Through Bless me, Ultima, Rudolfo Anaya expertly manipulates the trope of a character opposing his fictional society and their standards by using Antonia Márez and his struggle to assimilate into society’s religious expectation; moreover, Antonio must choose between his family's religion and what they symbolize along with pagan gods and Ultima’s magic. Ultimately, Antonio will have to determine if he will follow the teachings of Christ or adapt to the new rules of pagan gods. The reader follows along as Antonio struggles to believe in the Catholic faith after it continuously fails while witnessing how Ultima and her magic does not, challenging Antonio and his sense of stability. Antonio is also expected to gravitate towards being a pastor, …show more content…
Time and time again a priest will attempt to life evil or a curse but they fall short and the victims have to resort on Ultima. Antonio notices that “the power of God failed where Ultima’s worked” in matters concerning his family as well as stranger (114). Because Antonio is young and immature, he is easily impressed by the healing magic of Ultima and disappointed to learn that the God he has been worshipping all this time underwhelmed him. Even while it is presented to him continuously, Antonio still cannot captate how “the magic of Ultima be stronger than all the powers of the saints and the Holy Mother Church” (97). Through both these instances, Antonio is discouraged and confused how Ultima was able to defeat an evil even God himself could not vanquish. Alongside with the golden carp, the powers of Ultima and her magic parallel the accounts of Jesus’ miracles, furthuring the credibility of Ultima and her magic. Ultima was even paid “five dollars to cheat la muerte,” a feat associated with Jesus telling Lazarus that “he that was death come forth” (91, John 11:44) . The victories of Ultima further the rift and sense of stability Antonio feels between his familiar religion and foreign religion. Anaya uses this inner turmoil to heighten the need for self