What does it mean to be a Marez in Bless Me, Ultima?
Ultima- An old Curandera who comes to spend her last days with Antonio and his family. She is Tony’s mentor and helps him to find the right path for his life. Antonio Marez- A young boy who is torn between his parents: a Marez and a Luna. A kind woman whose one dream is to see her youngest son become a priest.
What are some quotes from Bless Me, Ultima?
Preview — Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
- “It is because good is always stronger than evil.
- “Understanding comes with life.
- “It seemed the more I knew about people the more I knew about the strange magic hidden in their hearts.”
- “Ultima came to stay with us the summer I was almost seven.
Who is Antonio Marez in Bless Me, Ultima?
Antonio Márez The precocious protagonist of Bless Me, Ultima, Antonio is six years old at the beginning of the novel. Antonio is serious, thoughtful, and prone to moral questioning, and his experiences force him to confront difficult issues that blur the lines between right and wrong.
How did Ultima describe the Luna and Marez families?
How old is Antonio when Ultima comes to live with his family? How did Ultima describe the Luna and Marez families? She says the Lunas are quiet like the moon and that the Marez are wild like the ocean. Why did Antonio’s family go to El Puerto?
Who is Gabriel Marez?
Antonio’s father, a former vaquero (cowboy) of the llano. Gabriel prizes freedom above all else, and is often bitter against the town and his wife for taking him from the llano.
What does it mean to grow up in Bless Me Ultima?
Growing Up Theme Analysis. LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Bless Me, Ultima, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. There is also a recurring theme that growing up means a loss of innocence, or that adulthood is something inherently sinful.
Why does Ultima come to live with the Marez family?
Why does Ultima live with the Márez family? She comes to help María, who is no longer able to care for the family. Her house in Las Pasturas burned down and she doesn’t have anywhere to live. She is Antonio’s godmother, and wants to make sure he is taken care of.
How are the Lunas and Marez fundamentally different?
As far as religion goes the Lunas are far more religious than the Marez family. Religion plays a very important part in the life of the Lunas. They believe highly in God and everything else that is involved in the Roman Catholic religion.
Why does the Marez family take in Ultima?
When Antonio Márez is almost seven years old, the old healer Ultima comes to stay with him and his family in their small house in Guadalupe, New Mexico. The family has taken in Ultima out of a respect for her healing powers, her knowledge of plant lore, and her long use of folk magic in service of the community.
What does Lupito’s death symbolize?
The idea that Lupito’s blood was spilled as a result of his sinful actions is now tainting and defiling the purity and sanctity of water could be paralleled to Antonio’s innocence defiled and diluted by the horrors he had just witnessed. Arguably, Lupito’s death is an unjustified persecution of an ill man.
Who saved Lupito?
Chávez wants Gabriel to help him kill Lupito, as Chávez must avenge his brother. Gabriel tries to calm him down but Chávez insists, and they get their rifles and leave.
What does Gabriel Márez drink in Bless Me Ultima?
He drinks whiskey, especially when dreaming of moving to California, but he is also a strong and level-headed presence in the face of danger. The Bless Me, Ultima quotes below are all either spoken by Gabriel Márez or refer to Gabriel Márez.
When was Bless Me Ultima published?
Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Warner Books edition of Bless Me, Ultima published in 1994. Need another quote? Need analysis on another quote? Need analysis for a quote we don’t cover?
What does Ultima say about strength in Bless Me?
Bless Me, Ultima Quotes Showing 1-30 of 37 “I made strength from everything that had happened to me, so that in the end even the final tragedy could not defeat me. And that is what Ultima tried to teach me, that the tragic consequences of life can be overcome by the magical strength that resides in the human heart.
What is the blood of the Lunas and Márez?
“It is the blood of the Lunas to be quiet, for only a quiet man can learn the secrets of the earth that are necessary for planting – They are quiet like the moon – And it is the blood of the Márez to be wild, like the ocean from which they take their name, and the spaces of the llano that have become their home.” God was not always forgiving.