna, a man of the people,’ he nodded and pondered. ‘I am Márez,’ I answered. I did not know why I said it, but it surprised him a little. ‘Wha-‘ Then he smiled. ‘That is right, you are Márez first, then Luna’” (250). After all the time Tony has spent being told that he is a Luna and that he has a dream to live up to, Tony finally stands up for the other part of his identity. Tony’s sudden reminder that he is Márez takes his uncle by surprise, yet he is accepting of Tony’s remark for he has always been a Márez first. Tony grasps the moment to make another recognize that he is more than his mother’s son; this bold move comes as a surprise, yet, it is accepted, for Tony has always been a Marez and a Luna.

The suppression of a piece of a person’s identity will only cause it to resurface with clout. In Tony’s life he is told by people he cares for that he is to grow up and become a Luna boy; Tony is told to abandon his Márez blood in order to satisfy the Luna dream. As the Márez blood is continually pushed aside, Tony realizes that he cannot forget that he is just as much Márez as he is Luna. Whether or not Tony should ride westward with the Márez or become a Luna priest, that is for him to decide, but for Tony, just like millions of others, carrying the weight of two names only makes him stronger.

At some point within people’s lives, they find themselves struggling to find who they want to be, what they want to believe and trust, and what they want to do. “ I cannot tell you what to believe. Your father and your mother can tell you, because you are their blood, but I cannot. As you grow into manhood you must find your own truths-” (Anaya 119). Readers see this in the novel Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya. Antonio, is a six year old boy who lives in the eastern plains of New Mexico during the 1940’s who struggles with finding his purpose and finding what he believes in. The novel starts with the Márez family taking in Ultima, a curandera, to live with them, most likely until the day she dies. Then the reader learns that Antonio’s parents are both very different people and have very different views for what Antonio should do in his life. His father, Gabriel Márez, a former Vaquero, wants his son to follow in his footsteps and spend his days roaming the llano on horseback. His mother, Maria Márez, desperately wants Antonio to become a priest of the Luna instead of a vaquero like his father. Although, Antonio was raised in the Catholic church, he finds himself second guessing what he believes when he experiences many deaths, and learns about possible other gods, like the Golden Carp. With all this, he finds himself lost with what he believes and what he wants to do and who he wants to be. All of his worries intensifies later in the novel, but Ultima is there to help. Ultima tells him the stories and legends of his ancestors, and he comes to understand how the history of his people stirred his blood. Through her, Antonio learns the ‘old ways’ and develops a new relationship with nature. This relationship opens him to the contemplation of the possibility of other gods. Antonio learns there are powers in the world that differ from those honored by the Catholic faith. He learns to overcome his fears, especially his fear of change. In the end, Antonio understands himself and the world around him better, and he learns to accept life and the many challenges that it presents. Before he reaches that point, Antonio must go through the hardships of figuring out who he is. Through Antonio’s journey to becoming a man, Antonio struggles with being able to manifest his own purpose; however, with Ultima’s help, he learns he must find his own truth and purpose.

Antonio struggles to find his own truths due to the many different viewpoints on what his destiny is to be. These viewpoints come from many people within Antonio’s life. The first major conflict involves his parents. His Luna mother wishes for him to become a priest, while his Vaquero father wishes for him to ride the llano. Each parent has deeply rooted cultural convictions. “Mother of god, make my fourth son a priest.” (Anaya 45). Antonio’s mother; Maria Márez, comes from a family of farmers and maintains a good relationship with her brothers who are all Luna farmers. She is a devoutly religious woman with a strong conviction that Antonio should become a priest. Antonio’s mother speaks to him like a little boy, and is very overprotective of him. She opposes the lifestyle of the Vaquero like her husband. Antonio’s father instead wants Antonio to follow in the footsteps of the Márez tradition of wandering across the llano on horseback and move to California. These different views and thoughts on how Antonio should live his life cause Antonio to be so eager to find one single, definitive answer to the questions that haunt him because he has been influenced by many viewpoints by his parents. “Hush! He shall be a scholar,” (Anaya 53). “Remember you are a Luna-” “And a Marez,” (Anaya 53). Each side of the family wants control of the newborn’s future. Through all this, Antonio struggles to find what he self consciously wants to pursue when he is of age. “You are to bring honor to your family,” (Anaya 53). He becomes increasingly frustrated and lost with what he wants to do, without disappointing any of his parents. While the coming of moral independence is a huge part of maturing, not disappointing his own parents does not make it easy to do so when they both expect something different of him.

