Bless me Ultima

Throughout the world one common element of culture is religion. However, not all cultures believe in the same religion. In the book “Bless Me, Ultima,” conflict between religious beliefs and what it means to sin are dominant themes in this book. Antonio, the main character, is a young Mexican boy who is raised a Christian but searches for the true meaning of religion when his Christian beliefs fail him several times. To please his mother, Antonio sets out to become the town’s priest. When Ultima, a medicine woman, cures a deathly sick man that the priest of the church could not cure using God’s powers, Antonio questions his faith in Christianity. Ultima is watched over by an owl that defends and watches over her at night. It saves her on many occasions, so the owl would be considered her savior. Again Antonio’s beliefs are questioned when he meets a young boy named Cico who tells Antonio a story about the Golden Carp. The Golden Carp is an ancient god of the valley where Antonio lives. Cico shows Antonio the golden carp in a pond outside of town, and Antonio is so fascinated by the carp he starts to wonder if believing in the Golden Carp would be a better path to chose. Ultima is an old woman who comes to li

The uncle"tms family asked Ultima if there was anything she could do. Antonio"tms mother"tms family comes from a long line of farmers, but Antonio"tms father"tms family comes from a mixed bunch of people that have never settled in one area, and they constantly move around. This book is also about this little boy Antonio growing up and becoming a man. They call his father"tms family the Marez. Antonio"tms struggle between religion, sinning, and growing up gave him the strength to try to find answers to his questions. Antonio has three older brothers who went to fight in the war and made it safely home. He is excited about becoming part of the holy church and feels that once he receives his holy communion and confesses all his sins to God that all his questions regarding his faith will be answered. Antonio dreams about God forgiving people"tms sins, but in his dream God teaches Antonio a lesson: "You foolish boy, God roared, don"tmt you see you are caught in your own trap! You would have a God who forgives all, but when it comes to your personal whims you seek punishment for your vengeance. Antonio first questions his faith when Ultima saves Antonio"tms uncle from an evil witch"tms curse. Antonio can"tmt understand why the church with God"tms powers could just give up on the individual. They leave their family in search of greater things in life. He learns he must do what he feels is right or he will never find out the truth of his existence. She is a medicine woman that cures illness with herbs and plants. Throughout this book Antonio sees three people die and learns that everybody, even good people, sins.