Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me Ultima

From the beginning, Rudolfo Anaya sets up his novel, Bless Me Ultima, with an unconventional chronology. Unlike most children, milestones in Antonio’s age are quietly acknowledged, and the passage of time is merely in the background. But although a child’s growth is typically measured by the passage of time, the novel shows the growth of Antonio in a wholly different way; that is, Antonio grows as he gains knowledge about his own spirituality. More specifically, he discovers that the most central element of his development is comprehending, and accepting, the role that forgiveness and punishment should play in his relationship with God. Antonio has an immediate connection to the healing nature of Ultima and her indigenous beliefs; this connection …show more content…
Antonio first hears of the legend of the Golden Carp from Samuel and is surprised when Samuel describes the inherently kind nature of the God who became the Golden Carp. “The one kind god who loved the people grew very sad. The river was full of dangers to the new fish. So he went to the other gods and told him that he chose to be turned into a carp and swim the river where he could take care of his people” (80-81). Instead of ruling over the townspeople, the “kind” god takes sympathy for their struggles, lowering himself to their existence as carp so that he may protect them. This quality of a god, that is so disparate from the punishing Catholic God, captivates Antonio, who has been a devout Catholic since birth, told repeatedly by his mother that he is to become a priest. When he sees the Golden Carp up close, he is even more enchanted. “‘The golden carp,’ I whispered in awe. I could not have been more entranced if I had seen the Virgin, or God Himself. The golden carp had seen me. It made a wide sweep, its back making ripples in the dark water. I could have reached out into the water and touched the holy fish!’” (114). In this moment, Antonio not only revels in the magnificent beauty of the Golden Carp, but makes a distinction between it and the “Virgin” as well as “God …show more content…
Antonio is naturally disbelieving when Florence first confides in him about his disbelief in God. Florence rationalizes to him that no God would have forced an innocent child to endure the death of his mother and the woes of a drunken father (195), yet Antonio attempts to justify the nature of Florence’s struggles, claiming that “‘God puts obstacles in front of us so that we will have to overcome them’” (196). But Antonio quickly realizes his naivety, admitting that he “was still trying to hold on to God,” and that he “‘did not think [he] could live without God’” (196). As a young boy, it feels unnatural for him to reject the beliefs that are the very backbone of his mother’s identity; to believe in another God would be to betray his mother and to venture into unknown religious territory. However, Antonio is once again reminded of the punishing nature of Catholicism when Florence is forced to stand in the middle of church with his arms raised after being late to mass (198). Antonio is particularly affected by Florence’s punishment, observing that he “stood very straight and quiet,” and admitting that he “felt sorry for him” (198). As such, he is inspired to introduce Florence to the Golden Carp, a God that Florence can certainly find comfort and forgiveness in, but