Being raised Catholic, there are many things expected of Antonio, in order to be a member of the faith. But when Antonio experiences the murder of Lupito, a soldier recently returned from World War II, Antonio begins to consider sin, death, and the afterlife in earnest. Antonio worries about the fate of the men who shot Lupito on the bridge. His father was apart of the group of men who committed the murder. He worries his father could be punished by God for the sin. Why does God sometimes seem to punish the good? Where will they go after death? He begins to question what the truth really is. “‘The golden carp,’ [Antonio] said, ‘a new god?’’(Anaya 81). Antonio discovers the golden carp at a time when he starts to doubt his mother’s Catholicism which she wishes for him to be extremely devoted to. The golden carp is supposedly a god sent to guide the other carp, who were once ancient people who sinned. Antonio can actually see the Golden Carp and feels a sense of enlightenment, instead of the seeming effectiveness of the Catholic god. “For Ultima, even the plants had a spirit.” (Anaya 39). Ultima plays an important role in helping Antonio gain knowledge of good and evil. She was a Curandera, a woman who knew the herbs and remedies of the ancients, a miracle-worker who could heal the sick. Ultima tells Antonio not what to believe, but how to make choices. She wants him to start thinking for himself. As Antonio starts to interact with Ultima more, she teaches him the ways of his ancestors and tells him the stories and legends about them. He begins to realize that the blood of his ancestors and past relitive’s ways are within his blood. Antonio develops a strong relationship with nature through Ultima, that opens his mind to other gods. “The power of the doctors and the power of the church had failed to cure my uncle.” (Anaya 99). The church is not providing answers to Antonio’s deepest questions in life. Antonio continues to become more and more disappointed in the church. Antonio has nothing to hold onto for a sort of beacon on hope. He is always struggling to find what is the truth and what god is the true god.

With the many different things that make it impossible to find his own truths, Ultima is there to help him think for himself and guides him to be able to make his own choices. “‘I cannot tell you what to believe. Your father and your mother can tell you, because you are their blood, but I cannot. As you grow into manhood you must find your own truths-’” (Anaya 119). Ultima understands the struggles Antonio is going through after they’ve built their relationship. She also understands that life and spirituality can be viewed in many different and equally valid ways. Ultima’s appreciation for multiple faiths and perspectives allows her to see that each person must make independent moral decisions, rather than blindly trust someone else’s opinion. “‘It is because good is always stronger than evil. Always remember that, Antonio. The smallest bit of good can stand against all the powers of evil in the world and it will emerge triumphant.’” (Anaya 98). She assures Antonio that although there is much evil in the world, the smallest bit of good can stand against all the evil. She uses the power from nature to guide her through life, which she passes on to Antonio.

Imagine having to make a decision that will affect your whole life at such a young age. Well Antonio Jaun Marez Luna had to do such a thing, he was stuck between his parents wishes up until ultima came to live with him in the summer when he was almost seven. His mother wished he followed her family’s path and becoming a priest over the land of the Lunas. While his dad’s plan was to have Antonio follow his wishes and become a vaquero like him. Even though his parents had wishes for his future he had something else in mind. I strongly believe that he decided to become independent and not follow the paths his parents wanted for him. Although I do believe he did take some aspects from each parent’s way of living.

