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Ultima’s Magic

Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya is a story about the maturation of a young Mexican-American boy, Antonio M’arez, who is struggling with many questions about his destiny, life and death, and good and evil. Ultima who comes to live with Antonio becomes his caretaker and his teacher. Antonio learns there are powers in the world that differ from his beliefs in the Catholic faith through Ultima’s wisdom.

Ultima explains to Antonio “that the tragic consequences of life can be overcome by the magical strength that resides in the human heart” (Anaya 237). Ultima shows Antonio how to experience the magic of life with his heart and not with his eyes. For the first time, he sees the river not as something to be feared but as a source of life. This new outlook of the river is evident in the quote, “I had been afraid of the awful presence of the river, which was the soul of the river, but through her I learned that my spirit shared in the spirit of all things” (15). The river is both creative and destructive in nature. It is this new magical way of seeing the river that will help Antonio understand many of the events that occur in the novel. As Antonio deepens his understanding of the river and the forces of nature tha

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It is this growing harmony with the earth that will later help Antonio connect with his heritage and the ancient ways of his ancestors. She reassures Antonio that she will always be with him, “when the wind is gentle and the owls sing in the hills” (261). Birth, life, and death are all part of the universe and like Ultima; Antonio too must go through the process. Ultimately, it is his teacher and friend, Ultima, which teaches Antonio that life is a cycle and that understanding oneself brings peace and harmony. In his new enlightenment, Antonio learns to appreciate nature and this helps him develop a spiritual relationship with the plants of the llano.

At the end of the novel as Ultima is dying, Antonio again understands “that the tragic consequences of life can be overcome by the magical strength that resides in the

human heart” (237). Antonio learns that his future is tied to his past and that his destiny will be guided by an understanding of his heritage and “the magical strength that resides in the human heart” (237). Ultima instructs Antonio that one must give back to the earth what has been taken away. It is this spiritual connection with the earth that helps Antonio understand “that the tragic consequences of life can be overcome by the magical strength that resides in the human heart” (237). On her deathbed, Ultima explains, “the owl was my spirit, my bond to the time and harmony of the universe” (260). In the future, Antonio will build his own dreams, “out of those things that were so much a part of my childhood” (261). Upon Ultima’s death, Antonio is no longer afraid of death. Narciso had died trying to warn Ultima but few remembered anything good about him. The townspeople do not seek justice because Narciso had been the town drunk and his life seemed worthless, “Because Narciso was the town drunk, nobody cared much” (177).

Approximate Word count = 899
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

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