Juxtaposition In Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima

First of all, Anaya used juxtaposition while Uncle Lucas was cursed to demonstrate the absence of God’s power and the presence of Ultima’s powers in times of need; therefore, causing Antonio to question the religion he was born with. Specifically, when "the holy priest at El Puerto had been asked to exorcise el encanto, the curse, and he had failed" after Uncle Lucas got cursed by brujas in the forest (Anaya 84). Uncle Lucas was on his deathbed, dying from the curse inflicted on him for interrupting the brujas ' dance for el Diablo. He attempted to defend God by punishing the sinful, non-Christian actions of the brujas. However, when the Christian priest attempted to heal Uncle Lucas, he did not have the ability. This event exposes the lack of God’s power because Uncle Lucas tried to help god and the church by punishing the brujas, but god’s workers, the Christian priests, did not have powers from God to heal; therefore, leaving Uncle Lucas to die. While Uncle Lucas had only been trying to support the church, God was not there for him;

Anaya proved god was not the only way to resolve problems, a mixture of religion and culture is necessary for growth, and god is not the only entity protecting people throughout their lives. Anaya’s purpose of promoting syncretism was exceptionally described through Ultima’s cures juxtaposed with Catholicism in his novel. The juxtaposition found in Bless Me, Ultima is and enlightening creation, able to bring harmony between two different cultures without war: “wisdom and experience allow one to look beyond difference to behold unity,” (Kanoza, 1999). For this reason, Anaya’s novel had the influence to create a whole new genre; Chicano