From the moment I picked up Bless Me, Ultima (BMU), I had a
From the moment I picked up Bless Me, Ultima (BMU), I had a strong sense that this was going to be a story of coming of age. BMU is a Bildungsroman. However, this definition does not limit the range of BMU but rather provides Rudolfo Anaya the framework within which to pen his masterpiece. At the website The Victorian Web, a Bildungsroman is defined: A Bildungsroman is, most generally, the story of a single individual's growth and development within the context of a defined social order. The growth process, at its roots a quest story, has been described as both "an apprenticeship to life" and a "search for meaningful existence within society." Having cited this source, the rest of the review is an explanation of how BMU fits into this genre.
BMU does not neatly fit into the Bildungsroman genre which leaves room for other interpretations like the "Hero's Journey." Moreover, there are problems with the Hero's Journey model as well, as it does not necessarily fit 100% with that angle either - but this is an issue for other reviewers to ponder. BMU is an examination of religion, of life, of Antonio's heritage. Life is the classroom while the culture clash is the curriculum.
BMU is the tale of a young Antonio Marez. Antonio's "apprenticeship to life" (which fits nicely with point number one) starts at six years of age. At the start of the book, the curandera (In this case the curandera almost mimics a shaman - she uses herbs and magic to heal, defend and teach.) Ultima is asked to live with his family. One of the main themes of BMU deals with Antonio's coming of age. In this journey Antonia has Ultima as his guide through this most turbulent of times. Ultima gives Antonio the valor to cope with his own trials and tribulations. Antonio has to deal with the duality of maturing under the pressure of his mother, a Luna, and his father, a Marez. Witness this from Anaya:
"Ultima," I asked, "why are they so strange and quiet? And why are my father's people so loud and wild?"
She answered. "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 he blood of the Marez to be wild, like...