Bless Me Ultima Comparison

Throughout the year we have read novels like Bless Me Ultima, The Sun Also Rises, The Scarlet Letter, and The Crucible where characters choose to follow their heart instead of what society dictates. They had a conflict with religion, love and choose to listen to their heart to solve it even when they knew it would end badly.

In “Bless Me Ultima” by Rudolfo Anaya, Antonio went against what other people believed and questioned God. He went with his heart that was telling him to question why God does this. Tony went through so much at such a young age he saw his loved ones die right in front of him which made him feel helpless. He started to question why a God would do this to someone and have no punished. He wanted a God that would

be kind and punish no one. He was still a child with a mother and father who had certain beliefs that were pushed on to him. They needed him to be a priest so he could make the family have honor. It did not matter what he wanted. One example of Antonio choose his heart over what society dictates is when he absolved Florence. Florence his friend did not believe in God. He just wanted to play with his friends while they were having Antonio play the priest. Antonio absolved all of their sins and gave them a pence. Yet with Florence who said he had no sins, Tony absolved them and said “There will be no punishment or penance. Your sins are forgiven, go in peace my son.” The children said he should be punished or beaten since he did not believe in God. But Tony went with his heart and absolved his sins. This act of kindness made the children not want him as a priest anymore. Tony knew what would happen but he chooses to do it anyway.
In “The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemingway Jake who is the protagonist goes against his country because of what they did and how they treated the war heroes after.

He is in love with a woman named Brett who has been divorced twice. She is broken inside, which is why he loves her. She sleeps with random people even though she is engaged to marry one of the wealthiest mans yet. Yet she loves Jake but only because he is broken too. He can not physically have sex which is what she craves in life. She sleeps with his friend Robert Cohn. Knowing that would kill him she still did it. Robert falls in love with her like every man. Which upsets Jake more because others get to be physical with her yet he can’t. He helps her and she helps him throughout the novel. He pays for what she needs, and she helps him when he is sick from the war. One example of Jake saving Brett is when Romero who is a bullfighter leaves Brett because he realizes he can’t fix her. She is stuck in a motel and needs Jake to come and save her. Even though it kills him that she ran off with him, he goes and saves her. He realizes even though he loves her, he will never have her. She realizes that she leaves a trail of broken hearts and doesn’t want to make Jake one. She knows Jake can never be what she needs him to be. They go with their heart and leave each other knowing what could have

been.
In “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester chooses to stay in the town that hates her because of her sinning against her husband by being pregnant with another man’s child. Even though they believed her husband was dead, you would have to wait seven years. The father is Dimmesdale who is a reverend. She chooses to stay because she is in love with the idea of Dimmesdale. After she has the baby Pearl she has punishments like having to stand on a scaffold for three hours a day while holding a baby until she gives up the name of the father. If she gives up the name of the father they would both likely be killed. She continues with the punishments, having to wear an A on her chest, and Pearl who is the product of sin. Hester takes the pain and shame for both of them because she loves him. She continues to choose with her heart. When Pearl starts to grow up the council thinks she might be a demon or good. Either way, they don’t want her living with Hester. Hester goes to the governor's house and says she needs Pearl. She tells him how good of a mother she is and that she loves Pearl. She makes Dimmesdale say words on her behalf. They allow her to keep Pearl. Hester knows in her heart that Pearl will be bullied and that she can give her nothing yet she chooses to keep her knowing that. Throughout the novel, she continues to choose what her heart says versus what society says. That is what makes her stand out from the others who dress the same and do what others are doing. Not what they should be doing.
In life, we are sometimes taught to do what society believes or do what is logical, but some of us choose to listen to our heart. Doing what others do and think isn't what we need to be doing. Sometimes logic is the way to go and others it is your heart just like what those characters did.