The world is filled to the brim with conflicting forces and imbalances. For millennia, civilizations have repeatedly tried to explain the idea of opposite sides and how they affect the world they exist in. For example: Yin and Yang, or in the case of Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, Gabriel and Maria Marez. Yin and yang symbols represent the idea of perfect balance and harmony in Chinese culture, demonstrating the polar forces that create and explain the world. Yin stands for femininity and passiveness, while Yang stands for masculinity and activeness, much like the characters of Maria and Gabriel. The story of Bless Me Ultima is punctuated by the clashing personalities of the two characters, and those conflicts have both adverse and favorable
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After years of going to church and praising God with his mother like a good catholic, Tony develops a deep faith in God, but that is shaken by father’s open-mindedness and inquiring personality. While on the way to his uncles’ farm, Tony and Gabriel discuss religion, and Tony puts all of his doubts on the table. Gabriel, instead of preaching the word of God upon his son, tells him: “Understanding comes with life.” (248) Tony takes this to heart, becoming increasingly independent, and eventually declaring “I am a Marez” (250) to his Uncle. Later, as Ultima is in danger, Tony commands his mother to take his sisters to their room, citing that “it was the first time I had ever spoken to her as a man,” (259) demonstrating that he has cast off his blind faith in his mother, and has stopped taking orders from her. Tony has begun his own “soul searching,” and has started crafting a view of the world that blends that of both his mother and
After years of going to church and praising God with his mother like a good catholic, Tony develops a deep faith in God, but that is shaken by father’s open-mindedness and inquiring personality. While on the way to his uncles’ farm, Tony and Gabriel discuss religion, and Tony puts all of his doubts on the table. Gabriel, instead of preaching the word of God upon his son, tells him: “Understanding comes with life.” (248) Tony takes this to heart, becoming increasingly independent, and eventually declaring “I am a Marez” (250) to his Uncle. Later, as Ultima is in danger, Tony commands his mother to take his sisters to their room, citing that “it was the first time I had ever spoken to her as a man,” (259) demonstrating that he has cast off his blind faith in his mother, and has stopped taking orders from her. Tony has begun his own “soul searching,” and has started crafting a view of the world that blends that of both his mother and