“The tragic consequences of life can be overcome by the magical strength that resides in the human heart”, as said by Ultima. Antonio has this realization in chapter 22, when he realizes that Ultima has been trying to teach him all along. Antonio can experience the suffering of his friends and family and string of tragic deaths that he witnesses, and still persevere and thrive. Antonio’s questions and resolutions here are basically Anaya’s thesis for the novel. He must embrace all the aspects of his culture and childhood- Luna and Marez; Native American, Spanish, and English; Catholic and pagan; curanderismo and priesthood- and build his own identity out of them, accepting them all as valid in their contradictions. This also resolves the tension between innocence and experience that arises from the moment that Maria first claims that it is a sin to grow up. The last dream portrays Antonio’s inner religious doubt in the form of the people he has acted as priest for, as he wonders if his prayers had any effect. That …show more content…
Antonio watches as a priest defiles and altar by pouring pigeon blood on it, Cico defiles the river by spearing the golden carp, and Tenorio murders Ultima by killing her “night-spirit.’ Antonio must learn to accept that violence brings change, and in fact, that change is a kind of violence. This supports the novel’s argument that the transition into adulthood requires a person to develop the kind of faith that can accept doubt, contradiction, and loss in the absence of absolute answers. Ultima reiterates the novel’s concern with violence as a part of change when, before Antonio leaves, she advises him that he must learn to accept change and make it a part of his strength. Antonio begins to understand the spiritual value that Ultima places on harmony. His separation from Ultima is also a test of the lessons that she is teaching him regarding the ambiguity of good and