Jasmine Reyes
Mr. Lelinski
College Preparatory English II
24 April, 2018
As Antonio struggles with the confusion of his own persona, one of his overall struggle is choosing an identity of one of either of his parents, Marez or Luna. As the novel, Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya, portrays this character going through many internal conflicts and stress, he fails to realize sooner that he is both and will always be a part of both identities. By the end Antonio decides to embrace both identities for they are both a contribution and aspect to his character. it is important because it depicts the sense that that one's identity may be difficult to decipher; however, in the end you cannot deny the fact the both sides run through your veins.
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by this Anaya is trying to tell us that as an individual there is not just one thing that identifies us, it is a complex mixture of characteristics and aspects to our persona tha makeup that identity. In the luna family, the people are more peaceful and relaxed.
They are farmers with strong faith. Antonio's mother wants Antonio to fulfill her dream of him becoming a priest; However, this becomes an issue for him because of not truly knowing if that is what he wants. He goes through many internal conflicts of whether he should be a Luna or a Marez. In one of his dreams he states, “We must all gather around father...his dream to ride westward in search of a new adventure. My brothers frowned. You are a luna, they chanted in unison, you are to be a farmer-priest for mother!...you are but a baby, tony, you are our mother’s dream” (Anaya 26). This shows that his worry and stress even haunt him in his sleep. He is told to follow his mom's dream but he himself doesn’t get a say in the decision. He wishes to also make his father happy but; nevertheless, at this point he believes there can only be one identity that he can choose to embrace. Ironically, the Luna and the Marez family don't really seem to get along. This has also affected Antonio because of the thought of being completely disowned by half of his family. In this case he tries to seek answers and goes to ultima to let him know he should …show more content…
do. The Marez family is practically the opposite of the Luna family.
The Marez are people who are vaqueros and ride in the llano fast and free. They individuals in which the nature of the earth speaks to them. Though according to Antonio's mother she,"did not like the people of the llano. To her they were worthless drunkards, wanderers. She did not understand their tragedy, their search for the freedom that was now forever gone. [His] mother had lived in the llano many years when she married my father, but the valley and the river were too ingrained in her for her to change." (Pg. 131) As his father said to him”Understanding comes with life." (194) meaning that one can not fully understand life if one does not live through it. Thus indicates that Antonio will not get his answers right away but eventually he will after all the stress and
pondering. Ultima is a character in which Antonio relies on and observes. Although Antonio seeks to find answers from her, she ultimately doesnt give him a straightforward answer. As antonio struggles to find an answer to what identity he chooses, ultima even expresses what she does by saying "My work was to do good," she continued, "I was to heal the sick and show them the path of goodness. But I was not to interfere with the destiny of any man.” this can symbolize also that no one can choose anyone's destiny. Not even ultima. Antonio gets to decide himself who he wants to become and no one can really stop him. Not even his parents can tell him who or what to be. "I bless you in the name of all that is good and strong and beautiful, Antonio. Always have the strength to live. Love life, and if despair enters your heart, look for me in the evenings when the wind is gentle and the owls sing in the hills. I shaH be with you-" This quote can also represent that antonio can only follow what he believes is good and what he himself wants to be. No one perceives the world in the exact same way. Many people have beliefs and judgements that contradict one another. An individual is the only one who can decide in the end, what they want and what seems to be their own definition of the good and evil of the world. In this case it is Antonio who can decide. No one else. Though he does not understand it at first,...(add something here) :-D The tragic consequences of life can be overcome by the magical strength that resides in the human heart. The end of the novel reconciles the identity of Antonio by his choosing of being both identities, Luna and Marez. Antonio has seen many things in life and about the world, as well as his brothers. They are no longer satisfied with the limited amount of freedom they have on their dreams. Just as Antonio’s brother stated “we’re men, Andy, we’re not boys any longer. We can't be tied down to old dreams” (101-102). This signifies the importance that an individual, especially when they mature, are the ones responsible to making their own decisions. In the end it doesn't matter what everybody else thinks, people are just bound to take a path that they feel is right, even if it's not right away. Bless Me, Ultima explores the two families cultural traditions The Luna’s and The Marez and their conflicts between the differences of those traditions. In the end, Anaya suggests that a person, like Antonio can incorporate traditions from both sides of his family to create a more complex and fitting identity that will suit him. This leaves Antonio is so eager to find the answer about him and who he will become because he has been influenced by both sides of the family.
