Antonio, the young boy, wants answers to the questions that have been nagging at him since he was introduced to religious ideology. He does not understand why Ultima, a close elderly friend and a curandera or healer, can save his dying uncle from the curses of evil while the priest from El Puerto with his holy water and the power of God can not lift the curse from him. He wonders whether God really exists or if the Cico's story of the golden carp is true. Bless Me, Ultima, is a compelling story that deals with Antonio's family, beliefs, and dreams.

Throughout the book Antonio is introduced to many new ideas. The first is the experiences he has with Ultima. Ultima is a healer who learned her techniques from an old wise man on the llano or prairie. She is sometimes called a bruja or witch. This confuses Antonio bec

ause in his heart he knows Ultima represents good and not the evil she is sometimes blamed for. Antonio learns some of the ways of Ultima and begins to understand his surroundings. He knows the name of almost every plant and what medicinal uses each has.

The last idea Antonio learns about is the Catholic religion. This isn't new to him completely but he only knows what his mother has told him and what he has learned on Sundays at church. It is not until he starts going to catechism that he learns more about the religion his mother so dearly follows. He is still not satisfied even after his First Communion, " [I] thought I had felt His warmth, but then everthing moved so fast. There wasn't time just to sit and discover Him like I could do when I sat on the cread bank and watched the golden carp swim in the sun-filtered waters (210). He expects to hear God answer all his questions the second he drinks the wine but he hears nothing from the God he pursues: "A thousand questions pushed through my mind, but the Voice within me did not answer. There was only silence" (211). He doesn't know what to believe. The only thing that has proven completely worthy is Ultima and her magic.

The theme of Bless Me, Ultima is one of finding what beliefs are right for the indivudial by experiencing each one characteristically. Thi

Some common words found in the essay are:
Ultima Ultima, According Cico, Bless Ultima, Quinto Sol, Anaya Spanish, El Puerto, Richard Anaya, golden carp, bless ultima, antonio learns, loved people, richard anaya, ultima ultima, throughout book, god loved, god loved people,
Approximate Word count = 899
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)