There was a large amount of reasons for me to think that he’ll become a person of his own. First of the many reasons that led me to think this is a quote in the book “Bless me ultima” Antonio states “Sometimes in the future I would have to build my own dream out of those things that were so much a part of my childhood.” The reasons that Antonio said this is because his curiosity led him to experience things a lot of kids his age have not and because of this he started to question everything he did and thought throughout his childhood. This supports my claim because it proves he self-reflects and inspires himself to not follow their dreams and to become his own persona.

Another big reason that Antonio is going on his own path is linked to the quote Ultima stated in the book “Bless me ultima” ,“ I pulled this baby into the light of life, so I will bury the afterbirth and the cord that once linked him to eternity. Only I will know his destiny.” This shows not only Antnoios mom side will know his destiny but neither will his dads side. This supports my claim because both sides of the families will not be able to give guidance to Antinio because Ultima is the only one knowing his future. Leading them to only give advice to the options he creates later on in life.

Although many will believe that Antoino will follow his mother’s dream and become a priest over the Luna’s land. Antoino’s siblings, friends, and family all encourage him to becoming a priest like his mother dreamed of. In the book “Bless me ultima” Tony’s friends state,” Yeah,Tony knows more about religion and stuff like that than anyone, Tonys gonna be a priest”. Tony’s friends then proceed to “practice” confession with Tony playing the role of the priest because they believe he’s going to become a priest. They think that because he knows the most about religion out of everyone they know. Other than that Tony believe that the golden carp is real and does not allow him to believe in one god which is part of his religion which does not allow him to become a priest like everyone thinks. I say this because in the book “Bless me ultima” Tony exclaimed “Why do you punishes florence? Why doesn’t he believe? Will the golden carp rule?” in this quote it shows Tony is still undecided on what to believe in.

Even Though he does not follow in the Lunas path he does not want to follow his father’s footsteps because his brothers had already gone down that path. I say this because in the book”Bless me ultima” Eugene had announced to his brothers, “ We have to get the hell out’a here.” In response Leon had said” Yeah. It’s hell to have seen half the world then come back to this.”

Kids usually take the time spent as an innocent and pure child for granted, perhaps even expecting it to always be that way. But eventually reality sets in and the world pressures you into being what society has labeled an ‘Adult’ working for a living, getting an education and overall being a mature and wise person. The protagonist from the novel Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya, is expected to rise to his calling as an adult rather quickly. As he leaves the protection of his parents, gains their respect, and accepts that his childhood wouldn’t last forever, Tony gains knowledge, grows and becomes a more responsible person.

As Tony grew older it became apparent that he would soon need to leave home and go along with his life without the constant support of his parents. This also meant that he would be responsible for his own eductation and futre rather than his parents deciding for him. In the text it says “For the first time, I would be away from the protection of my mother” (Pg. 51) .This shows that Tony would soon be expected to get by on his own as he grows older and gains more knowledge as well as experience. Another example from the text is “You are innoecent until you understand” (Pg.71). Innocence can be caused by ignorance, so until you learn the truth about certain things then you are considered innocent and pure because of your lack of experience. This is the case for Tony because he is young and has alot of time to grow and learn.

While Tony gained more maturity with time, his parents grew to respect him more and see him as the man he is to become. An example from the text is, “Take them to their room, I said to my mother. It was the first time I had ever spoken to her as a man, she nodded and obeyed.” (Pg.259) From this you can see how Tony is maturing and his parents are beginning to see that. From the text, it also states, “But what hurt more was I had witnessed the death of a man.”(Pg. 24) This is an example of a harsh experience that Tony went through that helped him gain knowledge and become more wise as time passed.

Eventually Tonys childhood would come to an end and he would have to learn to move on, which can be challenging for some people. Being an adult puts more responsibility on your shoulders as you are expected to be more mature in situations and take care of things on your own. An example from the text would be, “ But there was no sweetness to the victory, instead I felt that something good had ended” (Pg.223) From this I can infer that Tony is beginning to realize that he wouldn’t be a kid forever. It can be hard to take on life as an adult because of what is said that needs to be accomplished. Your days as a kid with no responsibilities other than household chores were short compared to the long life of education and work.

