Bless Me, Ultima

Bless Me, Ultima

by Richard Chun

4.6 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	783 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	316 pages

FREE

A Journey of Identity, Faith, and Growing Up

Bless Me, Ultima is a novel by Rudolfo Anaya that tells the story of Antonio Márez, a young boy growing up in New Mexico in the 1940s. The novel follows Antonio as he grapples with his identity, his faith, and the challenges of growing up in a world that is changing rapidly.

Antonio is a curious and intelligent boy, but he is also deeply troubled by the violence and poverty that he sees around him. He longs for a better life, but he is not sure how to achieve it. Ultima, a curandera, or healer, comes to live with Antonio's family and helps him to understand his own power and to see the world with new eyes.

Through Ultima, Antonio learns about the importance of family, community, and tradition. He also learns about the power of faith and the importance of forgiveness. Bless Me, Ultima is a beautifully written and moving novel that will stay with readers long after they finish it.

Characters

• Antonio Márez - The protagonist of the novel, a young boy who is struggling to find his place in the world.
• Ultima - A curandera, or healer, who comes to live with Antonio's family and helps him to understand his own power and to see the world with new eyes.
• Antonio's father - A hard-working farmer who is struggling to make ends meet.
• Antonio's mother - A devout Catholic who is deeply concerned about her son's soul.
• Florence - Antonio's sister, who is a kind and loving person.
• Samuel - Antonio's brother, who is a troublemaker and a bully.

Themes

• Identity - Antonio is struggling to find his place in the world. He is Mexican-American, but he does not feel like he fully belongs to either culture. Ultima helps him to understand his own unique identity and to be proud of who he is.
• Faith - Antonio is a devout Catholic, but he is also struggling with his faith. He sees the violence and poverty that surrounds him, and he wonders how a loving God could allow such suffering. Ultima helps him to understand that faith is not about blindly accepting everything that happens, but about finding hope and meaning in the midst of suffering.
• Growing up - Antonio is on the cusp of adulthood, and he is facing the challenges of growing up in a rapidly changing world. Ultima helps him to understand the importance of family, community, and tradition, and to make his own choices about the kind of person he wants to be.

Setting

Bless Me, Ultima is set in New Mexico in the 1940s. The novel captures the beauty and the harshness of the New Mexican landscape, and it provides a glimpse into the lives of the Hispanic people who lived there at the time.

Bless Me, Ultima is a beautifully written and moving novel that will stay with readers long after they finish it. The novel is a powerful exploration of identity, faith, and growing up, and it is a must-read for anyone interested in Hispanic literature or the American Southwest.