The novel “Bless Me. Ultima” by Rudolfo Anaya is pastoral. revelatory and. at the same clip. tragic narrative uncovering the complex nature of human dealingss and ambiguity of the universe. The fresh Teachs readers non to interfere with the fate of any individual non to alter the cosmic order. However. Ultima dares to act upon the fate and her decease at the terminal of the novel is symbolical representation that every individual should be responsible for his ain actions. The writer describes dealingss between an old therapist Ultima and a immature male child Antonio who is seeking for truth.

The novel can be defined every bit revelatory as the writer illustrates that biculturalism leads to inevitable struggle between civilizations and faiths. I think that the fresh belongs to Chicano literature being instead popular in 1965-1975s. However. it can be seen as cultural novel which tends to research self-development. personality and cultural individuality in the universe filled with race and cultural favoritism. The novel is rich narrative weaving many subjects and sub-themes together leting readers for different readings.

Therefore. the aims of the paper are to analyse author’s composing manner. dealingss between Antonio and Ultima. to place chief subjects and symbols. and to discourse the inquiry of autobiography. “Bless Me. Ultima” : Analysis I think that the novel “Bless Me. Ultima” can be analyzed from different positions and from many angles. The novel is a rich literary work covering with societal alterations. cognitive and psychological development of chief heroes. spiritual issues. etc.

Furthermore. the fresh weaves cultural struggles and formation of cultural individuality into credible and consistent narrative exemplifying the smoothes and roughs of Antonio’s life – the chief hero. On the one manus. the novel can be seen as love affair novel as it discusses social period through myth creative activity. On the other manus. the novel can be seen as cultural novel as it describes historical struggle between small towns and opposes race favoritism in the United States. Furthermore. the novel can be defined as Chicano literature as it promotes revelatory thoughts and tempers.

The fresh nowadayss fertile background for analysis as the writer uses rich subjects and symbols to demo the life base on balls of a immature extraordinary male child. Writing Style The writer incorporates powerful and graphic images to show the multiplicity and ambiguity of responses. In other words. Anaya uses prophetic dreams. episodes of horseplay among kids. idyllic scenes showing harmoniousness and natural balance. mystical dynamism. scenes of force and decease as imagination to make strong feeling and to do people think whether the universe we see is existent one and what the fate of the individual is.

However. the fresh tends to uncover whether it is allowable to alter human fate. Anaya uses strong imagination to demo that characters and nature are strongly tied together making alleged natural continuum. Anaya refers to technique of subjugation when composing the novel in order to make multi-level struggle. For illustration. Antonio’s parents have opposing backgrounds. positions and aspirations. Further. spiritual are opposed in their beliefs. values and demands on the person. Cosmic forced are apposed as they symbolize ageless battle between the good and the immorality.

Finally. the writer juxtaposes signifiers of nature stating they can take whether to do dirt prohibitionist or fertile. The novel is based on struggles – societal. psychological. physical and cultural. Antonio’s life is besides a struggle. The novel is besides based on tripartites. It means that all evens and things are happening in alleged ‘threes’ . For illustration. there are three civilizations in the novel. three Trementina sisters. three brothers. three Comanche liquors. three prophetic dreams. three Ultima’s attempts to place her ethnicity. and three Ultima’s intervention in the life of other people. Numerology is cardinal in construction of the secret plan.

Issue of Autobiography I think that “bless Me. Ultima” can be defined as quasi-autobiographical novel as the storyteller refers to ‘I’ manner demoing that the novel is generated from personal experience or experience of the younger ‘I’ . The novel is told by mature Antonio who portions experiences of being a immature male child. Furthermore. the experiences are transmitted in infantile mode and it may look that the narrative is told by a six-year-old male child. One more interesting fact is that the writer says that he had to mention to his personal experiences and experiences of other kids to build the narrative.

Despite the fact that the novel is quasi-biographical. the readers aren’t allowed to separate the existent and imagined events as the writer represents everything as fiction. I think that the writer does establish the narrative on rich expository of personal experiences. but he skilfully hides this fact. Relationss between Antonio and Ultima Antonio is the chief hero in the novel who decided to accommodate his conflicting spiritual and cultural individuality. Antonio is merely six old ages old. but he is extraordinary kid with oppugning head. grasp of life. and moral wonder.

Antonio is more serious than other kids of his age. he is more sensitive to ambiguity of the universe and conflicting cultural traditions. Anaya shows that Antonio is troubled about his unsure fate and he is willing to understand the universe. After the decease of one of the town’s occupants Antonio seems to immerse into crisis of the religion and for the first clip he doubts cogency of the Catholic religion. Therefore. desire to uncover the truth can be defined as one of the strongest constituents of his character as his desire leads to involvement in wickedness. decease. artlessness. and the nature of God.

Antonio is developing to adulthood throughout the fresh patterned advance and it is Ultima who teaches how to stay morally independent. to have cognition from all available traditions and to forbear from biass and restrictions. Ultima leads Antonio to his physical and psychological adulthood. Ultima helps him to decide many struggles and to find his hereafter. Old therapist Ultima represents the moral system which Anaya supports. Relationships between Antonio and Ultima are the most of import bond in the novel. Ultima is Antonio’s wise man assisting him to get the better of troubles and to get by with anxiousnesss and uncertainnesss.

