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Bless Me Ultima – by Rudolfo Anaya: Magical Realism, Contrast, Symbolism, Motifs and Archetypes

Bless Me Ultima – by Rudolfo Anaya: Magical Realism, Contrast, Symbolism, Motifs and Archetypes. Part One: Novel Overview. PLOT:

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Bless Me Ultima – by Rudolfo Anaya: Magical Realism, Contrast, Symbolism, Motifs and Archetypes

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  1. Bless Me Ultima – by Rudolfo Anaya: Magical Realism, Contrast, Symbolism, Motifs and Archetypes

  2. Part One: Novel Overview PLOT: A. The story of the awakening of the consciousness of a young boy, six year old Antonio Marez, growing up in a small New Mexico town shortly after World War II and the old woman, Ultima, a curandera,who comes to live with his family and guide him in his journey towards adolescence.

  3. Part One: Novel Overview II. SETTING: A. The novel takes place in rural New Mexico in the world of the vast plains of nature (the llano) yet also close to the developing world of progress and established, restricted society.

  4. Llano of West Texas and East New Mexico

  5. Llano Estacado - near village of Las Pasturas where the Marez’s once lived.

  6. Another view of the llano

  7. Part One: Novel Overview III. IMPORTANT CHARACTERS: A. Antonio – six year old protagonist, ages to eight by end of novel, journey is akin to heroic quest from innocence to maturity through experience. B. Ultima – A elderly curandera, sort of an alternative medicine woman, who comes to live with Antonio’s family and serves as his guide. i. She possesses mystical powers and enlightenment.

  8. Part One: Novel Overview III. IMPORTANT CHARACTERS: C. Gabriel Márez – Antonio’s father, a vaquero or cowboy, feels a calling to the free-spirited, restless lifestyle of his ancestors – name significance. D. Maria Luna – Antonio’s mother, represents farming tradition of being settled, tranquil, modest and devout Catholic – wants Antonio to become a farmer or priest. Also name significance.

  9. Part Two: Magical Realism I. Definition: Fiction that maintains a realistic narrative while recounting fantastic or supernatural events alongside commonplace happenings. Common among Chicano literature. A. “The ordinary as miraculous and the miraculous as ordinary.”B. Magical elements appear in an otherwise realistic setting. C. Combination of physical reality & psychological reality

  10. Part Two: Magical Realism II. Different from Fantasy A. Remains grounded in the realworld unlike science fiction and other non-realistic genres. B. Stretches the definition of realism & reality. C. Not so much a belief, but a “lack of disbelief”. D. Power lies not in answers, but in questions

  11. Part Two: Magical Realism III. Landscape or Setting: A. Vast, mysterious terrainB. Snow capped mountains to volcanoes & waterfalls to vast deserts.C. Native influence - Blend of old, mystical culture with colonization & Christianity

  12. Part Two: Magical Realism IV. Common Literary Conventions A. Juxtaposition opposite elements: Dreaming/waking; Life/death; Civilized/wild B. Hyperbole - Exaggeration until something becomes “magical” 1. Childlike look at the familiar a. “charm of the object” b. Re-imagining the mundaneC. Text as Mirror: Forces questioning

  13. Part Three: Contrast CONTRAST - A way of developing ideas in writing by showing differences between or among things. A. The differences in people or imagery or symbols allows the writer to emphasize a particular theme in most instances.

  14. Part Three: Contrast II. Contrasts in Bless Me, Ultima: A. Antonio’s Father vs. Mother – 1. Marez (sea) – vaquero, restless/free-spirit, llano and Las Pasturas, powers of nature, magic VS. 2. Luna (moon) – farmer, settled, placid, Guadalupe, Catholic church, faith.

  15. Part Three: Contrast II. Contrasts in Bless Me, Ultima: B. Ultima – Healer vs. perception as a witch; ancient traditions and wisdom vs. nature; owl as symbol of insight vs. foreboding symbol of death C. Catholic Church/faith/priest vs. Magic/Ultima D. Right and wrong (or innocence vs. guilt/sin) E. Catholic tradition vs. Folk tradition 1. Jesus/Priest vs. The Golden Carp (and the Virgin of Guadalupe)

  16. Part Three: Contrast II. Contrasts in Bless Me, Ultima: F. Benevolent Mother Figure (Ultima) vs. Evil Father Figure (Tenorio). G. Good vs. Evil (in terms of witches and people) H. male vs. female I. town/civilization vs. country/nature

  17. Part Four: Symbolism SYMBOLISM – When things, people or events function on a level beyond their literal purpose. Symbols in Bless Me, Ultima: Countless A. The Golden Carp – A pagan river deity, can only be seen by a true believer, symbolizes contradiction between Catholic religion and folk magic/wisdom. B. Ultima’s Owl – traditional symbol of both wisdom and insight as well as death.

  18. Part Four: Symbolism Symbols in Bless Me, Ultima: Countless C. The Virgin of Guadalupe – another symbol of contradiction; represents forgiveness and mercy . 1. links the Catholic Church, a kind of rule- ordered and culturally divorced entity that emphasizes guilt and sin, and Ultima's earth mysticism representing a liberating and indigenous spirituality that emphasizes self- discovery and moral integrity.

  19. Part Five: Motifs DEFINED: recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the work’s major themes. A. A motif differs from a theme in that a theme is an idea set forth by a text, where a motif is a recurring element which symbolizes that idea. The motif can also be more like the central idea behind the theme, such as courage or loyalty.

  20. Part Five: Motifs II. Motifs in Bless Me, Ultima: A. DREAMS – Antonio has 10 dreams during the novel, the first one a dream of his own birth. The other nine can be grouped as follows: 1. Dreams 3 (45), 5(70) and 7 (140) reflect the fear of loss: 2. Dreams 2(21), 4 (61) and 9 (235) foreshadow loss he must experience to attain adulthood.

  21. Part Five: Motifs II. Motifs in Bless Me, Ultima: A. DREAMS – 3. Dreams 6 (119), 8 (172) and 10 (243) convey the acceptance of loss and birth of maturity he must and will experience on the way to adulthood. 4. Each dream contains symbolism and relates to different themes and archetypes.

  22. Part Five: Motifs II. Motifs in Bless, Me Ultima: B. Names – Luna, Marez, Ultima, etc. C. Blood (in terms of violence, determining identity and a source of power) D. Conflict – (good vs. evil, family, religion vs. mysticism, etc.) E. Water – (rivers, rain, etc.)

  23. Part Six: THEMES Themes in Bless Me, Ultima: A. Moral independence cannot be easily defined yet also remains very important. B. Culture can greatly influence identity. C. Conflict finds a solution in balance, harmony and oneness. D. Synthesis works best to resolve opposites or dichotomies or differences. E. Only through experience is innocence lost and maturity gained.

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