Analysis Of Bless Me Ultima By Rudolfo Anaya

The past is always a memory, today will forever be one, but one can never understand the future until it arrives. In Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya – a Latin-American fiction novel– 7-year-old Antonio “Tony” Márez, who struggles to discover his destiny and his future while his parent’s dreams, his faith and pagan beliefs, and his experiences clash together; however, he must, at the same time, learn his own path from friend-of-the-family and mentor Ultima. Education contributes greatly to the central conflict, and is a major factor in Antonio’s life. Antonio finds his way through childhood by means of his own experiences, but the experiences of those close to him are quite potent in shaping him into the man he will become. This is first shown

The Lunas have throughout the novel been described by Tony as intelligent and highly religious– just as he himself is. His mother’s experiences and their ancestors’ have been carried unto him, and have given him reason to be the same way. This contributes to the conflict because as he grows, Tony must decide if he will become the old Luna priest or a Marez vaquero, and in this instance he is leaning towards the former. The same thing is later shown by his brother when, after coming home from war, he advises Antonio, “If there’s one thing I learned in the army, it’s that the guy with an education gets ahead” (73). Even in combat, where brain seems to have a bigger impact than brawn and gunfire and bloodshed throw thinking and reasoning out the window, brain triumphs over brawn. In this case, it is by his older

Anaya writes after Antonio is situated in school, “Miss Maestas sent a note telling her that I was progressing very well, and my mother was happy that a man of learning was once again to be delivered to the Lunas.” (64). Education becomes a large factor in Tony’s life because he’s so intelligent and successful in that regard. Others recognize this, including his teacher, who notifies his family of a new educated Luna. This ends up contributing to the central conflict of his parents clashing beliefs. This is again shown when, at the end of the school year, Antonio skips second grade and will go on to third grade the following year, and he says, “So instead of passing me from first to second grade he was passing me from first to third… My mother would be proud of me” (76). More than just his teacher recognizes Tony’s intelligence, but also the administration of the school. This leads to his promotion in grade,and his mother’s pride. However, Gabriel gets irate on his son’s first day of school, so while it is certain that Gabriel is proud of his son for succeeding in school, it is easy to entertain that standing out among other students as does a shining star isn’t his dream. His parents’ attitudes toward his son is one of the largest conflicts in