rliest experiences growing up, family conflict, school, religion, evil and death... Much good in this novel, beauty, magic, New Mexico landscape, legends... (Shirley and Shirley, 105).
             All of this is true, but there is more that they did not mention. The novel is full of inner conflicts. Each of the story lines of thought of Antonio represents not only a personal conflict, but also a social one. An old society vs. a new one, Spanish vs. English, good vs. evil, Catholics vs. Protestants vs. legends, the town vs. the llano and so on. In each one of them we can see the formation or foundation of a new society ruled by Antonio's generation. A new society not yet aware of itself, but new nevertheless.
             For a better understanding of my analysis I have defined several different components that present essential keys in the underlined development of a border culture. The development if the Mexican border culture is called to be a mixture of two worlds. Tom Miller says that:
             Ironies and contradictions thrive on the border between the US and Mexico, a region that does not adhere to the economic, ethical, political, or cultural standards of either country (...) It is a third country of its own, its own food, its language, its music (...) It is a colony onto itself, long and narrow, ruled by two faraway powers. (Tom Miller, xii)
             In the same way, Anaya's description of Antonio's life represents ironies and contradictions, first in a main cultural collision of Mexican, Spanish and Indian culture, family structure and language; and then, in more deep levels of religion, and basic understanding of oneself. Inner fights and double realities are present through out Antonio's development. Ramon Saldivar does an extensive study of Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima, and as well as Shirley and Shirley, he seems to be afraid of calling or recognizing a representation of a border culture.
             Bless Me, U...