Religious Conflicts In Ultima

As an individual in a society with conflict everywhere, differing between personal and religious beliefs can often be burdensome. Making sure the best option is chosen is very important for Antonio in this novel due to his family being torn on what he should become. Many people with strong religious beliefs can also claim that they have been torn between choosing what is right for one. Making that decision can be hard for an individual from a strong religion, I do relate to being torn between choosing which is best for me.

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Overview and Background: Cultural conflicts can tear a family apart and damage them internally, mainly occurring when different cultural values and beliefs clash. Antonio 's parents both want him

Having both parents each give different opinions on something can put one in a tough situation. Having to choose one or the other is a challenging experience that can occur when each parent comes from different roots. Antonios mom, being a staunch Catholic who desperately wants Antonio to become a priest, has her roots in farming and living off the land. His father, however, would rather have Antonio join him in being a vaquero. Ultima also has something to do with this as she gets involved with Antonio 's ways of thinking and shifts his mind. “Ultima and I worked in the garden every morning, struggling against the llano to rescue good earth in which to plant.” (Anaya 83) Ultimas ways of thinking involve a lot of natural things like the earth. She is a great mentor to Antonio during her last years and helps guide him on the right path. Also, Antonio thinks that the woman who delivered him, Ultima, knows his destiny which could be the main reason he allows Ultima to mentor him. She in a way is the mediator between both of Antonio 's parents because she shows him new paths that he didn 't know of

It shows that Antonio, despite all that is occurring in his life at the moment, is able to understand that things have to keep moving mainly due to all the help and guidance he has been receiving from Ultima and others around him. Growing can come in different forms, literally, spiritually, or mentally and in the novel, Antonio had a chance to grow in all three aspects. Antonio had plenty of time to be by himself and think about the events that happened. Antonio soon realized with the help of Miss Violet that growing up would not be an easy task.(Anaya 222) Ultima also had her chance to help him understand growing in relation to nature. She shows him that there can also be a dark side to it. Making sure he knew what he was doing and growing into that was a tough challenge for Antonio. Over time, however, he eventually figured out the right path to growing and conquering