Bless Me Ultima
- Submitted by: cooleyen
- Views: 518
- Category: English: Creative Writing
- Date Submitted: 03/23/2011 01:30 PM
- Pages: 5
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Marez with a side of Luna
(The moon meets the ocean in a young boy’s quest for understanding)
The story of “Blessed Me Ultima” tells the story of two separate existences of cultures, beliefs that have encountered a common ground named Antonio. Antonio a Chicano was conceived by parents with two different culture and religious backgrounds. His whole quest is to figure out who he is, A man of the Ocean like his father’s people the Marez’ […] his forefathers were men of the sea, the Marez people, they were conquistadors, men whose freedom was unbound.” (25) or a man of the Moon and earth like his mother’s people the Luna’s “[…] the moon of my mother’s people the moon of the Lunas.” (23). Guiding Antonio through his quest is an old wise curandero name Ultima. Throughout the book she will gently and ambivalently teach him a little about both sides as he gains understanding to make his choice.
Among the many conflicts Antonio wants to resolve the difference between his parents and what they each want for him. Antonio’s mother, Maria Luna Márez is a devout catholic and the daughter of farmers. She wants her fourth and last son to become a priest. The priesthood is something held sacred in the Luna’s family “Perhaps God will bless our family and make the baby a priest”, (5) although they have not had one in the family in a few generations “[...] my mother had dreamed of me becoming a priest, […] had not been a Luna priest in the family for many years.”(5) Maria’s goal is to salvage the family tradition by way of Antonio “This one will be a Luna, the old man said, he will be a farmer and keep our customs and traditions.”(5)
Antonio’s father, Gabriel Márez, is a former vaquero, or cowboy, whose free and wandering spirit “[…] the freedom of the wild horse is in the Marez blood, and is gaze is always westward.”(25) has not rested despite marrying a Luna woman and having six children. Gabriel dreamed to move his family to California's vineyard country. He has not...
(The moon meets the ocean in a young boy’s quest for understanding)
The story of “Blessed Me Ultima” tells the story of two separate existences of cultures, beliefs that have encountered a common ground named Antonio. Antonio a Chicano was conceived by parents with two different culture and religious backgrounds. His whole quest is to figure out who he is, A man of the Ocean like his father’s people the Marez’ […] his forefathers were men of the sea, the Marez people, they were conquistadors, men whose freedom was unbound.” (25) or a man of the Moon and earth like his mother’s people the Luna’s “[…] the moon of my mother’s people the moon of the Lunas.” (23). Guiding Antonio through his quest is an old wise curandero name Ultima. Throughout the book she will gently and ambivalently teach him a little about both sides as he gains understanding to make his choice.
Among the many conflicts Antonio wants to resolve the difference between his parents and what they each want for him. Antonio’s mother, Maria Luna Márez is a devout catholic and the daughter of farmers. She wants her fourth and last son to become a priest. The priesthood is something held sacred in the Luna’s family “Perhaps God will bless our family and make the baby a priest”, (5) although they have not had one in the family in a few generations “[...] my mother had dreamed of me becoming a priest, […] had not been a Luna priest in the family for many years.”(5) Maria’s goal is to salvage the family tradition by way of Antonio “This one will be a Luna, the old man said, he will be a farmer and keep our customs and traditions.”(5)
Antonio’s father, Gabriel Márez, is a former vaquero, or cowboy, whose free and wandering spirit “[…] the freedom of the wild horse is in the Marez blood, and is gaze is always westward.”(25) has not rested despite marrying a Luna woman and having six children. Gabriel dreamed to move his family to California's vineyard country. He has not...