In conclusion, I think that the protagonist from Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya, Tony experiences many things that help him gain maturity and knowledge. Tony comes of age by leaving the protection of his family, gaining their respect, and accepting that his childhood would not last forever and that he must grow and take on responsibilites.

Bless Me, Ultima by Rudalfo Anaya presents a powerful story of this young boy reaching his coming of age and demonstrates the distress caused by the split of two families. Antonio is on a journey of self-discovery and the war between the Márez’s and Lunas only adds additional conflict. His childhood is revolved around choosing who to become and this takes a major toll on his life. Through Anaya’s use of the symbolism of the moon and the sea, he portrays the clashing sources of Antonio’s search for identity as the protagonist approaches his coming of age, the internal conflict Antonio must face that accompanies his issues, and the protagonists conflicting family values.

The moon and the sea are two major symbols that affect Antonio’s life. The moon represents his mother’s side of the family, the Lunas. The direct translation of the name means moon and they are presented through this because the family revolves around farming. This activity involves being tied down to the earth and staying in a singular location. The quote, “I learned that the phases of the moon ruled not only the planting but almost every part of their lives. That is why they were the Lunas! [. . .] And the moon was kind to them (249).” shows how the moon affects their life drastically. The Lunas concentrate more on working than free will, completely opposite of the Márez family beliefs. Márez also translates to the word “sea” in the Spanish language. The sea represents the Márez’s as it is always in constant motion and the water can never stay in one place for too long. The family depicts this perfectly as they are known for being restless and constantly wandering, as shown in the quote, “These were the people of my father, the vaqueros of the llano. They were an exuberant, restless people, wandering across the ocean of the plain (6).” The two families have collided together through Antonio’s parents, María Luna-Márez and Gabriel Márez, and despite their contrasting views, they have managed to make it work. Antonio has three older brothers who have leaned more towards the father’s side of the family as they are restless and want the freedom to wander, as seen in the quote, “They were three dark figures driven to wander by the wild sea-blood in their veins. Shrouded in a sea-mist they walked the streets of a foreign city (235).” Antonio’s two sisters are more similar to their mother as they have a better connection and are more attached to her. Antonio is on a search in discovering his identity as he progressively gets older and his decision must be made. Disappointing his family and letting one of his parents down is something Antonio tries his best to avoid but in the end, someone is going to get hurt. The clash of the families creates this detriment on Antonio that he learns to abide with.

With these clashing families, an internal conflict develops within Antonio that he must overcome. There are multiple events that affect Antonio, including his perspective of religion, but his view of his identity is a crucial part of his character development. His mother wants him to grow up and become a priest, the first in the Luna family. Since her other three sons could not fulfill this dream of hers, she relies on Antonio to do the job, never taking into account what Antonio truly wants. The quote, “‘In that one there is hope,’ I heard my uncle Juan say to my mother. I knew he talked about me. ‘Ay, Juan,’ my mother whispered, ‘I pray that he will take the vows, that a priest will return to guide the Lunas–(235),’” reveals that not just Antonio’s mother, but his whole family depends on him as they can see the hope he contains and want him to establish their future for them. This only adds pressure on Antonio’s life as now he must satisfy others, including his parents. His father does not want Antonio to be a farmer or a priest and be tied down forever. Gabriel has a dream of moving to California, the vaquero side of him, to travel and explore freedom, but María and his three sons stop him from doing so. This can be shown in the quote, “My father’s dream was to gather his sons around him and move westward to the land of the setting sun, to the vineyards of California. But the war had taken his three sons and it had made him bitter (14).” There is an important element that comes with deciding who to be as this is Antonio’s life and the one decision will determine his future.

