Antonio represents the last chance that Maria and Gabriel have in fulfilling their own dreams, yet they fail once again. Antonio, being the narrator of the novel, always had a thoughtful tone. Antonio was always questioning something and searching for answers. He also displays an appreciation for the importance of life. The pressure of both his parents drives him to seek guidance and comfort somewhere else, and that one person who gives it to him is Ultima, the curandera with her owl. Ultima is an elder of the town, who moves into Maria and Gabriel’s home. She grows to have a strong maternal relationship with Antonio. “I felt more attached to Ultima than to my own mother.” (page 123) This represents the effect of the overbearing wishes of Maria that is input onto him. Even though Antonio grew farther apart from Maria, she still grew to learn about Antonio. She was a pressuring mother but transformed to a mother who sees her son as a man. When Ultima’s owl is killed by Tenorio, the antagonist, Antonio tells his mother to take his sisters up to the room and Maria “nodded and obeyed.” (page 259) It shows how much she grew to respect Antonio’s