Magical realism is a style of fiction which includes fantastical elements interpreted into the real world. In Bless Me, Ultima, Anaya uses magical realism to set the serious and lyrical tone for a small but magical town in New Mexico. Ultima, a curandera, is accused of witchcraft on multiple occasions, she is known to heal when others could not. The contrast of reality and fantastical is shown when Antonio narrates, “The power of the doctors and the power of the church had failed to cure my Uncle. Now everyone depended on Ultima’s magic” (99). This event combines the realness of Antonio’s Uncle’s sickness with the fantasy of the healing powers of magic. It shows Antonio’s faith in Ultima as well as his pre-existing trust in magic to cure
