Bless Me, Uitima

Bless Me, Ultima
Overview
Themes
Main Characters
As Antonio, a young Chicano boy, tries to find his way in a complex world, he learns to reconcile witchcraft and magic with the unforgiving God of the Catholic Church. Asking the big life questions is hard and lonely work. Fortunately he has a spirit—and her owl—to guide him.
Knowledge & Spirituality
Antonio searches for spiritual knowledge to help him make sense of the world.
Christianity & the Supernatural
Church teachings contrast to the realities of myth, magic, and the supernatural.
Tradition, Culture & Identity
Antonio is caught between his mother's and father's different cultures.
Antonio Marez
Young boy who see s is identity in God or in the supernatural, in farming or in freedom; longs to understand good and evil in the world
Ultima
Wise healer attuned to the earth and adept in the supernatural; uses her spiritual power to help others and to destroy evil
Tenorio Trementina
Violent, vengeful drunk whose daughters are evil witches; blames Ultima and vows to kill her when one of his daughters dies
Symbols
Author
Ultima's Owl
Symbolizes Ultima's spirit and her protective nature
The Golden Carp
Represents a compassionate and forgiving God
Virgin of Guadalupe
Symbolizes Christian mercy and forgiveness
RUDOLFO ANAYA BORN 1937
Anaya, a Mexican American who grew up in New Mexico, loved writing from an early age. He drew on his experience living through World War II near a river and the plains to write Bless Me, Ultima. Referring to his pieces of writing as his children, Anaya values the creative energy involved in creation of all of his novels, poetry, short stories, and children's books.
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