The Theme Of Death In Bless Me Ultima By Rudolfo Anaya

Death is one of the most evocative concepts known to man, when endured it 's arduous to reconcile the aftermath. But aside from making the hairs on the back of necks stand, death is also agonizing. The death of a loved one or anyone can break a man, and if they are not mentally prepared they could lose themselves or in many cases lose the will to continue to believe in their spiritual or secular ideology. Regardless of what it is death can always find a creep into your beliefs and make you question the fundamental pieces of your life that make you whole. In “Bless me Ultima” by Rudolfo Anaya, aside from playing a vital part in the development of the plot, the deaths that take place in this piece of literature are critical to the mindset of Antonio, the protagonist, and his beliefs. His mental change is evident through the spiritual growth from the …show more content…
At the young age of six, Antonio takes on the toll of multiple deaths, each having its impact and its lesson. However, the first storm that Antonio weathers is one of the more meaningful and leaves him to face the reality of the world and begin to question everything he believes in.. In the context of the book, Lupito was a character that came from the war Antonio's brothers were fighting. According to the novel, the war made him insane, and as a result, he ended the sheriff of the town’s life, and this obviously does not bode well for him. On page 22 we begin to see just a glimpse of the devastating sight Antonio witnesses “ I saw Lupito lifted off his feet and hurled backward by the bullets. But he got up and ran limping and crying towards the bank where I lay. "Bless me-" I thought he cried.” This initial death scene employs an immense amount of conflict within Antonio, and at the age of six, he has witnessed the murder of a war-crazed man who