Both of Antonio’s families, the Márez’s and the Lunas, have different values in life that drastically differ. The Lunas believe in a peaceful and quiet life that involves being one with the earth and have similarities that relate them to the moon. They are more down to earth while the Márez’s like to be wild and loud, as it is in their nature. They usually have no worries and compare to the sea because the ocean is known for being restless. This can be demonstrated with the quote, “‘It is the blood of the Lunas to be quiet, for only a quiet man can learn the secrets of the earth that are necessary for planting-They are quiet like the moon-And it is the blood of the Marez to be wild, like the ocean from which they take their name, and the spaces of the llano that have become their home (41).” The Lunas want Antonio to become a farmer as that means he is doing something with his life and not wasting it away wandering aimlessly. The vaqueros see it differently and believe giving Antonio the freedom to explore will help him fulfill his dreams of determining his true identity. Both families fail to realize that they both depend on one another and Antonio has to be both in order to be himself. The quote, “You both know, she spoke to my father and my mother, that the sweet water of the moon which falls as rain is the same water that gathers into rivers and flows to fill the seas. Without the waters of the moon to replenish the oceans there would be no oceans (121),” demonstrates Ultima explaining to Gabriel and María that there would be no oceans if the moon did not give it the water it needs to be an ocean. This reveals that if the Lunas did not aid the Márez’s and vice-versa, neither would exist. They depend on one another and this thought has been neglected. At the end of the novel, Antonio realizes this truth and how he does not have to pick between the two, revealed in the quote, “‘Then maybe I do not have to be just Marez, or Luna, perhaps I can be both-’ I said (247).” He chooses his own destiny that is distinct from the one his parents had decided for him but he also learned that accepting both families as his identity is a part of growing up.

Sometimes understanding life alone is difficult and you need someone to guide you and teach you around life. In Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, the novel portrays the reality of life and how every family has its own set of problems and difficulties. Anaya demonstrates how to gain knowledge and lose innocence by following someone’s footsteps. Throughout the novel, Antonio changes by losing innocence and gaining knowledge through the guidance of Ultima and the death of Florence, while also learning that despite family expectations and cultural differences, he can still find his identity.

Ultima, similar to a mother figure, shows the audience that Antonio is more connected to Ultima then his own mother, showing the way of life and guiding him throughout his rough childhood journey. When Antonio and Ultima are in the hills of the llano, Ultima tells Antonio about the time “‘long before [Antonio] [was] a dream, long before the train came to Las Pasturas, before the Lunas came to their valley, before the great Coronado built his bridge’” (Anaya 40). By introducing Antonio to the history of his ancestors, it helps him decide whose steps he will follow and whose legacy he will continue. A mentor in someone’s life can positively impact and alter a person’s thought process and emotion. In life there will always be the light and the dark side; it only matters about which side someone chooses and how to defeat the enemy. In Antonio’s grandfather’s house Ultima cures Uncle Lucas and demonstrates to Antonio that any evil can be stopped for “‘the smallest bit of good can stand against all the powers of evil in the world’” (Anaya 98). In the world, anything or anyone can be stopped at any moment, sometimes it may be a curse but either way anything evil can be stopped by righteousness. This helps Antonio understand how the world works and how unfair life can be sometimes, by experiencing it first hand alongside Ultima. Nonetheless, Ultima gives Antonio the choice of who to become when he grows up and who to look up to, despite all the negativity around them that both Ultima and Antonio are trying to constantly fight back.

The death of Florence helps Antonio lose innocence and gain knowledge by showing him the flaws of religion and the church. While Florence and Antonio was discussing about angelic ideals Florence stumbled upon “‘God is really as smart as the priest says, then he wouldn’t have needed any of that testing… how do you test a three-year old kid who doesn’t know anything’” (Anaya 196). Although different people have different perspectives on religion and the church, Florence was able to convince Antonio that the Catholic God is not as reliable and pure like everyone says he is. Slowly Antonio is gaining more knowledge that can help him when he grows up, especially because he is understanding so much at such an early stage of life. Antonio did not go to Florence’s funeral because he does not believe in the church anymore. After Florence passed away, “[Antonio] did not go to the funeral. The bells of the church kept ringing and calling, but [Antonio] did not go. The church had not given him communion with God and so he was doomed to his dream-wanderings, like Narciso and Lupito. I felt that there was nothing the church or I could give him now” (Anaya 245). Attending someone’s funeral shows the dead that an individual cares about them and that they will be remembered even if they are six feet under. Antonio has completely lost hope in God and even decides not attending Florence’s funeral.

