Introduction Paragraph For Bless Me Ultima

Influences on Development
Introduction Paragraph 1
Lead In: It is common knowledge that we all as humans have to mature our way from childhood into adulthood. We are born, we age, and eventually we all end up as adults. The adults we become are based off the influences we have in our youth. It can be religious influences, cultural influences, or simply the environment we grow up in. The point is, we grow up.
II. Introduction Paragraph 2
Overview and Background
The book Bless Me, Ultima is a coming of age story. The protagonist, Antonio, is
merely a boy, but cultural influences and experiences rob him of his innocence
and Antonio must become a man. Antonio lives in fear of growing up because he knows his family has very high expectations

for him, meaning he is put in a position where maturation is a necessity. Every child matures, there comes a time where the child must realize that they need to become an adult and take on certain responsibilities. However, there are still certain aspects of maturation that differ Antonio from that of another child.

B. Statement of Position.
In Bless Me, Ultima by R. Anaya, Antonio is a typical seven year old boy, a normal child, and thus he develops like every other child, however his development differs because of his Hispanic Catholic culture; regardless, the rights of passage he undergoes are essential for his growth and maturation because these experiences force Antonio to mature into a man, robbing him of his innocence and preparing him for adulthood.

IV. Body Section I
Paragraph A
Every child at one point in their life is going to have to grow up and develop into an adult, they are not going to stay a child forever. This same principle applies to Antonio.
Every child is given virtually the same goals as an toddler. Parents will teach their children how to crawl and eventually walk on their own. Parents will also teach their children how to talk. There are basic principles every child learns and obtains in their development on the road to becoming an adult and Antonio is no exception.
For example, Antonio must attend school for the first time in his life. Schooling is an important part of practically every child’s life. Children are going to be on their own for the first time, away from home and most importantly, away from their parents. At the beginning of the novel, Antonio dreads attending school, “This fall I would be attending school. My heart sank. When I thought of leaving my mother and going to school a warm, sick feeling came to my stomach.” There is not a single child on earth who had no sense of worry on their very first day of school.
When I first attended Pre-K, I remember throwing tantrums because I hated going with a passion. It even dated back to my time in daycares. I didn’t want to be at school. I felt betrayed by my own mother. How could the women who loved me so, dump me off in a building full of strangers and trust them with my life? I eventually got over it, but not without coming to realize that every child must have had to gone through these experiences. They are necessary parts of development. We are not all going to be holding our parents hands for the entirety of our lives.
Every child will undergo events such as this and spend time away from their parents.
Paragraph B
Every child is different in their own way, but there are aspects of youth that are the same throughout.
It can range from simple things like tying one’s shoes to something like making friends.
Antonio is for the first time making friends in the novel. “Most of the kids were older than I...They all gathered around me and asked where I lived and about school. They were good friends...I became a part of their gang.” Antonio makes his first friends, which I must note are older than him, and making friends should be of utmost importance because friends can be made for life.
Without friends, people wouldn’t have anyone to rely on. As a child it’s important that we all make friends somehow. It can be hard under circumstances, but every child needs to make friends. I came to Weslaco ISD in kindergarten, and knew nobody. To make matters worse, I was moved up to first grade a month after being in class. It was horrific for me to familiarize myself with my surroundings, but I made a friend who was able to show me what to do and how to handle myself. Just like Antonio did with his little gang of friends. Without someone there for people to rub off of and trade ideals, we’d never be able to find our way and thus never be able to develop.
Overall, Antonio shares events and experiences that are essential to every child’s growth, from going to school to making friends.
V. Body Section II
Paragraph A
Although Antonio shares experiences with every other child, some of his developmental experiences differ due to his Hispanic Catholic culture.
Anyone who is very devoted to religion knows that it makes up a major portion of their lives. In most cases, religion is what fulfills people’s lives. Hispanic culture is very demanding. Hispanic parents have high standards for their children and when mixed with religion, Hispanic Catholic culture usually equals strict devotion to religion.
From the beginning of the story we are given Antonio’s ultimatum.

Antonio can become his “father’s son or his mother’s priest.” Antonio is in fear because he is growing older and knows he will have to make the decision soon. Coming from Hispanic background, Antonio does not wish to upset his father and destroy his dreams like his brothers did. Antonio’s father already has certain expectations for his son and doesn’t expect any less. However, Antonio’s mother and her family have other expectations for Antonio. She wishes for her son to become a priest and bring pride to the family. This side of Antonio’s family wants him to put his faith in God. They have his entire life planned out for him and even say “he must learn our ways -- before he is lost like the others--.”
Antonio’s parents’ expectations for their son are particular to him. Antonio’s mother has this vision of her son becoming a priest, something that only applies to the culture of which he is growing up in. Coming from a religious background, what more would a family want than one of their own devoting their life to the church, and tying in the Hispanic aspect, bringing the family a good name. All this adds to Antonio’s development and maturity. He lives in fear because he knows he is growing up, and that with these expectations he is going to have mature at a faster rate than other children to meet

them.
Not every child is going to be put through and given these expectations. The fact that Antonio comes from a Hispanic Catholic backgrounds is what differs his development and maturing from another child.
Paragraph B
Everyone can get a little paranoid at times.

We’ll feel as if someone is watching us and judging our every move.
In Hispanic Catholic culture, this feeling is sometimes ever present. This is because followers have the ideal that God is the being who is always watching and judging them.
Antonio begins to question the authenticity of religion and wonders, if God is always watching, “Why does he allow evil to go unpunished? Why does he allow evil to exist?” Regardless, he defends God when asked, “You mean I can go out and sin, do bad things… do a million bad things and then when I’m about to die I just have to go to confession and make communion, and I go to Heaven?” Antonio sees the flaws in this, and deems it unfair, but he still defends God and the Catholic Church and its beliefs.
Anything he does, Antonio knows is being watched by God. But when Antonio begins to question God, this impacts his development by being able to see what he believes to be true. Antonio may now be able to decide whether or not he wishes to devote his life to God and mature a different way.
Overall, it’s been established that Antonio is a normal child just like everyone else, but his Hispanic Catholic roots give his path of development something to differ from others.
VI. Body Section

III
Paragraph A
Regardless of how they differ from those of other children, Antonio’s development and the rights of passage he undergoes are essential for his growth and maturation.
As a mature adult, we need to know how to fend for ourselves. We all achieve this ability by applying past experiences to our given situations.
Antonio’s father states that “life destroys the pureness God gives.” It is believed that a boy becomes mature when he is robbed of his innocence. In other words, when their pureness is destroyed. There are many examples of Antonio’s innocence being robbed throughout the novel. The deaths of Lupito and Narciso, more so Lupito, are horrific to young Antonio. Antonio watches Lupito’s life get taken away right before his eyes. Antonio describes it as “[making] my blood run cold” and “a horrible nightmare.”
These experiences are more than enough to rob the youth of their innocence. Regardless, it is these events that allow Antonio to mature. As an adult, Antonio should know that there is evil in the world. Not everything is as happy and innocent as it may have seemed in his childhood. These evils and dark sides to things are essential to his growth because they open his eyes up to the truth.
Seeing the dark side of things ultimately helps mature Antonio at a much faster rate and thus better developing him into adulthood.