Bless Me Ultima Essay

Submitted By 5972Nicole
Words: 665
Pages: 3
Open Document
Bless Me Ultima Analysis Paper
Anaya uses dichotomy and motifs throughout the book for three reasons, to convey a sense of extremity of the decisions that Tony has to choose between define his life, in addition archetypes play a big part in the novel, and lastly to show the prominence and regularity of certain themes and concepts of Tony’s life.
One intention of Anaya’s use of dichotomy was to express an indication of the wide range of possibilities that could happen from a situation. These extremes oppose each other in such a way that it appears that they are almost ‘attacking’ each other. This ongoing war between two aspects of the novel illustrates a certain idea of conflict not only within Tony but also within this town he lives in and the relationships between the people Toni comes across. These opposing ideas also show how Tony has to choose between the two sides and how they are the very outlines of his life. Anaya uses dichotomy to reveal the predicaments and choices that Tony has to decide between throughout his childhood and adolescence years. These decisions that Tony had to choose between are some of the biggest dichotomy themes throughout the book. Some examples of these dichotomies include Tony’s mother and father arguing about whether he is to become a priest or a farmer. Another is when he is at school, how the kids mostly speak English and he only knows Spanish. The biggest dichotomy Anaya uses is the golden carp vs. Catholicism. This ongoing religious war inside of Tony is one that defines who he is through the rest of his life. “If the golden carp was a god, who was the man on the cross? The Virgin? Was my mother praying to the wrong God?” (Anaya, 81) This quote is the first time Tony considers how this story of the golden carp goes against everything he believes in with the Virgin Mary. This is a big turning point in Tony’s coming of age because it characterizes how he is growing up and maybe getting his own opinions on the things he sees and hears.
Secondly, archetypes are the main ideas of the book. Two examples include Tony as the young boy hero who has a quest and Ultima as the healing motherly figure who guides Tony along his quest. Tony begins in the book with all of his innocence and all the ideas that his parents gave him but when Ultima comes along, he grows up and matures very rapidly with Ultima keeping a watchful eye over him. Throughout the book Tony faces many problems that Ultima helps
Show More

Related Documents: Bless Me Ultima Essay

Bless Me Ultima

1. The title of the book is "Bless Me, Ultima."Author is Rudolfo Anaya, and pages read are 1-262 and the introduction x-xiii by Rudolfo Anaya: Originally published 1972. 2. After finishing and in between reading the book there were tears shed because of the overwhelming obstacles Antonio goes through in his young life. While reading this book I questioned my own religion like Tony and Florence. Florence is told to believe in the church/ religion that has a God who has cheated him of the simple…

Words 1581 - Pages 7

Rudy's Bless Me Ultima

The book, Bless Me, Ultima, was based off the authors life, Rudolfo Anaya. Rudy was born on October 30th, 1937. He was born in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, with his mother, father, and nine other siblings. He was born in a Mexican-American family like most of the population of New Mexico. His father was a vaquero, a rancher that raised cattle and sheep. Raised as a catholic, In Santa Rosa, he went to elementary school. And in 1952, Rudy’s family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where he went to high school…

Words 241 - Pages 1

Bless Me Ultima Reflection

prepared me to be successful in English 1A. Most of my previous English education I can recall stem from high school at both Leadership Public Schools and later Yerba Buena High School. Although I do not remember much about the class literature (character names, specific plot events, etc.) due to how long it has been, I do remember learning writing techniques from both reading them, discussions, and doing classwork involving them. One piece of literature I remember reading in high school was Bless Me,…

Words 296 - Pages 2

Bless Me Ultima Analysis

The purpose of Antonio’s dream in “Bless Me, Ultima”, by Rudolfo Anaya, is that there is redemption or second chances for all people. The reader can identify this purpose by the authors use of repetitive diction associated with fire, imagery of the golden carp, and symbolism. Throughout the dream the author uses the word fire. Fire has a positive connotation of meaning rebirth. We first see this when he describes “the frightful fires of hell”. The purpose of the “fires” in hell is to burn people’s…

Words 357 - Pages 2

Epiphanies In Bless Me Ultima

we grow, like Antonio in bless me ultima, we start to realize that the people and things around us are not always what they seem to be. We start to realize that when we see certain things and they change us. We start to question life and start to look for answers. These clear intuitive moments of perceptions are called epiphanies and throughout the course of Bless me Ultima they play an enormous role in the growth of Antonio. Within the first two chapters of Bless me Ultima we realize that Antonio…

Words 747 - Pages 3

Bless Me Ultima Analysis

happens when the recipient of the test is a six year old boy? In Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima this is exactly what occurs. Antonio’s faith is put to the test in several powerful occasions, but it is when death strikes Antonio’s world that he really questions God as an omnipotent and benevolent being. The deaths of the war veteran Lupito, his family friend Narciso, and his own close…

Words 1750 - Pages 7

bless me ultima Essay

Abdullah Muslim Professor Galindo September, 24 2014 Bless Me UltimaBless Me Ultima, is about a boy named Antonio who is coming of age and learning how to be an adult. Even though Antonio is only six years old, he has a learning mind in the sense that he learns from different experience. It’s a little hard for him to grow up because his father wants him to herd cattle like he does on the llano and his mother want him to be a priest. But through the many experiences that I will tell you Antonio…

Words 634 - Pages 3

Bless Me, Ultima Essay

Bless Me, Ultima Ziyu Wang Bless Me, Ultima is a story about the maturation of a young Mexican-American boy, Antonio M’arez, struggling with many questions about his destiny, life and death, and good and evil. Ultima who comes to live with Antonio becomes his caretaker and his teacher. Antonio learns there are powers in the world that differ from his beliefs in the Catholic faith. Ultima teaches Antonio “that the tragic consequences of life can be overcome by…

Words 402 - Pages 2

Bless Me Ultima Analysis

Religion causes problems with a child's self-worth. In Ruldolfo Anya’s book Bless me ultima, Antonio is a 6 to 8 year old boy who is faced with adult issues and pressures from both his parents. He is only a kid, so he does not know how to cope without what he has been taught and shown. This is a great example of how religion can cause anxiety and self doubt.When a child is given religion too early it forms into self doubt and forces them to grow up too fast.Throughout the book religion is forced…

Words 873 - Pages 4

Bless Me Ultima Summary

titled “Bless Me, Ultima” which is a story telling the tale of a healer who visits town and lives with Antonio, she teaches him things he did not know and changes his life. I made a headline explaining a short summary of what the story was about and a drawing showing a scene that the author’s imagery had me envision. To begin with, the headline I made is titled “Healer visits a town and cures all”. I made it so that it is a short and straightforward summary of the story itself. Ultima, the healer…

Words 455 - Pages 2