Conflict In Bless Me Ultima

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The conflict between Catholicism and natural religion is evident within the main character, Antonio, who has been raised Catholic but is drawn to the natural elements. Antonio meets Ultima, the woman who delivered him, at age seven and finds that he identifies very strongly with her and with the natural religion she believes; “she took my hand and I felt the power of a whirlwind sweep around me. Her eyes swept the surrounding hills and through them I saw for the first time the wild beauty of of our hills and the magic of the green river.” (Page 12) The story,’ Bless Me Ultima’ begins with Antonio’s dream of his birth, where the Luna’s, Vaqueros, and Ultima are all present. Immediately the Lunas and Vaqueros argue over the location where Antonio’s afterbirth will be buried. The Lunas desire it to be buried on holy ground so that Antonio will become a farmer or a priest. Whereas the Vaqueros plan to bury it in the Llano leading Antonio to take his father’s path and become a Vaquero. This is not only a religious conflict but a cultural conflict and somehow Ultima is the one to make the final decision neither giving into the Lunas or Vaqueros desires.

Ultima’s fluid entrance into the Marez household is a dance that tells the story of how people within a culture relate despite their differences. Ultima speaks their native language, she helps where they need help and listens to how they need to be heard. She fit into the role of respect that so many latin americans feel for the elderly, and she also assumed the role of a mentor to Antonio. There is no conflict here even though the family is Catholic and Ultima is not. She becomes a natural part of their daily routine and there is no upset in the family. Antonio begins to learn from her; Ultima shows him the beauty of nature and teaches him to be unafraid of what formerly scared him, such as the river. Before Ultima, Antonia had thought the river was evil and dangerous, but Ultima shows him that if the river is a spirit and that it is not malevolent. Now becomes a possible conflict, Antonio’s thoughts are changing; his Catholic beliefs that supernatural things and elemental spirits are wrong no longer feel like the truth. . More often than not Natural Religion and Catholicism do not conflict in the book. “The Virgin smiled at the goodness of the owl.” (Page 13) And, “Then the owl cried; it sang to the million stars that dotted the dark-blue sky, the Virgin’s gown.” These quotes show the blending of the two religions as the owl
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The parents of Antonio argue that growing into a man is a sin (the mother) and growing to be a man is a fact of life (the father) and it is there own upbringingsor cultures that produce this conflict. (Page 31) Whereas Ultima believes that growing old is a necessity and matures one. ‘"Ay! My man of learning!" my mother smiled when I entered the kitchen. She swept me in her arms and before I knew it she was crying on my shoulder. "My baby will be gone today," she sobbed. "He will be all right," Ultima said. "The sons must leave the sides of their mothers," she said almost sternly and pulled my mother gently.’ (Page

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