A very interesting line from the popular 2015 musical, Hamilton, says, “Death doesn’t discriminate between the sinners and the saints, it takes and it takes and it takes.” A major theme from the novel Bless Me, Ultima, says that Rudolfo Anaya, the author, believes that fate and death are inevitable, but people must learn to cope with them, especially in cases of the deaths of people who they believe innocent. This theme relates to the line from Hamilton, because they are both talking about how death will take everyone in the end, and it doesn’t matter how good someone is. In Bless Me, Ultima, Antonio witnesses the deaths of three men, and two of the men he believes deserve to be forgiven of their sins. Anaya uses Antonio’s dreams to illustrate how we must learn to deal with death in the dreams after the deaths of Lupito, Narciso, and Florence. Immediately after Antonio went back to his house after witnessing Lupito’s death.
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He fell asleep under Ultima’s watch, and he had a dream about his brothers and what will happen to the soul of Lupito. In his dream, his brothers cried, “It is the soul of Lupito… doomed to wander the river at night because the water washed his soul away” (26). When Antonio’s brothers say this, it shows Antonio’s maturity. He is very open to new ideas and he is able to understand the more complex ideas, like the ideas of afterlife and death. Immediately after this, La llorona out, “La llorona seeks the soul of Antoniooooooooo . . . . . . Lupito seeks his blessinggggggggg . . .” (26). La llorona is a witch who cries on the river banks. When she cries out these words, she is talking about how she wants Antonio to die, and she is luring him in by telling him that Lupito needs forgiving. This shows that Antonio is not dealing with Lupito’s death very well, because he feels as if it was his fault for Lupito dying without being forgiven. The day after Lupito’s death and the dream, Antonio thinks about what he saw the night before. He thinks about the death of Lupito and where his soul could have gone. When Antonio is by himself, he thinks, “Perhaps, like the dream said, the water of the river had washed his soul away…” (27). This is one of the first signs of Antonio starting to doubt his faith and be confused about the afterlife. The dream confused him, and made him more unsure about where Lupito’s soul would be. Although the first death had a big impact on his life through his understanding of death and how he is able to cope with it, the death of Narciso made an even bigger imprint on his life. The death of Narciso was a very important occasion in Antonio’s life, because he was able to be with him and hear his last confession before he died. When Antonio witnessed Narciso’s murder, is was very cold outside, so he became ill almost immediately. He stayed in bed and was being cared for by Ultima, and when he fell asleep, he had a very long dream about the death of Narciso, the forgiveness of God and the Virgin, and the Trementina sisters. At the beginning of the dream, because he is very confused by who God and the Virgin choose to forgive. Antonio wants them to forgive Narciso, but they said that they would only forgive Narciso if they could forgive Tenorio as well. However, Antonio did not understand why they would forgive Tenorio as well. Antonio cries, “’No! No! … it is Narciso that you must forgive! Intercede for him so that he may gain the joys of heaven.’ ‘Antonio, [the Virgin] …show more content…
In this dream, he sees three figures, who are Lupito, Narciso, and Florence. These are all the men he has seen die up to this point. The three figures appear to him in this way,
First I saw Narciso. He held his hands to the gaping, bloody wound at his chest. Behind him came the mangled body of Lupito, jerking crazily to the laughter of the townspeople. And finally I saw the body of Florence, floating motionlessly in the dark water. These are the men I have seen die! I cried. Who else will my prayers accompany to the land of death?
He fell asleep under Ultima’s watch, and he had a dream about his brothers and what will happen to the soul of Lupito. In his dream, his brothers cried, “It is the soul of Lupito… doomed to wander the river at night because the water washed his soul away” (26). When Antonio’s brothers say this, it shows Antonio’s maturity. He is very open to new ideas and he is able to understand the more complex ideas, like the ideas of afterlife and death. Immediately after this, La llorona out, “La llorona seeks the soul of Antoniooooooooo . . . . . . Lupito seeks his blessinggggggggg . . .” (26). La llorona is a witch who cries on the river banks. When she cries out these words, she is talking about how she wants Antonio to die, and she is luring him in by telling him that Lupito needs forgiving. This shows that Antonio is not dealing with Lupito’s death very well, because he feels as if it was his fault for Lupito dying without being forgiven. The day after Lupito’s death and the dream, Antonio thinks about what he saw the night before. He thinks about the death of Lupito and where his soul could have gone. When Antonio is by himself, he thinks, “Perhaps, like the dream said, the water of the river had washed his soul away…” (27). This is one of the first signs of Antonio starting to doubt his faith and be confused about the afterlife. The dream confused him, and made him more unsure about where Lupito’s soul would be. Although the first death had a big impact on his life through his understanding of death and how he is able to cope with it, the death of Narciso made an even bigger imprint on his life. The death of Narciso was a very important occasion in Antonio’s life, because he was able to be with him and hear his last confession before he died. When Antonio witnessed Narciso’s murder, is was very cold outside, so he became ill almost immediately. He stayed in bed and was being cared for by Ultima, and when he fell asleep, he had a very long dream about the death of Narciso, the forgiveness of God and the Virgin, and the Trementina sisters. At the beginning of the dream, because he is very confused by who God and the Virgin choose to forgive. Antonio wants them to forgive Narciso, but they said that they would only forgive Narciso if they could forgive Tenorio as well. However, Antonio did not understand why they would forgive Tenorio as well. Antonio cries, “’No! No! … it is Narciso that you must forgive! Intercede for him so that he may gain the joys of heaven.’ ‘Antonio, [the Virgin] …show more content…
In this dream, he sees three figures, who are Lupito, Narciso, and Florence. These are all the men he has seen die up to this point. The three figures appear to him in this way,
First I saw Narciso. He held his hands to the gaping, bloody wound at his chest. Behind him came the mangled body of Lupito, jerking crazily to the laughter of the townspeople. And finally I saw the body of Florence, floating motionlessly in the dark water. These are the men I have seen die! I cried. Who else will my prayers accompany to the land of death?