Despite the family differences in Antonio’s family between his mother and his father, Antonio still manages to discover his true self. When Antonio was born, his family moved to the town of Guadalupe “the move lowered [Antonio’s] father in the esteem of his compadres, the other vaqueros of the llano who clung tenaciously to their way of life and freedom” (Anaya 2). The Marez have an awfully easy going life and any change in their life would give Antonio’s father shame among his friends. On the other hand, Antonio’s mother wants Antonio to have more opportunities when he grows up. The Luna family constantly pushes Antonio to become a priest “[Antonio] thought, that was her dream. [Antonio] was to hold mass on Sundays like father Byrnes” (Anaya 9). Antonio does not want to become a priest when he becomes older because he wants to follow his own destiny and fate and decide what he wants to do. On the other hand, it seems like Antonio’s life path has already been planned out by his own mother. When Antonio becomes older he realizes that he does not need to follow the path that his parents have set for him, and that he could follow his own religion and mindset of life. Although his parents have contrasting cultures, ‘“maybe [Antonio][does]not have to be just Marez, or Luna, perhaps [Antonio] can be both’” (Anaya 247). From the mix of two drastically different cultures Antonio is able to find his identity and be a mix of both. Antonio realizes that he can be a combination of his cultures and still be a version of himself.

Throughout the novel, Antonio changes by losing innocence and gaining knowledge through the guidance of Ultima and the death of Florence, while also learning that despite family expectations and cultural differences, he can still find his identity. Ultima leading Antonio is inspiring because some families do not have the luxury to have a caring mother around their life. Ultima teaches Antonio how life works and how sometimes it can be unfair but one can not do anything about it. Florence shows Antonio how to lose innocence and gain knowledge by showing Antonio the flaws and the faux of the church. When Florence passes away it makes Antonio lose complete hope in God and decides that there will be no good even if he attended the funeral. In spite of the family differences in Antonio’s family between his mother and father, Antonio finds his own path to discover his true self. From the mix of two cultures Antonio realizes that he can be a combination of both his mom and dad while becoming who he wants to be. In life there is a lot to overcome and understand, experiences mold a person’s personality and mindset. While Antonio matures throughout the novel, he receives answers from different people and undergoes a major transformation and losses innocence and gains knowledge.

First DEF:

My first definition of loss of innocence was that it was something that came with time, you will be oblivious to losing your innocence until it all happens in one fell swoop, and that it will happen when you least expect it.

Mango:

The first text we read was “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros. When I chose loss of innocence as my big idea, i already knew what quote I would choose from “The House on Mango Street” because it was such a big moment in the book. When Esperanza says “Sally, you lied. It wasn’t what you said at all. What he did. Where he touched me. I didn’t want it Sally.” It was a big loss of innocence moment for her because she had just been raped and it was a traumatic moment for Esperanza. This first quote supports my first definition with the fact that it all happened in one fell swoop while she was oblivious prior, and that it happened when she least expected it. It also shows that one can lose innocence in a moment of trauma, such as Esperanza did.

TKAM:

“To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee has a big loss of innocence moment for Scout when the mob arrives to kill Tom Robinson. The crowd is intent on killing Tom and they are threatening Atticus when Scout comes and starts innocently talking to Mr. Cunningham. She realizes that something is wrong but keeps on talking to Mr. Cunningham and brings up his son, Walter saying “I go to school with walter.” I began again. “He’s your boy, ain’t he? Ain’t he, sir?” . She makes the crowd uncomfortable and that causes the crowd to eventually disperse. This is a loss of innocence moment because Scout realizes the lengths people are willing to go because of the prejudice they have been taught in their lives. This connects to my original definition that it happens when you wouldn’t expect it to, but it also shows that it can happen when you finally understand real world issues, it can occur like with Scout understanding what mob mentality is like and seeing pre-formed prejudice occur.

