“Bless Me Ultima” In the book “Bless Me Ultima”, by Rudolph o Anaya, there were two families represented, the Marez family and the Lunas family. These two families were very different, but were brought together by the marriage of Gabriel Marez and Maria Lunas. Through the eyes of their son Antonio one may see the comparison of the two. The differentiation of these two families is very clearly noticeable, such as in their personalities, the expression of their religion, and their everyday ways of life. One can easily see the difference in their personality even down to the most basic things. The Marez’s are very free spirited, they do not like to have to worry about things.
They can be seen mainly riding their horses around the llano. An example of this is shown in the book where Gabriel Marez speaks of his move to Guadeloupe at the birth of his son, Antonio. In this he says, ‘The move lowered my father in esteem of his compares, the other vaqueros who clung tenaciously to their way of life and freedom.’ On the other hand the Lunas are more down to earth. They are farmers, so they stay in one place to grow their crops, and are very land oriented. They concentrate more on work and less on the free will that can be seen in the Marez family. As far as religion goes the Lunas are far more religious than the Marez family.
Religion plays a very important part in the life of the Lunas. They believe highly in God and everything else that is involved in the Roman Catholic religion. Maria Lunas is shown to be praying to the Virgin Mary on many different occasions in the book. The Lunas family has been encouraging Antonio to become a priest throughout his life, to the point that he believes he is obligated too. This is clearly shown in the book where Antonio states, “My mother was a devout Catholic, and so she saw the salvation of the soul rooted in the Holy Mother Church, and she said the world would be saved if the people turned to the earth.” On the other hand the Marez family is not very religious at all. They don’t believe that God plays a very important part in their lives.
The Essay on Analysis of Life, Death and the After-Life in Religion
Do not stand at my grave and weep;I am not there, I do not sleep.I am a thousand winds that blow.I am the diamond glints on snow.I am the sunlight on ripened grain.I am the gentle autumn rain.When you awaken in the morning's hushI am the swift uplifting rushOf quiet birds in circled flight.I am the soft stars that shine at night.Do not stand at my grave and cry;I am not there, I did not die.-- ...
One can even see the differences through there everyday lives. The Marez family are very restless people. They are wanderers, they would like to just roam throughout the land. They think about their own needs and desires before thoughts of others. In one of Antonio’s dream’s he describes his birth. In this dream he says, ‘Then the silence was shattered with the sound of hoof beats; vaqueros surrounded the small house with shouts and gunshots, and when they entered the room they were laughing and singing and drinking.’ The Lunas, antithetically, are very tranquil, relaxed, and even tempered family.
They care about the needs of their entire family, and they do what they can to fulfill those needs. They also take very much care for their land and the llano. Two families with such contrasting characteristics were brought together in this book. With one family being so caring and loving, while the other so carefree.
One not so serious about their religion and the other revolving around it. One being so loving of the land, while the other of themselves. Yet through the personal journey of a young boy, Antonio, one can see how they can blend so well together.
