Bless Me, Ultima
explores the difficulty of reconciling conflicting cultural traditions
. In the end, Anaya suggests that a person can draw from several cultural traditions to forge a more complex and adaptable identity.
What are 4 themes or more found in Bless Me, Ultima?
- Revenge.
- Fear.
- Identity.
- Men and Masculinity.
- Fate and Free Will.
- Memory and the Past.
- The Supernatural.
- Coming-of-Age.
What is the main conflict in Bless Me, Ultima?
major conflict As
Antonio moves from childhood to adolescence, he tries to reconcile his parents’ and his community’s conflicting cultural traditions
; Antonio’s goal is independent thought and action; he strives to make his own moral decisions and to accept responsibility for their consequences.
What purpose do Tony’s dreams serve Bless Me, Ultima?
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.
Why should I read Bless Me, Ultima?
For this reason, “Bless Me, Ultima” has become a well-loved novel for all, but especially to the Chicano population. This book resonates with Chicanos because it
reminds the reader of their family’s foundations, their family’s cultural practices, and every Chicano’s conflict with their mestizo identity
.
What does the golden carp symbolize in Bless Me, Ultima?
The golden carp represents
a magical religious order not connected to Catholicism
. The golden carp legend offers its own brand of wisdom, comfort, and moral guidance.
What does the river symbolize in Bless Me, Ultima?
The water of the river represents
the sins and impurity of the town itself
. In the novel, the Golden Carp, a pagan god, never swims in the river because of its impurity. The pond represents purity and innocence. … Blood– In the novel, blood symbolizes several things.
Why was Bless Me Ultima banned?
Reason for Ban/Challenge: Bless Me, Ultima has been challenged in the past due to adult language,
some violence, and several sexual references
. Several schools have also cited irreverence toward God, anti-Catholic angles, and pagan content as justification for bans.
What is the style of Bless Me Ultima?
The novel is written in
a simple style
that demonstrates the perceptive images of Anaya’s understanding of the rural culture of Chicano/as in eastern New Mexico in the 1940s. It is bilingual in that it is interspersed with Spanish phrases and terms, but it lacks the fluid code-switching found in everyday life.
Who is the main character in Bless Me Ultima?
Antonio Márez
The precocious protagonist of Bless Me, Ultima, Antonio is six years old at the beginning of the novel.
What is Gabriel’s Dream in Bless Me Ultima?
fester like a sore – / and then run?”In Bless Me, Ultima Antonio’s dad, Gabriel, spends much of the book lamenting the fall of the “llano” way of life and wishing that he can move his family west. Gabriel’s dream
represents the pre-colonizer lifestyle of American Indians, living off the plains, free from the
…
What does Antonio’s dream reveal about his personality?
Antonio’s dreams reveal that
he feels divided between his mother’s family’s rootedness and desire for him to become a farmer, connected to the land
, and to become a priest and his father’s family’s dreams of roaming across the llano.
What danger does Ultima warn the family about if she agrees to cure Lucas?
When Ultima arrives in El Puerto, she forbids the Lunas to kill the coyotes that will surround Prudencio’s home when she works her cure. When Ultima takes Antonio to confront Tenorio to warn him that his daughters
must lift the curse
or suffer the consequences, Tenorio makes the sign of the cross.
What level is Bless Me Ultima?
Bless Me, Ultima | Anaya, Rudolfo | Lexile & Reading Level:
840
.
Is Bless Me Ultima appropriate?
Age Appropriate for:
12+
. Some cursing, violence (a man being shot and another attacked by an animal), discussion of drinking and a brothel in the town, and questioning of the meaning and purpose of God; also some creepy imagery of witches and a man missing an eye.
Why is Ultima called a curandera?
As Antonio says, “Ultima was a curandera, a woman who knew the herbs and remedies of the ancients, a miracle-worker who could heal the sick…. And because a
curandera had this power she was misunderstood and often suspected of practicing witchcraft herself
.”
