Bless Me Ultima Good Vs Evil Analysis

“Good is always stronger than evil. Always remember that Antonio” (Anaya 102). These are words that heavily apply in the book Bless Me, Ultima and they summarize a common theme of good and evil in the novel. In Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima, juxtaposition is used to convey a sense of good and evil in various characters and it portrays that the goodness in each and every person is determined through their actions. Throughout the book, the relationship between Ultima and Tenorio depicts good and evil through the development of juxtaposition. In the novel, Ultima is represented as an owl which embodies goodness while Tenorio is represented as coyotes which epitomize evil. This is shown when Ultima interacts with Tenorio through her

An occurring location in the book is Rosie’s House which is a brothel and is supposed to represent the root of sin and juxtaposes Antonio’s innocence. An example of this is in one of Antonio’s dreams in where his brothers are drawn into Rosie’s house. “The water wet her blouse and the thin cotton fabric clung around the curve of her breasts. No! I shouted in my dream, I cannot enter, I cannot think those thoughts. I am to be a priest” (73). The temptation of the woman in Rosie’s house and Antonio’s innocence directly correlates to good and evil as Rosie’s house represents the root of sin and Antonio’s innocence represents purity and goodness. Antonio accumulates a sense of good and evil because he decides not to give in to the temptation and his actions establish the good in him. Another example of this is when Antonio’s brothers decide to go into the brothel and they give into the temptation. “My brothers laughed and pushed me aside. Do not enter, I cried. It is written on the waters of the river that you shall lose your souls to hell if you enter!” (73). The juxtaposition in this passage is the sin and the temptation of Rosie’s house taking over Antonio’s brothers and Antonio keeping his innocence and his purity. Antonio’s brother did not cultivate purity and instead gain a sense of evil as their decision to give into the beckoning of sin plants the