Anaya, Rudolfo

Bless Me, Ultima

Jenny Williamson and Rachel Hatch
276R student

 

A Fictional Response to Times of Transition
Tonn, Horst. "Bless Me, Ultima: A Fictional Response to Times of Transition." Aztlan: A Journal of Chicano Studies 18:1 (1987): 59-68.
This article puts Bless Me, Ultima in an historical context, explaining the Chicano people in the mid 70's when the book was published. It was a time of change and transition for the Chicano people, and the book reflects that.

"A Perspective for the Study of Religious Dimensions in Chicano Experience: Bless Me, Ultima as a Religious Text"
Carrasco, David. Aztlán 13.1&2 (1982): 195-221.
Carrasco discuses religious meanings in Bless Me, Ultima. He writes about La Llorona, who is a legendary "goddess" that guards the river (209). Carrasco also explains the magical testing of the hero, which is common in shamanistic stories. The hero, Antonio, who has hitherto been a novice, is tested by being exposed to illness or terrifying spiritual forces. Carrasco continues, "He is symbolically killed and reborn into the vocation of the singer, healer, and poet" (207). Carrasco also compares the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl to the Golden Carp (197).

Archtypal Women
Newkirk, Glen A. "Anaya's Archetypal Women in Bless Me, Ultima." South Dakota Review. 31:1 (1993): 142-50.
This article explores the re-emerging of the myth as a vehicle for story telling, in the late 1960's Hispanic culture. Bless Me, Ultima is an example of the use of myth. It follows the mythical archetypes in many aspects, including the women. This puts the novel in a historical context, and gives explanation for the supernatural and mystical events that occure with Ultima around.

Aztlan Fest 2002: Reverse Manifest Destiny Tour
Oct 2001. 24 Sept 2001
http://www.pochtecaeventworks.net/aztlan.htm
All cultures have stories that define their cultures and their beginnings. To Chicanos, Aztlan allows a sense of unified identity to exist while the people are integrated into American society. Whether Aztlan is merely a mythic place created by Native Americans for identity purposes or an actual place, Chicanos have found in Aztlan momentum to retain a cultural constant.

Deep Roots
Anaya, Rudolfo. "Deep Roots; or We Have Been Here a Long Time." ANQ. 10:2 (1997):10 11.
In this article, Anaya himself states that America needs to be educated in regards to Latin America, it's culture and history, but also undertanding that Hispanics ahve been in teh country for hundreds of years and are not what he deems the "other." They need to be seen as human. This is an important lesson that can be learned in the novel.

Multicultural Literature in English
Daesenbrock, Reed Way. "Intelligibility and Meaningfulness in Multicultural Literature in English." PMLA. 102:1 (1987): 10-19.
This article explores the increasing nimbers of literature written in English, although they are form other cultures and countures. One of the resulting techniques is the use of the native language in the text. Daesenbrock brings up Bless Me, Ultima as an example because of the use of Spanish within the text, without giving any translation. Explaining the whoy and how of this to students help them accept and understand this usage of the two languages.

"Rudolfo Anaya: ‘The Chicano World View'"
Clark, William. Publishers Weekly 5 Oct 1995: 41-45.
Rudolfo Anaya grew up in the world of mixed Hispanic and Native American culture described in his novels. He believes that, "blood has memory," (42) and the ideas of spirituality, healing, and sacredness of the land are therefore important to many Chicanos. The expression of these ideas creates a Chicano myth which expresses their identity.

Teacher education sequence: course projects and lesson plans
Tracy Dairine Pearce. Jul. 2000. U of Illinois. 11 Oct. 2001
http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/courses/ci235
Pearce presents a lesson plan entitled, "What's in a Name: Exploring the Significance of Names in Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima." Among her objectives is to lead the students to analyze their reactions to the novel. She gives the students background of the novel and encourages them to discuss "themes of religious conflicts, spirituality, death, dreaming, and magic." Next, she asks the students to think about the last names of Antonio's parents and gives them additional quotes from the novel containing important names of other characters. The students will share their analyses with the class.

Teachers Reference
http://search.georgetown.edu
This site is from Georgetown, and explores many things in regards to the novel. It covers strategies that can be used in the classroom, themes, historically and personally, and is a good reference for the teacher. To access it enter his name in the search box and it is the first article in the result list.

"The Chicano translation of Troy: epic topoi in the novels of Rudolfo A. Anaya"
Taylor, Paul Beekman. MELUS 19.3 (1994): 19-34.
Rudolfo Anaya models his books after the "general pattern of displacement and migration" (19) found in many Classical and Native American myths. This pattern parallels the story of the fall of Troy. Taylor compares Antonio, the main character in Bless Me, Ultima, to Odysseus, Ultima to the classical witches, and the Golden Carp to Quetzalcoatl. Anaya also alludes to Christian myths such as the Tower of Babel. Through his combination of Classical, Native American, and Christian myth prevalent in the novel, the story becomes mythic itself. It describes the struggle of the Chicano to gain an identity in America.

"The Golden Carp and Moby Dick: Rudolfo Anaya's Multi-Culturalism"
Kanoza, Theresa M. MELUS 24.2 (1999): 159-172.
Bless Me, Ultima is full of opposites, and Antonio, who is the protagonist, must choose between them. He must choose between the llano and the valley, the Golden Carp and God, and Father Barnes and Ultima. These dichotomies are based on biblical and mythological archetypes. Ultima settles Antonio's struggle through successfully merging Christian and pagan beliefs. Captain Ahab, who lacks this holistic view of the universe, is destroyed by his lack of harmony. He cannot appreciate his seemed adversary, and he is therefore destroyed.

