1. Themes
1.1. The importance of moral independence
1.2. the influence of culture on identity
2. Author
2.1. Rudolph Anaya
3. Genre
3.1. Buildungsroma
3.2. Magical Realism
4. Symbols
4.1. The golden carp
4.1.1. represents a magical religious order
4.2. Ultima's owl
4.2.1. represents her life force and the power of her religious mysticism.
4.3. The Virgin of Guadalupe
4.3.1. symbolizes forgiveness, understanding, and the resolution of cultural conflict.
5. Characters
5.1. Antonio
5.1.1. The Protagonist
5.1.2. He turns to both pagan and Christian ideologies for guidance, but he doubts both traditions.
5.2. Ultima
5.2.1. Antonio's mentor
5.2.2. A curandera or healer
5.2.3. 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.
5.3. Gabriel
5.3.1. Antonio's father
5.3.2. Gabriel volunteers to put aside the conflict with the Lunas and help Antonio make his own choice about his future.
6. Setting
6.1. Time
6.1.1. Mid-1940s, during and after World War II
6.2. Place
6.2.1. Guadalupe, New Mexico, and its surrounding area