BMU:

“Bless me Ultima” by Rudolfo Anaya is a coming of age story for Tony, and with a coming of age story comes loss of innocence. Tony’s entire character arc is him trying to find out if he is a Marez or if he is a Luna. There is a powerful quote in the text that says “You are innocent until you understand.” This supports part of my first definition that it takes time before you lose innocence. What makes this quote unique is that it takes a positive spin on the loss of innocence unlike the previous two. What the quote says is that once you understand you are no longer innocent. Usually, there is positive connotation to understanding something as it represents you have finally learned something new such as a skill or talent.

Final def:

The final definition of the loss of innocence is very similar to my definition from the start of the year but there are some add-ons to that definition that I found while examining the quotes from the three texts. I found that one can lose innocence during a traumatic event, when you finally understand a real-world issue, and that the loss of innocence can be a good thing as well as bad.

What Changed:

I feel this idea of loss of innocence was viewed by me as something with a negative connotation whereas now I see it as both good and bad depending on the circumstances. For example, with Esperanza, she experienced a traumatic event to lose her innocence whilst someone else could lose their innocence after they finally understand a certain topic.

Question 1: In the world of literature, magical realism comes with what would refer as a mixture of elements of magic that are characteristic of mixing up with the elements of real world. For instance, the novel provides the understanding of the fact that the Virgin of Guadalupe and the golden carp serve as symbols whose primary role is to add meaning to the story of Bless Me Ultima through the sense of magical knowledge as well as magic in the sense of real world. Furthermore, there are signs of gifts of God presented in the novel. According to GGG, this aspect of the book uses symbolism as an approach of bringing into reality the understanding of the fact that the novel and its story can easily be considered magical realism.

From the gift of God symbolism, there comes a parallel knowledge surrounding the concept of the phase of life where birth begins before enter into puberty, eventually marry, and get prepared for death. This is the reality that the book provides into the minds of its audience as explained by Augenbraum and Fernández. Furthermore, the novel offers a better understanding of the concepts of magical realism through the maintenance of realistic narratives that are also characteristic f recounting what would be seen by the audience as supernatural events reinforced by realities. For instance, “let’s forget the whole thing” (Anaya, 1165) before the mystery went off is contradicting in its sense following what transpired and what happened after. The understanding of this fact of magical realism comes forth through the combination of what can be proved to be true with the concept of Catholicism, which in effect results from the Spanish colonization of New Mexico. In regard with this aspect, the myth that surrounds the Golden Carp outlines what the audience of the book would examine as the reality of what Antonio did not ever consider in his entire life. The conflicting beliefs from the onset seemed to pit Antonio’s beliefs in the Catholic Doctrines and the reality that he came to know that the Golden Carp offered a different world that is way beyond Catholicism In the novel, the dialogue is characteristic of being blended through the use of both English and Spanish languages, making it difficult for one to read yet helps the audience understand the confusion that Antonio continuously faces. In fact, it is through this style of writing that the author ensures that there is a significant level of knowledge about the novel being centered on the theme of magical realism. This even evident through the phrase “every day I reclaimed from the rocky soil of the hill” (Anaya, 1176).

Question 2: In the chapter of the novel, “Uno”, there comes out the understanding of the manner in which the degree of positive depiction of family and community is given out by Anaya. At the same time, the author gives out a certain level of the manner in which the author depicts the family and the community has being with divisions and problems. The understanding of these aspects in the novel requires a critical analysis in order to come up with the knowledge of the message and ideas that Anaya as the author wanted the audience to understand about the complex nature of both the family and the community. For this assignment, the most important aspect of focus is the manner in which interactions among family and community members (characters) in the novel tackle various issues as they arise.

