Death can change a lot of things in a person's life. For Antonio, the deaths he saw shook the foundation of his beliefs. This led him down paths of confusion and in the end it brought him to what he wanted to believe in. He was young when he saw his first murder, the shooting of Lupito at the hand of the town. Later on he would see the deaths of close friends, and his own grandmother. These deaths helped to shape him as he grew up into a man, and how he viewed his religious beliefs.
Antonio's first changes began when he saw the killing of Lupito. Seeing this man die at the hand of the men in town rose many questions for Antonio. He pondered the judgement of God, namely how he punished sin. Antonio didn't believe Lupito deserved such a heartless death, even if he was a murderer. When he hears Lupito say his last prayer, Antonio wonders "Did God listen? Would he hear? ... And where was Lupito's soul winging to" (Anaya, pg. 320-321). This death is what sparked the questioning that Antonio would do for years to come. With his father being a part of the mob, Antonio doubted the purity of his father, too. He wasn't sure what to believe in.
…show more content…
Narciso gives his last confession to Antonio, and this act confuses him. Tony did not feel closer to God after it happened, he felt pushed further away. He sat in bewilderment that God could let a good man like Narciso die at the hand of such an evil man. He didn't understand God's judgement. He believed that God would punish Tenorio for his crime, but he hadn't faced any consequences. The thought ran through his mind of why God might let Tenorio live, and not Narciso. The forgiveness (or lack of) that God possessed was a confusing concept for Antonio. This made him wish for a more forgiving