Relationss between chief characters can be defined even as religious. Ultima nowadayss herself as the keeper of Antonio’s fate and starts playing cardinal function in his life and mind. She uses her power of act uponing to do Antonio think of himself and make his ain sense of morality. Ultima incorporates cognition of both Catholic and autochthonal traditions. She thinks that spiritualty and life are tied. However. we see that Catholic Church rejects her mystical power. and Ultima respects its wisdom go toing mass on a regular basis.

Ultima Teachs to appreciate every bit multiple religion and positions as each individual is entailed with rights to do independent moral determinations. Ultima instills tolerance. open-mindedness and independency in Antonio’s religion. Ultima treats Antonio with regard and apprehension. despite he is a little kid. At the terminal of the fresh Antonio is treated as religious spouse and Ultima asks to bury the bird of Minerva which symbolizes her ain decease. Ultima dies. but her spirit continues to steer Antonio throughout his life. Main Themes

First. the writer stresses the importance of moral independency as no 1 has the rights to interfere with the fate of others. Anaya emphasizes rights to believe independently and to do up moral determinations. In the fresh Antonio’s advancement is the mark of adulthood and self-development. Antonio invariably struggles to do his ain determinations and he realizes that complex experience of faith has forced to alter his heads. Antonio is truly defeated when he realizes that the church has failed and pressing inquiries about human morality emerge in his caput. We see that Ultima becomes his usher and Teachs about morality and independency.

Furthermore. Ultima explains ambiguity of life stressing that life can be viewed merely in footings of civilization and faith. Cultural and spiritual traditions are of import. but they constrain human abilities to be morally independent. Antonio realizes that he should happen replies about immorality. good. psyche. forgiveness and truth himself. Once Antonio has committed fatal error. when he believed that the Communion rite was able to reply all inquiries. Alternatively. Ultima teaches Antonio to do determinations and picks himself. Second. the writer identifies the influence of civilization on individuality.

In the fresh Anaya explores the struggle between cultural traditions which fail to co-exist as one civilization tends to rule others and frailty poetry. However. in the terminal we see that the writer offers new solution – he argues that several cultural traditions are able to make more adaptable individuality. For illustration. Antonio manages to happen replies as his life has been influenced by several invariably conflicting civilizations. The first struggle was with his parents as Antonio’s female parent wanted him to go a priest. whereas his male parents wanted Antonio to sit the llano. The job was that parents had different cultural strong beliefs.

The following struggle is observed within Antonio’s native town where Spanish civilization is fighting with other civilization. The struggle is presented in tensenesss between the Catholic Church and Ultima’s mystical folklore. I think that through such struggles the writer explores the influence of civilization on individuality formation. Anaya shows that many characters in the narrative are limited by cultural biass and they have failed to look beyond their skyline. For illustration. when people define Narciso as rummy they didn’t see his traumatic experiences in the war. although it is known that war may serious falsify human mind.

Ultima Teachs Antonio to go free from cultural and spiritual restrictions. Alternatively. she tends to promote Antonio to believe of all cultural influences as it is the lone manner to go a descent individual. Symbolism “Bless Me. Ultima” is extremely symbolical novel. The writer uses different colourss. figures. Numberss and objects to stand for abstract thoughts and constructs. In the novel the aureate carp. Ultima’s bird of Minerva and the virgin of Guadalupe are provided with symbolic significances. As for mea. the aureate carp is symbolical representation of charming spiritual order which is barely associated with Catholicism.

The fable about aureate carp offers chief characters and readers moral counsel. trade name of wisdom and comfort. Golden carp supports author’s thought that cultural traditions are different. but they are every bit valid. Antonio foremost rejects the aureate carp as he thinks that in such a manner he abandons God. However. subsequently he realizes that aureate carp can assist to weave cultural and spiritual beginnings together in making his won individuality. Then. Ultima’s Owl represents spiritual mysticism and life force. One dark the bird of Minerva sings outside Antonio’s windows typifying Ultima’s presence in boy’s life.

Furthermore. bird of Minerva is the symbol of protective power of thaumaturgy. In the terminal of the fresh violent death of the bird symbolically represents that Ultima’s life force is destroyed and she will decease shortly. When Antonio buries the bird. he buries Ultima. Finally. the Virgin of Guadalupe represents symbolically understanding. forgiveness and solution of cultural struggle. The narrative of the Virgin is definitely rapprochement of Antonio’s autochthonal civilization and European Catholic Church. When Antonio is frustrated. he frequently turns to Virgin to happen a forgiving God. Decision

“Bless Me. Ultima” reveals the equivocal nature of the universe and human dealingss. The writer shows that every individual has to do independent picks and to appreciate different spiritual and cultural traditions as it is the lone manner to go a better individual. Ultima teaches Antonio to make his ain sense of morality and to stay independent individual. Furthermore. she teaches him to avoid biass and restriction. But the writer shows that no 1 is allowed to interfere with the fate of other people. Works Cited Anaya. Rudolfo. Bless Me. Ultima. New York: Grand Central Publishing. 1994.