Old Man and the Sea

The Owl Guardian

HOOK

Harry has Dumbledore, Luke has Obi-Wan, and Frodo has Gandalf. Every good protagonist needs a mentor, and Antonio has his perfect match. His mentor has some pretty solid magical skills. She is a curandera (a type of medicine women), but many suspect she is a bruja (a witch), and it’s quite possible that she, Ultima, is both. Even though some might judge Ultima as a mentor, Antonio and Ultima continue their path to a good future.

CONTEXT

Rudolfo Anaya’s inspiring novel, Bless Me, Ultima, is the story of a young boy’s coming-of-age guided by his spiritual mentor, Ultima. The young boy, Antonio Márez, navigates a number of cultural conflicts between Catholic beliefs, curanderismo (the practice of being a healer), and brujeria (the practice of witchcraft) on the mystical plains of New Mexico during the 1940s. Antonio’s cultural influences and his adventurous experiences with Ultima shapes him and his beliefs.

THESIS

Anaya has Ultima teach Antonio about his past and his place in the world to provide him with the knowledge and self-awareness necessary to shape his own destiny.

VALUE

Anaya’s novel gives readers comfort by using Antonio as an example of our own lives. We, young readers, are afraid of the future for what it has in store for us. Most teenagers believe that they have all the answers and don’t need to listen to their elders’ wisdom, when in reality, we can all learn from someone who has wisdom and life experiences. The lessons Antonio learns from his elders, especially Ultima, play a vital role in his journey towards self-awareness, with the most important being that he needs to stay true to himself and never compromise his values. In like manner, we receive guidance from our parents and other elders as we attempt to discover who we truly are.

PREVIEW

Ultima’s guidance has given Antonio knowledge and control of his life by teaching him the ways of her ancestors. Two examples of characterization used in this novel are when Ultima talks to Antonio about helping his uncle, Lucas, and when she speaks her last words to Antonio, with both scenes demonstrating the value of an elder’s guidance.

EVIDENCE ONE

Although the book is narrated by Antonio, Anaya makes certain of Ultima’s customs. Ultima is an old lady who is proud to be a curandera. She passes her pride to Antonio by ignoring the villagers who says she is a bruja. Although the villagers accuse Ultima of being a bruja, she stays true to herself and her beliefs which sets an example on his first day of school. At school Antonio feels out of place because he doesn’t know English. After Antonio settles into his class, he begins writing, which makes him feels better, but he has no idea what he’s in for at lunch:

“At noon we [the class] opened our lunches to eat…. My mother had packed a small jar of hot beans and some good, green chile wrapped in tortillas. When the other children saw my lunch they laughed and pointed….They showed me their sandwiches which were made of bread…. I gathered my lunch and slipped out of the room… I sneaked around the back of the school building… but no, I was not alone. Down the wall near the corner I saw two other boys who had sneaked out of the room. They were George and Willy…. We banded together and in our union found strength. We found a few others who were like us, different language and custom, and a part of our loneliness was gone.” (Anaya, BMU 58-59)

Although Antonio was being laughed at, he does not change his lunch and he makes friends with others who are in the same situation.

Later in the story, Ultima’s influence on Antonio is apparent when another challenge comes up in which he is able to prove that he can stay true to himself. When Antonio’s uncle, Lucas, is near death, Pedro, Lucas’ brother, asks for Ultima’s help. He explains that Lucas saw the daughters of Tenorio Trementina dancing the Black Mass, a blasphemous satanic ritual. Ultima decides to help Lucas with her curanderismo abilities and wants to take Antonio with her. Maria (Antonio’s mother) is afraid for Antonio and doesn’t think it’s a good idea for Ultima to take him with her. After Ultima speaks with Maria, she is able to convince Maria to let her take Antonio with her. With Maria’s permission, Ultima asks Antonio if he would like to join her on this mystical adventure:

“Do you want to help your uncle, Antonio?” she [Ultima] asked

“Yes,” I [Antonio] replied

“It will be hard,” she said.

“I don’t mind,” I answered, “I want to help.”

“And if people say you walk in the footsteps of a curandera, will you be ashamed?”

“No, I will be proud, Ultima,” I said emphatically. (Anaya, BMU 90)

EXPLANATION ONE

In this scene, readers can analyze that Ultima’s guidance has affected Antonio profoundly. Ultima has taught Antonio to be confident in the decisions he makes and to not take offense from his classmates and townspeople.