Bless Me Ultima Themes Loss of innocence Tradition

Bless Me, Ultima

Themes • • Loss of innocence Tradition and education Faith and doubt Good and evil

The Setting • New Mexico • Post-WWII

First person point of View (Antonio) • At beginning 6 yrs old – Limited because he does not fully understand much about the world, especially why people act as they do. • Sometimes observant and sometimes perplexed about what he sees and hears

Antonio’s multicultural identity: • Learns spirituality of Catholicism from his mother • Learns spirituality of nature from Ultima • Inherits the dream of freedom from his father and brothers – Point of view and narration is driven by these influences and are often in conflict

Language • Mix of Spanish and English illustrates blending of two languages in Antonio’s life • Defines certain characters and emphasizes certain ideas and expressions which defy translation • For readers who do not speak Spanish, the foreign dialogue can make reading the novel confusing or obscure, creating the same feeling of alienation that Antonio feels when he is introduced to English at school.

Conflicts • Chapter 1 sets up conflicts – Antonio’s mother and father have different priorities in life – Religion vs. tradition

Symbols • Utlima’s owl • The River • The Golden Carp