1. Bless Me, Ultima

2. Themes Loss of innocence Tradition and education Faith and doubt
Good and evil

3. The Setting
New Mexico
Post-WWII

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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.

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

8. Symbols
Utlima’s owl
The River
The Golden Carp