How is ultima related to antonio

They place a curse on Lucas Luna after he interrupts them while they are performing a Black Mass. After Ultima lifts the curse on Lucas Luna, the first Trementina sister falls sick and dies. Shortly afterwards, the second Trementina sister falls sick and dies, prompting Tenorio to attack Ultima. He tells Antonio the apocalyptic prophecy of the Golden Carp and the legend of the mermaids who live in the Hidden Lakes. Florence is an atheist because he cannot reconcile the injustices in the world with a loving and compassionate God.

He still attends catechism but only so that he can be with his friends. Florence dies near the end of the book in a swimming accident. He seems to be very old and wise, and he tells Antonio the story of the Golden Carp. He disobeys his father and continues to visit the Indian who lives in the hills near the town.

Horse has bad breath and loves to wrestle. Red is a Protestant and is teased by his friends because of it. The Vitamin Kid is the fastest runner in Guadalupe. Ernie loves to brag and constantly reminds his friends that they can be sued for any minor infraction. He is very quiet and reserved like the other Luna farmers. He is the best story teller in the family. Pedro shoots Tenorio when he is about to kill Antonio. Lucas is the youngest of the Luna brothers.

He is cursed by the Trementina sisters after observing them perform a Black Mass. Ultima cures him, and he swears to return the favor if she ever needs his help. He is very quiet and reserved and does not want his sons to become involved in the conflict between Tenorio and Ultima. Father Byrnes gives Antonio and his friends their lessons in catechism to prepare them for their first communion. He is very stern and hypocritical and prefers that his students remain ignorant of God so that they will fear Him.

Rosie is the owner of the local brothel in town. According to Cico, was the first person to tell him the story of the Golden Carp. Antonio excels in her class, and she promotes him to the third grade at the end of the year. He gave her the owl that became her familiar and the guardian of her spirit.

The God I so eagerly sought was not there, and the understanding I thought to gain was not there " This is the last nail in the coffin for his future priesthood. At this point, Antonio is looking to the belief system involved with the golden carp. So, what does all of this have to do with Ultima passing her powers down to Antonio before she dies? In every instance mentioned here, Ultima moves Antonio one step closer to her belief system, and it is necessary for Antonio to accept Ultima's belief system in order for him to receive her powers.

When Antonio becomes part of Uncle Lucas' cure, his absolute certainty that he will become a priest goes away since the Priest failed where Ultima had not. When Antonio learns about the golden carp, this presents a new idea about religion into his life.

The fact that his First Holy Communion failed to bring about answers to his questions further weakens his ties to the church and further strengthens his belief in the golden carp. Ultima then has Antonio exactly where she wants him.

Ultima sees the big picture; she recognizes that all the belief systems have the same thing in common and that you need to approach problems in life with an open mind. You cannot work with Ultima's magic with a closed mind or a fixed belief system. She has to break Antonio's strong ties with the church and introduce something new in his life in order for her to achieve this. Antonio will carry on Ultima's work. Antonio will see the entire picture, instead of just the blinded, closed-minded views of a particular religion, which will allow him to use Ultima's magic.

Antonio will always have more questions than answers. Antonio will become Ultima's successor. Works Cited Anaya, Rudolfo. Bless Me Ultima. New York: Warner Books, He turns to both pagan and Christian ideologies for guidance, but he doubts both traditions. Both parents love and revere Ultima. An elderly curandera, a healer endowed with the spiritual power of her ancestors.

Ultima is a wise, complex, mysterious character. Many people refer to her as a bruja, or witch. Ultima is a firm believer in tolerance and understanding, however, and she teaches Antonio that different belief systems can offer equally valid ways of understanding the world. The town drunk. Narciso is good friends with Gabriel because they both share a deep and passionate love for the llano.

Narciso demonstrates a strong appreciation for the richness of the earth—his garden is a lush masterpiece full of sweet vegetables and fruits. Narciso respects and loves Ultima deeply. Tenorio kills him because he supports Ultima. Tenorio is a malicious saloon-keeper and barber in El Puerto. His three daughters perform a black mass and place a curse on Lucas Luna. Tenorio detests Ultima because she lifts the curse on Lucas. Cico exposes Antonio to yet another belief system when he takes Antonio to see the golden carp, a pagan god who lives in the river.

Although Florence does not believe in God, he attends catechism to be with his friends. Florence shows Antonio that the Catholic Church is not perfect and that religion can fail. An exuberant group of boys who frequently curse and fight. Horse loves to wrestle, but everyone fears Bones more because he is reckless and perhaps even crazy. Ernie is a braggart who frequently teases Antonio. The Vitamin Kid is the fastest runner in Guadalupe.