Abdullah Muslim
Professor Galindo
September, 24 2014
Bless Me UltimaBless Me Ultima, is about a boy named Antonio who is coming of age and learning how to be an adult. Even though Antonio is only six years old, he has a learning mind in the sense that he learns from different experience. It’s a little hard for him to grow up because his father wants him to herd cattle like he does on the llano and his mother want him to be a priest. But through the many experiences that I will tell you Antonio learns and grows. So I will be explaining his experiences which will lead him to Christianity and Indigenous belief, as well as I will be comparing the United States coming of age with the Mexican American child living in the US.
Antonio Matured by losing his innocence much like anyone else, except he was six and he actually saw some horrific things. The first experience he goes through is the death of Lupito, when Lupito dies he being to question many Ideas for example, he questions the idea of good and evil, sin, punishment as well as he questions his faith. After the whole experience Antonio starts to see the world for what it is, violent, not friendly, loving, but sometimes ruthless world. Antonio also starts to question his father salvation because of Gabriel’s involvement in Lupito’s death because they both work together on the llano.
Antonio’s second experience was another death, so death is just haunting him. A man named Narciso who was a good man died defending Ultima. While another man named Tenorio who is evil is spared. He feels like that outcome should have never happened it doesn’t seem to go with his ideal of what should happen to good people. Both of these deaths stripped away his innocence, but he finally learns that life isn’t fair. Bad things also happen to good people it’s not right, but it’s something he has to accept to mature.
Antonio third experience of his coming of age is when he had to help Ultima cure his uncle, but he has to make a decision help his uncle and get disapproval remarks or not. This is a defining moment because he’s actually thinking for himself despite what others think. The next experience, I thought symbolizes that his coming of age is at an end. Is when he buries