Bless Me, Ultima
This is a template of the reading comprehension map for Ms. Moix's English class.
1. Rudolfo Anaya
1.1. Born October 30th, 1937
1.2. Mexican-American
1.3. About
2. General Info
2.1. 1972
2.2. Fiction
2.3. English
2.4. Pecos Valley, New Mexico in the 1940's.
3. Plot
3.1. Antonio is living happily with his family in the llano when Ultima comes to live with them.
3.2. Antonio starts having dreams about Ultima and his innocence. They are confusing but they hint that he is starting to think freely.
3.3. Ultima is believed to be a witch after she heals people from curses and she confronts Tenorio and tells him of his daughters and that they are brujas. The lifting of these curses starts to kill Tenorio's daughters. Meanwhile, Antonio is scared because he is starting to think differently and is starting to question God.
3.4. Tenorio is angered so he kills the man that tries to warn Ultima of his threats. Eventually Tenorio tries to kill Antonio and figures out that Ultima's owl is her soul. Later, he kills the owl and Ultima dies.
3.5. Antonio buries Ultima's soul, the owl, and burns the herbs that she had collected after she tells him to do so and she blesses him.
3.6. Ultima is dead and she gets a proper burial but Antonio knows that he is the one that truly buried her.
4. Themes, Allusions & Symbols
4.1. One of the major themes of this book is loss of innocence. Throughout the story, Antonio is slowly losing his innocence which is his greatest fears and he is scared of what happens next
4.2. I think that Ultima's owl is like a symbol of protection. While it is like her soul. it protects her and calms Antonio.
4.3. Antonio's brothers come back from war, WWII.
5. Characters
5.1. Antonio Marez is just seven when Ultima moves in. He starts to have dreams about the past and is very confused, they speak to him and influence him to be a Luna but also a Marez. Where Antonio lives, choosing which side of your family's heritage to take on is a huge deal and he feels pressured because he doesn't understand why he cannot be both. The Lunas tell him to become a priest, he would like that, but the Marez family tells him to be free amongst the llano.
5.2. Ultima is not really a sidekick but she is a side character that greatly impacts the story. She is a curandera, a female healer, and is feared by many of the townsfolk because of the power she withholds. Ultima is Antonio's main influence throughout the whole story and she has this mysterious way of protecting him, with an owl.
5.3. Tenorio is the main antagonist of this story. As ruthless as he is, he has a soft spot for his daughters- the brujas- and hates the entire Marez and Luna family, Ultima included.
6. Vocabulary
6.1. Section 1
6.1.1. Vaquero- a cowboy.
6.1.1.1. "But Campos could not keep the animal penned up because somehow the horse was very close to the spirit of the man, and so the horse was allowed to roam free and no vaquero on that llano would throw a lazo on that horse."
6.1.2. Curandera- In hispanic beliefs, a female healer who makes medicens from herbs.
6.1.2.1. "It was because Ultima was a curandera, a woman who knew the herbs and remedies of the ancients, a miracle-worker who could heal the sick.
6.2. Section 2
6.2.1. Stoically- In a way that does not show the complaint that they wan't to say.
6.2.1.1. " 'Ay, Marez men,' she said stoically and turned to my father.
6.2.2. Ominous- giving a sign that something bad is about to happen.
6.2.2.1. "The days grew heavy and ominous. Nobody seemed to know except the kids that the world was going to end."
6.3. Section 3
6.3.1. Scapular- a garment worn around the neck affiliated with Christianity.
6.3.1.1. " 'Next spring you will start your catechism, and when you make your first communion you will receive your scapular.' "
6.3.2. Plumes- In the shape of a feather like cloud.
6.3.2.1. "Our breath made plumes in the crisp, raw air."
6.4. Section 4
6.4.1. Diphtheria- a throat and nose infection
6.4.1.1. "The diphtheria epidemic that had destroyed so many things in Las Pasturas had claimed her."
6.4.2. Mequite- a tiny tree or shrub of the pea family.
6.4.2.1. "Lush, green mesquite bordered the road and shut off most of the horizon."