Cico explains that the golden carp
prophesied that the weight of people’s sin would cause the land to sink and be swallowed by the underground lake beneath it
. When Antonio replies that it is not fair to the men who don’t sin, Cico tells him that all men sin.
What does the golden carp symbolize?
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 is the legend of the golden carp?
The golden carp is
supposedly a god sent to guide the other carp
, who were once ancient people who sinned. Tony can actually see the carp and feel a sense of enlightenment, as opposed to the seeming ineffectiveness of the Christian God.
What is the prophecy of the carp?
The legend of the carp was
that the gods forbade the people to eat the carp
. During a terrible drought, however, the people disobeyed the rule. One of the gods pleaded for mercy, so rather than destroy the people, the other gods turned them into carp instead of killing them.
What was the story of the golden carp in Bless Me Ultima?
In Bless Me Ultima,nthe Golden
Carp is a pagan deity that Antonio learns about during his crisis of faith
. The Golden Carp is symbolically representative of pagan religions that existed in North America before the Spanish colonization.
Who takes Antonio to the golden carp?
Summary: Once (11)
Cico
offers to take Antonio to see the golden carp. After confirming that Antonio has never fished for a carp, Cico asks Antonio if he believes the golden carp is a god. Crestfallen, Antonio replies that he cannot believe in any god except the god of his church because he is a Catholic.
Why does Tony seem to believe so strongly in the golden carp?
Antonio tends to feel shocked that the carp is actually real and visible, he gets a
sense of enlightenment and religious fulfillment
that he’s never felt from Christianity which is why he tends to believe strongly in the Golden Carp although he is expected to be faithful towards his religion.
Who told anyone about the golden carp?
But,
Samuel
explains, one god loved the people so much that he asked to be turned into a carp, too, so that he could protect them. Samuel says, “‘But because he was a god they made him very big and colored him the color of gold. And they made him the lord of all the waters of the valley.
What is Tony’s conflict about the golden carp?
Antonio
considers the possibility that his mother has been praying to the wrong god
; perhaps she should pray to the golden carp. He asks Samuel where he can see the golden carp and is told that Cico will show him the fabulous carp. From that moment on, Antonio is obsessed with the concept of the holy, golden carp.
What is the golden carp How does it affect Antonio’s growth?
The Golden Carp plays a huge role in the development of Antonio as
a person both spiritually and physically
. Just by seeing the Golden Carp, Antonio realizes that this is what he expected from his first communion in the Catholic Church (But never received). Ultima’s miracles had worked where God’s had not.
What does the moon symbolize in Bless Me Ultima?
By Rudolfo Anaya
Antonio’s mother’s last name is Luna, which is the Spanish word for moon. … The moon also symbolizes
what her family stands for—farming, being tied to the land, and therefore staying in one place
.
What are the main themes 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 Antonio’s dream in Chapter 11?
That night Antonio dreams of
all the dead people in the waters of the golden carp
. His parents have been spared, but they argue about what water flows in Antonio’s veins – the moonlit water of the Virgin, or the salt water of the ocean which binds him to the golden carp.
What does Antonio’s dream at the beginning of chapter 9 indicate?
Summary: Nueve (9) Antonio dreams that
his three brothers urge him to enter Rosie’s brothel
. Antonio calls out that he must resist because he might become a priest. His brothers León and Eugene predict that he will eventually enter the brothel.
How does Antonio lose his innocence?
Antonio is
put into the center of many distressing events
which cause him to grow up faster, and lose his innocence. Antonio has many questions about spirits, god and beliefs. To get his answers, he must undergo a transformation. To attain maturity, you must have a loss of innocence.
What does Ultima keep in her little black bag?
When he wakes, he vomits green bile. Ultima catches it in
rags
that she stores in a bag. Afterward, Antonio is able to keep down some atole, a gruel made of corn meal.