As the chapter opens, the audience finds Antonio remembering the time when Ultima came into their family. At this juncture, we also learn that Antonio, the protagonist, begins to narrate his story as a child when he was a child at some point when his parents were having a discussion about Ultima. What transpires from the narration of Antonio provides the audience with a better knowhow of the manner in which the society and family can be good through family values. In this sense, although Antonio takes us through his memories, his family’s discussions were helpful in providing with the knowledge of World War II and the manner in which Ultima helped Maria at a time when her sons were born. The analysis of these first passages indicates that there is a degree of positive depiction of the community through Ultima’s support for Maria during a time of need. The same idea is depicted when Antonio took his time to “listen closely to the stories the ninth grade boys told the girls” (Anaya, 1164) with the aim of helping them towards a moral life.

Furthermore, through Antonio’s sleep and dream as narrated in the novel, there is a degree of the manner in which the family can be broken and the realization of a significant level of division in the community and family. In a dramatic scene of discussion, Theressa asks whether Grande is truly a witch. “Is it true she is a witch”, (Anaya, 1174). The understanding of this passage is that the society lacks trust among its members and accusations that are significantly baseless would lead one into being an outcast.

Considering these arguments, one would argue that Anaya wanted to convey the message that the complex depiction of the community requires the understanding of the fact there are different interests among individuals. At the same time, it is difficult to satisfy the needs of everyone. As such, it is important to note that it is almost impossible for both the family and the community to coexist without the knowledge of conflicting ideas.

Adults often think that more experience means being wiser. However, children know a lot that adults do not know. By growing up, adults lose many of the traits of children as reality forces them to change. However, children are not constrained by social norms while adults are surrounded by rules and regulations that allow them to be pure and creative. Their child-like innocence is the foundation of discovery, which leads to progress. In his ‘Bless Me, Ultima’, Rudolfo Anaya covers this theme beautifully. In the novel, Tony’s youthful innocence drives him to adapt to radical changes while still cherishing his traditions, illustrating how youth enables society to move forward.

Tony’s genuineness that comes from his innocence gives him the courage to challenge old traditions and societal norms that hinder his society from progressing. He does not accept his discriminatory society and seeks unity. His lack of knowledge makes him confused about his identity, including his religion. While Tony’s religion is Catholic, he stops “the punishment [the other Catholics] would impose on [Florence]” who is an atheist; Tony stands up for his values against vengeance and “[is] not afraid” (213). When others show discrimination against Florence because he has different beliefs from them, Tony stands up for what he thinks is right. Tony’s genuineness that stems from his innocence frees him to follow his own internal compass; he does what he believes to be the right thing and is not swayed by how other people may judge his actions. By defying the vengeance that is believed to be righteous, he tries to stop people from seeing Florence as a stereotype, but instead see him as their equal.

Not only does innocence drive Tony’s candor, but also his youthful curiosity helps adults view the world with a wider scope, revealing his innocence, and providing tolerance that enables social progress. Tony’s curiosity gives him a new perception of different religions. By asking his father about “his willingness to send [him] to his [uncles]” since he “[does] not understand”, he makes his father realize that “it is time [for him and his wife] to give up the old differences”; his father acknowledges that Tony “[does] not have to be just Marez or Luna” and “can be both” (246). As Tony continues to discuss with his father, he seeks to make “a new religion” that is “different from the religion of the Lunas” because “it [is] time to change” when “the old religion could no longer answer the questions of the children” (248). Tony does not hesitate to ask questions when he has something that he does not understand; his curiosity-driven questions force his father to reflect on his life and give him a new perspective. His curiosity makes him eager to enrich himself with knowledge, eventually helping his father to learn and progress, while many adults are reluctant to learn new things and leave their comfort zone.

Summing up, one of the themes we can see in Rudolfo Anaya’s ‘Bless Me, Ultima’ is that innocence catalyzes social progress. Its main character, Tony, does not let social norms frame his identity and instead forge his own path, following his own principles and values. His innocence inspires adults to see the world differently. A child’s naivety has the power to alter and carry his society to a new destination when their identity is trapped in stagnation.