Bless Me, Ultima

by Rudolfo Anaya

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What are some Marez vs. Luna scenes in "Bless Me, Ultima"?

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In the novel Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya there are many examples of Marez vs. Luna conflict. For example, in Tony's dreams he sees both sides of himself as a baby. The Luna family represents peace and love while the Marez family symbolizes destruction and anger. Another example is when Antonio is taught to hunt by his Uncle Isidro and he shoots at a rabbit but only manages to wound it instead of killing it. This shows that even though the Marez side wants him to be wild, Antonio will always be a good person like his mother who was taught by Ultima to "think first before shooting."

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Even from Antonio's birth, the struggle is apparent over whose footsteps he will follow. In Tony's dreams, these opposing figures haunt his nature and reflect his inner conflict over who he will be. For example,when Tony dreams of his birth, he sees the Luna family come in to present their gifts to him as a baby. They rub the earth of the river valley on his forehead and surround him with fruits of their harvest. This represents their desire for Tony to farm the earth and settle a piece of land where he will honor God and raise a family. In contrast to this peaceful scene, the Marez family shatters the silence of the moment. They also come to the baby, singing his arrival with hoofbeats and gunshots. They destroy the fruits and vegetables offered to the baby and replace them with gifts of a saddle, whiskey, and rope. Their gifts symbolize the life they wish for Antonio: they wish him to be a wild, free man of the llano. These opposing forces represent dominant forces of conflict which pull at Tony as he tries to define his own identity. In the end, Ultima teaches him that he is his own person. The Luna and Marez blood running through his veins brings him gifts on each side, but he can choose the man he becomes.

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Marez vs. Luna scenes present the opposing forces of the sea vs. the moon, freedom vs. domesticity, adventure vs. the earth.  Antonio feels the pull of both influences in the heritages received from his father and his mother, and the book is filled with scenes which demonstrate the contrast.

In his dreams, Antonio's parents argue over which influence is stronger in their youngest son, especially in the matter of religion.  Antonio's mother says, "my Antonio...we who were baptized in the water of the moon which was made by our Holy Mother the Church are saved", while his father retorts, "Lies! Antonio was not baptized in the holy water of the moon, but in the salt water of the sea" (Once).

When Ultima speaks to Antonio and his father about her wish to be cremated after her death, Antonio's father expresses his approval, pointing out that the forces of Marez vs. Luna would be in harmony in such a ritual.  He says, "it is a good way to return to the earth...this way the spirit soars immediately into the wind of the llano, and the ashes blend quickly into the earth" (Veinte).

At the end of the book, Antonio's father explains the necessity for the forces of Marez vs. Luna to be reconciled.  He tells Antonio, "I came from a people who held the wind as brother, because he is free...and your mother...came from men who hold the earth as brother...perhaps it is time we gave up the old differences" (Veintidos).

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