1005747

Mrs. Wanlin

9A Honors English, Block 2

3 October, 2012

Antonio’s Transformation

How do we make the leap from child to adult? What obstacles must we overcome to finally reach the summit of all that we can be? Who can reform and influence our decisions, the very decisions that will shape who we become? In Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, Antonio Márez must progress towards his own moral independence and choose his destiny. Tony is forced to endure difficult experiences too early in life, causing a premature loss of innocence. He is overwhelmed with a multitude of spiritual questions. To find the answers he seeks, Antonio must undertake a metamorphosis.

To reach maturity requires a loss of innocence. For example, when a child finds out there is no Santa Claus, he is caught between a magical belief and a reality that he is unwilling to accept. It’s a coming-of-age experience that changes his outlook on life forever. The child has lost some of his previous innocence and must face life’s harsh realities. This process can be confusing and painful. In some ways, a loss of innocence forces us to become more mature by gathering wisdom and knowledge from a metamorphic experience. Metamorphosis is as much a spiritual change as it is a physical one. It is a natural process that helps a person grow and develop.

In Bless Me Ultima, Tony embarks on a rocky journey to discover who he is and what he believes. Tony must make the transition from a naïve six year old boy to a mature man. His experiences continually call his basic beliefs into question, and chip away at his innocence. For example, when he witnesses the brutal death of Lupito, he starts to question many ideas; sin, good and evil, punishment, and his faith. He begins to see the world of man as violent and sometimes ruthless, not the friendly, loving world where he had previously resided. He even becomes concerned about his own father’s salvation because of Gabrielle’s involvement in Lupito’s death and begins to see his father as less than perfect. Death continues to haunt him when Narciso, a good man, is killed defending Ultima, while Tenorio, an apparently evil man, is spared. These outcomes are not what he believes should have occurred and yet again, a piece of his innocence is stripped away as he sees life is not always fair. He is beginning to realize that he must define his own beliefs.

The next stage of his journey to come-of-age requires he make independent decisions based on what he, not others, thinks is right as when he decides to assist Ultima in curing his Uncle Lucas, even when he knows people will disapprove. He is starting to think for himself, despite the consequences. His journey is complete when he buries Ultima’s owl. This act symbolizes the “burial” of his own innocence as he recognizes that he must develop his own value system and define his own identity.

Antonio starts a religious metamorphosis when he begins to lose faith in his religion after not hearing God speak to him at his First Communion. As he questions his beliefs, Tony finds comfort and guidance in the pagan god, the Golden Carp. He starts to believe that the Carp can actually help him in his quest for religious clarity. The Carp provides him with a moving spiritual experience, which he had expected from his First Communion but did not receive. Instead of blindly accepting his Catholicism, as his religion teaches him to do, his knowledge of the Carp aides him in evaluating his spiritual identity. He decides that it is acceptable to question various aspects of his beliefs. While he resolves to accept his religious traditions, he remains open to other spiritual philosophies, completing his religious metamorphosis. In another metamorphic change, Antonio’s friends are integral in transforming him into a more independent individual. As he enters school, Antonio finds it difficult to think for himself and is afraid of the other students. But as school progresses, he develops friendships with Samuel and Florence, who help him to break his dependency on his mother. This new confidence aids him in beginning to make decisions for himself. The natural process of personal growth has begun.

Tony went through a dramatic coming-of-age over the course of two years. He is no longer the dutiful little boy, so eager to please. But through this difficult loss of innocence he has gained a personal strength that will benefit him immensely as he navigates through other conflicts and revelations. His experiences have forever shaped the man he will become. Change is something that is inevitable and sometimes difficult, but if we don’t change, there is no way for us to grow as individuals.

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