“I’ve always used the technique of the cuento. I am an oral storyteller, but now I do it on the printed page. I think if we were very wise we would use that same tradition in video cassettes, in movies, and on radio.” Rudolfo Anaya. Through a passion for the Southwest landscape and lifestyle, Rudolfo Anaya integrates a world of magic, religion, and culture in the novel Bless Me Ultima. Unveiling the cultural characteristics throughout the book, Anaya reveals the suffering caused by Tenorio’s schemes upon each character such as Narciso and Antonio and how each characters moral independence unravels.
The first man to come running to Ultima’s side is Narciso. Through all of the events Tenorios brings, Narciso stands his ground against the evil man but feels the pain of having a friend in danger. When Tenorio’s mob arrives to Tony’s house upon a hill, Narciso is the first to warn the family. Feeling a debt owed to Ultima, Narciso places himself in the hands of danger with no dear standing in between him and darkness. He is morally attentive to Ultima and her powers and also to the powers of the Catholic church, “”I call you fools because you all know the test for a bruja, and yet you did not think to use it. I is simple. Take the holy needles and pin them to the door. Put them in so they are crossed -and in the name of God!” he roared. “You all know that a witch cannot walk through a door so marked by the sign of Christ!”” During his death, when shot by Tenorio, the physical pain does not compare to his spiritual calling to be cleansed by a religious figure. The one to be standing by his side, Antonio, commences the confession, “Confess me-”. Narciso’s devoutness to Ultima leads to his death because of Tenorio’s evil ways but in the end his religion is all he has in his final moments, “Thank you, father, I will sin no more-”
The Review on Bless Me Ultima Book Report
... dream. In this town there are many dangers. Here, Tenorio fights with Narciso over Ultima. This is also the place where Antonio's brother ... Book Report: Bless Me, Ultima Title of Work: Bless Me Ultima Author & Date Written: Rudolfo Anaya 1972 Country of Author: New Mexico, ... was never mentioned. Other significant imagery: In the novel Rudolfo Anaya uses imagery to give you a feel of the environment ...
Living up to the expectations of his mother, Antonio is still forming his ideals on the world around him and religion which greatly influences his culture. Following Ultima to his grandfathers home to cure his Uncle Lucas, Tony comes into contact with Tenorio for the first time. Under Ultima’s watchful eye, Tony is able to escape a possible death, “With a nimble sidestep and a pull she jerked me from the path of the black horse and rider that went crashing by us.” The black magic that Tenorio fed into his daughters allows for Antonio to doubt where his faith is vested in, “Would the magic of Ultima be stronger than all the powers of the saints and the Holy Mother Church? I wondered.” Tony witnesses many extreme spectrums of religion, and Tenorio forces him into a situation that takes Tony to a different level of religious capacity than most 6 year old boys would be able to handle. The dying Narciso asks for one last wish to confess. Tony takes on a position of a “priest,” “then I made the sign of the cross over him.”
Dividing himself from the guidance of his mother, Antonio searches for his own truths. By the end all of the events due to the evils such as Tenorio’s actions and forthcoming actions, cause Tony to question his duty in his family, “Would they smile when they learned I doubted the God of my forefathers, the God of the Lunas, and knew I praised the beauty of the golden carp?” The third major event Tenorio’s darkness causes was the death of Ultima’s owl. Antonio’s new beliefs had taken form due to many factors but mostly because of Ultima. The death of Ultima because of Tenorio causes Tony the most suffering. He ran from his grandfathers to his home because of his love being so great for her and he endured physical pain and later emotional suffering. “Bless me, Ultima-”
