Bless Me, Ultima Rudolfo Anaya

Setting New Mexico mid-late 1940’s Particularly fitting because Antonio is very concerned with the conflicted nature of his family and background—feels he must choose one side or the other New Mexico’s conflicted history mirrors Antonio’s conflict

New Mexico Earliest known people were the Clovis people, then Pueblo, Navajo, Apache, Ute Then Spanish conquistadors searching for the Seven Golden Cities of Cibola (1540’s) Claimed as part of New Spain and went back and forth between Spanish and Pueblo control (1560’s)

16 th century manuscript Spaniards and Aztecs

Conquistadors Indigenous People

New Mexico Became part of independent Mexico in 1821 after the War of Mexican Independence Republic of Texas seceded from Mexico in 1836 and claimed the part of New Mexico east of the Rio Grande After Mexican-American war in 1848, New Mexico became a U.S. territory; 1850 Texas ceded its part. Became a state in 1912

Province of New Mexico when it belonged to Mexico

New Mexico in the United States

End of WWII This is also fitting for Antonio’s conflicts. The first atomic bombs were developed at Los Alamos in New Mexico They were tested at the Trinity site in the Jornada del Mureto desert

End of WWII Antonio is devoutly Catholic and very concerned with ideas of sin and death For him, the Trinity is a sacred and divine idea. Obviously there is a conflict in associating nuclear bombs with the Trinity There is also the conflict of “a good war”—war causes suffering and death, but sometimes war also is necessary to stop suffering and death.

Characters Antonio Marez (protagonist) 6 at the beginning of the story

Characters Antonio Marez (protagonist) 6 at the beginning of the story Father is Gabriel Marez. He is a vaquero (cowboy) from the llano (plains).

Characters Antonio Marez (protagonist) 6 at the beginning of the story Father is Gabriel Marez. He is a vaquero (cowboy) from the llano (plains). Marez means sea—a reference to the conquistadors

Characters Antonio Marez (protagonist) 6 at the beginning of the story Father is Gabriel Marez. He is a vaquero (cowboy) from the llano (plains). Marez means sea—a reference to the conquistadors Mother is Maria Luna. She is from a family of farmers.

Characters Antonio Marez (protagonist) 6 at the beginning of the story Father is Gabriel Marez. He is a vaquero (cowboy) from the llano (plains). Marez means sea—a reference to the conquistadors and wanderers Mother is Maria Luna. She is from a family of farmers. Luna means moon—a reference to farmers and settled people, living in harmony with the cycles of nature

Characters Antonio has three older brothers: Andrew, Eugene, and Leon. They are away fighting in WWII at the beginning of the story.

Characters Antonio has three older brothers: Andrew, Eugene, and Leon. They are away fighting in WWII at the beginning of the story. He also has two slightly older sisters Deborah and Theresa. They are in elementary school.

Locations Antonio and his family currently live just outside the town of Guadalupe. Antonio’s father was from Las Pasturas (the Pastures) on the Llano Estacado (the Staked Plain). Maria’s brothers (Antonio’s uncles), the Lunas, live 10 miles away at El Puerto (the Door).

Llano Estacado “The Staked Plain”

Ultima Ultima is an old woman who comes to live with Antonio’s family.

Ultima Ultima is an old woman who comes to live with Antonio’s family. She is not his grandmother, but a good friend of the family from Las Pasturas.

Ultima Ultima is an old woman who comes to live with Antonio’s family. She is not his grandmother, but a good friend of the family from Las Pasturas. She is a curandera.

Curandera A traditional healer Incorporates the use of herbs, Catholic prayers, and indigenous religious practices in healing In the novel, the element of magic inherent in Ultima’s healing is important

Antonio’s Religious Beliefs Antonio is devoutly Catholic. Some things you need to understand so you can understand his way of thinking:

Antonio’s Religious Beliefs The Virgin Mary and the Virgin of Guadalupe – In Catholicism, Mary was the mother of Jesus; she was a virgin when she gave birth to him. Often she is just called The Virgin – Some people believe that Mary has appeared to people over the years. The Virgin of Guadalupe refers to a time when she appeared to a peasant in Mexico in the 1500’s. In Catholicism, Mary can and frequently does intercede with God on behalf of sinners.

Antonio’s Religious Beliefs In Catholicism, people will pray to God, but they will also pray to saints and to the Virgin Mary. Antonio’s mother has a shrine in her house devoted to the Virgin Mary and frequently prays there.

Antonio’s Religious Beliefs Holy Communion: In Catholicism, children receive their first communion around the time they are seven. This is an important sacrament. Catholics believe that in Holy Communion the bread becomes the body of Christ and the wine becomes the blood of Christ.

Antonio’s Religious Beliefs Before a person can receive Holy Communion, he or she must make confession. A person must confess their sins to a priest and be given a penance. Children make their first confession just before they have their first communion. Confession and communion will be important moments in Antonio’s life.

Motifs Breaking away from the crowd Finding and asserting one’s own identity The ambiguity of good and evil The clash of and interconnectedness of cultures/groups