Conflicts In Bless Me Ultima

Bless Me Ultima is a novel centered around the psychological maturation of a young Chicano boy living on the plains of New Mexico. The novel begins with Ultima currandera that was invited to live with the Marez family. Antonio is preoccupied with the anxiety and nerve wrecking consciousness of attending his first day school and having to be a whole day separated from his beloved mother. Another concern of his is to know and determine his destiny. This concern is highly debated issue within his family because his mother's wants him to become a farmer priest; however, his father insists on him being a vaquero. Throughout the novel family values and religious views shape the development of Antonio and trigger a rough journey to redefine his destiny

One specific conflict that Antonio faces in the novel is the obnoxious and competing pulls of his both his father’s and mother’s heritage. The Marez heritage of his father calls him to be a wandering cowboy, like his brothers, whereas the Luna heritage from his mother calls him to be a farmer priest. Antonio feels an obligation fulfill their desires, but he also has a desire to follow in the footsteps of his older brothers, he views them in an idealized manner. Throughout the novel both of these two warring sides seem to try to gain dominion over Antonio. When Antonio helps Ultima heal his uncle, Ultima tells Antonio "The blood of the Luna's was very thick in you”. After his beloved sons leave him and his strong dreams of moving to California Antonio’s father also seems to recognize the dominance of the Luna blood in his son. Antonio strives to portray his brothers; however, his brothers have their own expectations for him. Since they chose to follow the lifestyle of their father’s side, they insist that Antonio follow the Luna side of the family just to equally maintain the balance and lessen the disputes between the two battling families. Antonio is able to gain freedom and some independence from his expected obligations only after Ultima arrives that. This freedom and opportunity is because Ultima is not an actual member of their family, she brings a outside and more lenient perspective to his future and. Ultima helps Antonio extract himself from the demanding expectations of his family and is able make his own decisions about his future and his path in life. Ultima acts as a mentor for him and helps him cope with his uncertainties and anxieties. Towards the end of the novel that Antonio finally begins to realize and comprehend how he can actually combine and incorporate both of these contradictory heritages and disputes within