Bless Me Ultima

Blood becomes the river. The human race dies and only the “she-goats and the he-goats” (109) remain. The lake “cracked with laughter of madness” and the “ghosts stood and walked upon the shore”.(109) Who dares dream such gruesome images? Antonio Marez. He questions God, he communicates with the dead, the dead ask him for blessings. Just who is this Tony? Tony is only a seven year boy who lives in small town of El Puerto. But he is no ordinary boy, he is the hero of Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me Ultima. The novel guides you through Tony’s life. From childhood to adulthood. It tells you about the experiences Tony has in life. The difficult tasks he has to overcome. Tony being only seven years old has to go through a lot.

Tony begins his story in the beginning. He does not mean the beginning of his dreams from which he learned the story of his birth and the people whom his father and mother belong to, and the story of his three brothers. He means the beginning of Ultima. Ultima is one of the most important people in Tony’s life. She is not only a curandera (healer) she is also Tony’s teacher. She guides him through his journey. A journey in which he has to find out what his destiny is. “Ultima” means “the end” for Tony Ultima is the unification between the beginning and the end. Time almost sees her as a sort of deity. Tony learns from her the names of plants, the herbs, the flowers, bushes and his appreciation for nature grows. Tony learns about the “...