Religion In Bless Me Ultima

When you are young you are taught what is generally right or wrong. You are not given a chance to choose what you believe in since you are only a baby, and cannot fully comprehend the concept of religion. Once you are old enough, you are exposed to the variety of cultures that may fascinate you, and will help influence how you think. The majority of individuals tend to follow their own beliefs when they are well into their adult life, since they were taught to believe what their parents believed in. In Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya, Antonio a young Catholic is left to question his beliefs when a curandera named Ultima exposes him to her own beliefs. Thus introducing Antonio to Ultimas paganistic ways which are causing him to not only explore more of his beliefs, but Antonio is discovering many ideas that go against the Catholic

At this age, he is still learning more about being a Catholic. Antonio accompanies Ultima on her walks to gather herbs, while teaching him about the different plants and trees. Ultima has no problem teaching Antonio her beliefs, like her belief of plants having spirits as well telling them why they are being harvested. She knows there will be no serious consequences. In order to help him choose his own path, Ultima shows him that an in individual is not obligated follow every Catholic belief in order to be one. For instance, so many Catholics have adopted the belief of reincarnation and it is not a Catholic belief. Reincarnations is when the soul is reborn into a new body, many people agree that one lifetime is not enough to determine the fate of a human being. When an individual is part of a religious group that does not necessarily mean they must give up their freedom of thought. Such ideas help to express an individual 's characteristic (Stafford). Thus, not only does Antonio learn from Ultima that you can have your own concept, but that it is acceptable to explore other