“From Lieutenant Nun,” a memoir written by doña Catalina de Erauso, tells an intriguing story of a young Spanish female and her advantageous journey through Spain and the New World. Her family intends for her to become a nun but, that is not the life she seeks for herself. Therefore, she breaks away from the convent in hopes of finding somewhere to make her fortune by passing as a male. Catalina’s story is noteworthy because it gives readers another perspective of exploration focusing on self-discovery during the seventeenth century emphasizing how passing as a male is the only thing that secured her ability to explore. In the memoir, Catalina repeatedly reminisces about clothing and, whether she consciously or unconsciously does so, she allows the reader to see that this is an important aspect of her exploration. Throughout Catalina’s journey, clothing plays an increasingly important role not only in her travels but, also her personal life because it symbolized ones status, role, gender and privileges.
In Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima, the author uses Tony’s dreams as a way of displaying various symbols. Three symbols that are used often are weather, water, and the Golden Carp. Weather is used to represent conflict. Water represents cleansing, and rejuvenation. The Golden Carp symbolizes religion and Tony’s beliefs. Because dreams are not an exact mirror of reality, they become the perfect tool for introducing symbolism. The author uses the dream as a way to access the recurring themes of the book.
In the novel, Bless me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, a boy goes through many more experiences than any child in the hot summer days in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. He witnesses the deaths of his close friends and family. This boy expresses his emotions and grief through his dreams, only to wake up with fear and confusion in his mind. Antonio’s life is filled with dreams that foreshadow future incidents, as well as influences Antonio’s beliefs of religion and ideas of innocence.
Family is one of those words that have a significant meaning to various individuals. Family may be viewed one way to an individual and another way to someone else. Family consists of those who have played a particular role in one’s life, whether it is positive or negative. In this paper, I will assess Reymundo’s family both nuclear and extended and speak of how his family has become significant in his life and how they have played a role in his decisions. I will also speak of my personal reactions to the story as well as address ways that as a social worker I could work to impact the gang problems in Orlando.
Another example of the evolution of Tony's sense of good and evil through the utilisation of setting is Tony's own home. To him, his home provided him with warmth and safety. This was due to the people who lived in the house. Antonio's father creates a sense of protection in the home. When Tenorio and his men come to he house to take Ultima away, Tony's father "would let no man invade his home" (pg 123). This gave Tony faith that as long as his father was around, he would be protected. Antonio's mother made home a loving and caring place to be. She would always baby Antonio and give him the affection he needed whenever he needed it. The morning after Tony had seen Lupito killed, Ultima tells Tony's mother not to be too hard on Antonio; he had a hard night last night. His mother puts her arms around Tony and holds him saying he "is only a boy, a baby yet" (Pg.28). The Virgin also makes the atmosphere of Antonio's home peaceful and protected. Tony loves the Virgin Mary because "she always forgave" (Pg. 42). Tony thought she was "full of a quiet, peaceful love" (Pg.42) which she filled the home with. The most important person who contributed to the goodness of Antonio's home was Ultima. She made Antonio feel as though her presence filled the home with safety, love, and a sense of security. When Tony saw Lupito get killed, it was Ultima who calmed him. Whenever he had a nightmare, Ultima was there to comfort Antonio and "[he] could sleep again" (Pg.
This novel is a story of a Chicano family. Sofi, her husband Domingo together with their four daughters – Esperanza, Fe, Caridad, and Loca live in the little town of Tome, New Mexico. The story focuses on the struggles of Sofi, the death of her daughters and the problems of their town. Sofi endures all the hardships and problems that come her way. Her marriage is deteriorating; her daughters are dying one by one. But, she endures it all and comes out stronger and more enlightened than ever. Sofi is a woman that never gives up no matter how poorly life treats her. The author- Ana Castillo mixes religion, super natural occurrences, sex, laughter and heartbreak in this novel. The novel is tragic, with no happy ending but at the same time funny and inspiring. It is full of the victory of the human spirit. The names of Sofi’s first three daughters denote the three major Christian ideals (Hope, Faith and Charity).
In the poem pride, Dahlia Ravikovitch uses many poetic devices. She uses an analogy for the poem as a whole, and a few metaphors inside it, such as, “the rock has an open wound.” Ravikovitch also uses personification multiple times, for example: “Years pass over them as they wait.” and, “the seaweed whips around, the sea bursts forth and rolls back--” Ravikovitch also uses inclusive language such as when she says: “I’m telling you,” and “I told you.” She uses these phrases to make the reader feel apart of the poem, and to draw the reader in. She also uses repetition, for example, repetition of the word years.
