Symbolism in Dreams

In Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima, the author uses Tony's dreams as a way of displaying various symbols. Three symbols that are used often are weather, water, and the Golden Carp. Weather is used to represent conflict. Water represents cleansing, and rejuvenation. The Golden Carp symbolizes religion and Tony's beliefs. Because dreams are a not an exact mirror of reality, they become the perfect tool for introducing symbolism. The author uses the dream as a way to access the recurring themes of the book.



Weather affects the lives of everyone. When the weather turns foul, it makes life more difficult. Stormy weather in Tony's dreams represents the conflict in his life, and the lives of those
He talks about his brother's livers, " They cried in such pain for release that I took their livers from the hook and cast them into the raging, muddy waters of the River of the Carp. Then they rested, and I rested." ( Anaya 235) This quote shows that because Antonio can not stop his brothers from their reckless wondering he instead casts their livers in to the river. This rejuvenates his brothers because it gives them a new look on life. Because Tony did this he was able to clean his brother from these thoughts of wondering. Through out Bless Me Ultima the author shows the reader how water can symbolize cleanliness, and rejuvenation by becoming an icon for life

and peace.

Through out all of Tony's dreams the most significannot symbol is the Golden Carp. The Carp stands as a symbol of Tony's strong belief, and the power of religion in the everyday lives of normal people. An example of this is when Tony's mother and father are arguing in his dreams about who Tony really is, "It is the water that binds you to the pagan god of Cico, the golden carp!" (Anaya 120) This quote shows how in Tony's life basically revolves around the golden carp. In this quote it shows that Tony's mother wants her son to be drawn to the carp because she knows the religious power that it has. The carp, in this quote, represents the Luna family because of their strong sense of religion. Another example of the Golden Carp's symbolism is when Tony is in