A Personal Study/Analysis of Bless Me, Ultima

In the second major writing assignment, each student will be taking a personal look at our novel, Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya. The assignment will be the student’s original work, and it is considered to be a formal writing assignment. Students have a choice in which element(s) of the novel they would like to study/analyze, and are expected to use the text as their only source (primary source). No outside research is needed for this assignment. The prompts are as follows:

Rudolfo Anaya, the author, believes that the supernatural (or as we are studying it as an element of literature, magic realism) and ordinary reality exist side by side. What are some examples of magic realism in the novel? What are examples of ordinary reality in the novel? As the reader, what is believable for you? What explains the examples of magic realism and/or ordinary reality – in your view, as the reader?

2. What is the importance of dreams in the novel? Which dream is the most important to Antonio is his questions about life? As the reader, do you yourself believe it is possible to look to one’s dreams to seek answers? Whether you believe this or not, how do you respond to the importance of Antonio’s dreams – how do you respond to his acceptance of his dreams as a possible answer?

3. In chapter Cuatro, Antonio says there was no saint he loved more than the Virgen de Guadalupe. In his attempt to explain why this icon is so important to him, he says:

“God was not always forgiving. He made laws to follow and if you broke them you were punished. The Virgin always forgave.

“God had power. He spoke and the thunder echoed through the skies.

“The Virgin was full of a quiet, peaceful love…

“But He was a giant man, and she was a woman. She could go to Him and ask Him to forgive you. Her voice was sweet and gentle and with the help of her Son they could persuade the powerful Father to change His mind.” (p. 44)

As you think about the male and female characters in the novel, how does this passage help explain the role that gender plays in Antonio’s life? As the reader, how do your own beliefs about male/female roles affect your reading of the novel? Are they similar to the portrayal of male/female roles in the novel, or are they different? How so?

4. “I felt more attached to Ultima than to my own mother. Ultima told me the stories and legends of my ancestors. From her, I learned the glory and the tragedy of the history of my people, and I came to understand how that history stirred in my blood” (p. 123).

Explain how Ultima contributes to Antonio’s ability to understand the identity of many heritages. What does he learn from Ultima? What does she teach him that his own relatives cannot? What does he mean when he says that “the glory and the tragedy” of his people’s history stir in his blood? As the reader, can you identify with Antonio as he thinks about “the glory and the tragedy” of his people’s history? What might be “the glory and the tragedy” of your people, or within your family?

Choose ONE prompt as the focus of your personal study/analysis of the novel. The criteria are as follows:

A well-developed study should be about three FULL pages in length. Anything less will be considered as incomplete. Try to keep your study to 3 pages.
The study should be written in first and/or third person point of view.
You must include the primary source – at least one direct quote, any summary, and/or paraphrasing.
The MAJORITY of the writing should be in YOUR voice. Don’t make this about inserting a bunch of quotes from the source.
You must adhere to correct MLA guidelines (refer to any MLA portion of a handbook).
You must have a Work Cited page! You will have one primary entry for the novel.