Cultural Conflict In Bless Me Ultima By Rudolfo Anaya

Within the novel there is a major cultural conflict that the protagonist, Antonio, faces from the beginning to the end of the book. As a reader of Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, it is obvious that Antonio, the protagonist, is presented with two paths. His mother who is a Catholic wants him to become a priest, and in contrast, Ultima, who believes in Curanderismo is pushing him to choose his own path. The setting of this novel takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico preceding the 1970s. With this type of background a reader can grasp the difficulty that Antonio has with his identity throughout the novel. Rudolfo Anaya writes Bless Me Ultima and expresses his thoughts through Antonio, writing in first person. This can be a big wake up call for all

In one part of your life you go through a stage where you question yourself of who or what you will become in the future. The author presents different cultures throughout the novel, and only these two cultures seem to play a role in Antonios journey to reveal his own identity. It is with the help of Ultima that he is able to oversee these two cultures and finally zoom out and understand that everyone has their different beliefs and customs. In the novel it states, "But from my father and Ultima I had learned that the greater immortality is in the freedom of man, and that freedom is best nourished by the noble expanse of land and air and pure, white sky"(Anaya 228). In other words Ultima is the one who led the way for Antonio in order for him to see and accept the way other people think and how their way of life is. Being that his parents had different beliefs, it benefits Antonio in a way that helps him grow as a person. Antonio would not be the person he is at the end of the novel if it was not for Ultima, who helped him find his identity and make him the strong man he is towards the end of the falling