preview

Bless Me Ultima Literary Analysis

Decent Essays

In the novel Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya, the readers learn about the consequences of sin and the power of forgiveness through the symbols of the golden carp, black bass, and the river that relates to la Llorona. The story talks about a young boy named Antonio who worries whether the Virgin de Guadalupe, or the Virgin Mary will forgive all the sins he has committed. It combines the thoughts about the main character’s innocence, with his background of Catholicism. The symbols the golden carp, the black bass, and the river with la Llorona add a different perspective to Antonio’s life, and give a him a new path in his life to explore.
The consequences of sin are noticed through the symbols of the golden caro and the black bass. The golden …show more content…

Antonio learns about the acts of forgiveness from the Virgin de Guadalupe and Ultima’s healing powers. Forgiveness gives Antonio and people who are viewed differently, a second chance to correct their mistakes, and try as much as they can to correct their sins. Ultima is also a motherly-figure talked about throughout the novel, as a mentor to Antonio. Though she punishes Tenerio for his crimes, she asks that he be forgiven, and accepts her own death to balance out his. This is how Antonio realizes that forgiveness isn’t just something that can be easily given. It is something that you can get a chance to reacquire, if only you choose to accept your sins and understand that pleading, or more like begging for it through good deeds is necessary. Also, Antonio learns about how not everybody can be forgiven, through his eighth dream, when he has a conversation with God about going to hell. God tells Antonio that he wants both forgiveness for all and punishment for some, but that this can’t be true for everyone. Antonio learns to understand that only some sinners can be forgiven. Antonio’s venial sins are forgotten by the Virgin Mary, as most of Antonio’s sins were committed either by accident, or without his knowledge. Though Antonio believes to remain sinless, there is no proper definition of pure. Purity can’t be found in regular people because at one point, everyone has committed at least one sin in their life, irrespective of whether they want

Get Access