Duong Thu Huong’s novel, ‘Paradise of the Blind’ creates a reflective, often bittersweet atmosphere through the narrator Hang’s expressive descriptions of the landscapes she remembers through her life. Huong’s protagonist emphasises the emotional effects these landscapes have on her, acknowledging, “many landscapes have left their mark on me.”
In the book “Bless Me Ultima”, by Rudolpho 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.
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya is a coming of age story about a young boy named Antonio Marez. The novel takes place in New Mexico where Antonio tries to fulfill his parent’s expectations while struggling with religion. Through Antonio, Anaya defies the some of the principles in religion and expresses her interpretation on the system of beliefs. Antonio’s religious confusion suggests that man should be able to choose his own religion and destiny. In the Bless me, Ultima, Antonio experiences conflict in his religious beliefs because of the deaths he witnesses, the new ideas that he learns, and his open-minded mentality.
Junot Diaz’s “Otravida, Otravez” postulates a perspective of life where one’s present and future always reflects their past in some way. Diaz incorporates symbolic figures to convey how a person’s past can be carried into the future. Diaz’s use of symbolic figures includes the dirty sheets washed by Yasmin, the letters sent by Virta to Ramon, and the young girl who begins working with Yasmin at the hospital. These symbolic figures and situations remind the readers that the past will always play a major role in one’s present. Additionally, Diaz’s word choice, where Spanish words appear in many different parts of the reading, suggests that indirectly, one’s past habits are not easily broken.
Family is one of the most important institutions in society. Family influences different aspects of a person’s life, such as their religion, values, morals and behavior. Unfortunately, problems may arise when an individual’s belief system or behavior does not coincide with that of family standards. Consequently, individuals may be forced to repress their emotions or avoid acting in ways that that are not acceptable to the family. In the novel The Rain God, written by Arturo Islas, we are presented with a story about a matriarchal family that deals with various conflicts. One major internal conflict is repression. Throughout the novel the characters act in strange ways and many of the family members have internal “monsters” that represent the past that they are repressing. In his article, “The Historical Imagination in Arturo Islas’s The Rain God and Migrant Souls”, Antonio C. Marquez’s implicitly asserts a true idea that The Rain God is a story about repression. Marquez’s idea can be supported from an analysis of secondary sources and a reading of the primary text.
“Who is more to blame though either should do wrong? She who sins for pay or he who pays to sin?” Throughout “You Foolish Men” by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz the central question lies around who is to really blame for the suppression of women. De la Cruz attempts throughout her poem to portray men as ludicrous for their a double standard of women. However, De la Cruz blames human nature more than men for the suppression of women.
Malinalli lost her family, her harvest, her home and even her identity. Malinalli took pride in the meaning of her name meaning grass but once she arrived with the spanish “Marina, (was) the name they had given her… (meant) she who came from the sea…(Malinalli asked) is that all? (44). Instead of accepting her new simple name she “decided on her own to take control of her new name… it meant that she was assured of eternal life, for water was eternal and it would forever nourish who she was:the braided grass” (45). Malinalli did not settle with her new identity only meaning she came from the water, she knew she was more than that and like she came from water, water was needed for survival therefore Marina was needed in order to live. With her new identity came new powers Malinalli had never experienced. By working with Cortes as his “tongue” Malinalli “ had the power with her words to include others in a common purpose, to clothe them, to shelter them. Or she could exclude them, making them into foes, separate beings with irreconcilable ideas” (66). For the first time in her life “it was she who could decide what was said and what went unsaid, what to confirm and what to deny, what would be made known and what kept secret”(66). Malinalli knew she must remain submissive and translate word to word the message from the Aztecs to the
The novel Tsotsi, by Athol Fugard, is a story of redemption and reconciliation, facing the past, and confronts the core elements of human nature. The character going through this journey, who the novel is named after, is a young man who is part of the lowest level of society in a poor shanty town in South Africa. Tsotsi is a thug, someone who kills for money and suffers no remorse. But he starts changing when circumstance finds him in possession of a baby, which acts as a catalyst in his life. A chain of events leads him to regain memories of his childhood and discover why he is the way he is. The novel sets parameters of being “human” and brings these to the consideration of the reader. The reader’s limits of redemption are challenged as Tsotsi comes from a life lacking what the novel suggests are base human emotions.