The Handbook of Texas Online-La Llorona
July 2001. U of Texas. 10 Oct. 2001
http:// www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/LL/lxl1.html
La Llorona, or "the Weeping Woman," is a popular legend in Mexico and the southwestern United States. According to the legend, a woman drowned her children in a creek out of jealousy for her lover's involvement with another woman. God would not admit her into Heaven until she found her children. Consequently, her ghost wanders the banks of arroyos (or streams) crying for her children. The legend of La Llorona originated around the time of Cortés, and is often seen as a metaphor for the conquest of the Aztecs by the Spaniards. The story is also interpreted as a warning to young girls who seek to marry above their social class. La Llorona is mentioned by Anaya as a goddess, which adds to the mythical taste of the novel, and as a symbol for the loss of identity for the displaced Márez family.

"The Quest for Mythic Vision in Contemporary Native American and Chicano Fiction"
Lattin, Vernon E. American Literature 50.4 (1979): 625-640.
Both Native American and Chicano fiction expresses the wish for harmony between man and nature. Ultima and Antonio enter a sacred realm in which this harmony and all other harmony is possible. Antonio, through transcending traditional Christianity and embracing his pagan roots, discovers "a land vision that precedes the white conquerors" (638). The style with which Anaya writes his novel mimics the traditional art of story- telling common to the Native American culture (639).

"Texas Vaqueros: Precursor to the American cowboy"
Chapman, Art. Virtual Texan-The Reading Room. Unknown. 11 Oct. 2001
http://www.hometownstar.net/comm/virtual/chapman/vaquero.htm
The first American cowboys were Spanish ranchers who came to North America with the conquistadors. However, this way of life is dying with the modernization of ranching. Cynthia Vidaurri of the Texas A&I University has "studied the oral traditions of the vaquero–the music, the poetry, the folklore–and she fears their loss." The connection of this source to Bless Me, Ultima is seen in the stories of the Chicano cowboy that Gabriel relates to Antonio. Antonio's knowledge of these stories intensifies Antonio's sympathy for his father's loss of identity as his family moves into town. Thus, the story of the Chicano cowboy reflects one of the main conflicts in Bless Me, Ultima.

The Writer's Perspective: Voices form American Cultures
http://prenticehall.ca/allbooks/hss_013948308x.html
This site goes over many story writing stratecgies that different authors use,and then gives short stories or articles that contemporary American authors have, giving reasons for why they write. It shows that not everyone has the same agenda.

Reading Activites compiled by Rachel Hatch
|During Reading | After Reading |
Before Reading Strategies:

1. “Rudolfo Anaya: A Brief Biography.” One Book, One Boulder. 2005. 17 September 2005.< http://www.boulder.lib.co.us/onebookoneboulder/bio.htm >.

This brief biography is a good introduction to the author. In this biography students can see the similarity between Anaya and Antonio as well as understand the scope of Anaya’s career. The site includes lists of awards, works and references of Anaya.

2. “Author Rudolfo Anaya Seeks To Help Raise Self-Esteem of Young Readers.” NEA’s Read Across America. NEA: National Education Association. 17 September 2005.
<http://www.nea.org/readacross/multi/ranaya.html>.

This interview with Anaya lends insight into why he writes as well as his special interest in the education and literacy of young people. This interview could be used to help students understand Anaya better and perhaps inspire them.

3. “Early Mexican American Literature.” A Literary History of the American West. Texas Christian University. 17 September 2005. <http://www2.tcu.edu/depts/prs/amwest/html/wl1079.html>.

This site is most useful for researching the literary history behind Anaya’s work. This article is a brief but detailed history of the colorful and vibrant tradition of Mexican American literature.

4. “Magical Realism.” Moore, Lindsay. Postcolonial Studies at Emory. Emory University. 17 September 2005. <http://www.english.emory.edu/Bahri/MagicalRealism.html>.

This is another good site for research into Anaya’s literary influences. Although not regularly an author associated with magical realism, Anaya nevertheless has tendencies toward it and arguably influenced the future trend. Explaining magical realism to the class before reading the novel would help the students better understand Anaya’s methods.

5. Hispanic Folk Arts & The Environment: A New Mexican Perspective. Museum of International Folk Art and New Mexico Culture Net. 17 September 2005. <http://nmcn.org/heritage/folk_arts/>.

This is a beautiful website with pictures of New Mexico. Students will see through this site why Anaya’s native state is called the “Land of Enchantment.” It will introduce them to the landscape as well as the people of New Mexico that the story is set in.

6. Interlupe. Centro de Estudios Guadalupanos. 17 September 2005.
<http://www.interlupe.com.mx/lupe-e.html>.

Interlupe is a thorough introduction site of the phenomena of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Students will learn through this site about the allusions that Anaya makes to the Virgin as well as understand more of the devout Catholic culture of Antonio’s mother.

7. The Spirit of La Llorona. 2000-2005.
<http://lallorona.com/La_index.html>.

This is an amazing website connected to a movie about La Llorona. It has four different versions of the tale that are both traditional and modern. The tale of La Llorona is traced through time as well as different cultures. Submitted artwork and literature is also available. This website will definitely intrigue as well as inform students about one of the pivotal elements of the story.

8. “High Country Legends: La Llorona – Weeping Woman of the Southwest.” Legends of America. 17 September 2005. <http://legendsofamerica.com/HC-WeepingWoman1.html>.

This is another informative, if not as exciting, website for La Llorona. It explains the history of the tale and provides links to other folktales of the Southwest.

9. Carmen Lomas Garza: Chicana Artist. 2001-2005.
<http://carmenlomasgarza.com/>.

The art of Carmen Lomas Garza reflects the Hispanic culture within Anaya’s work and showing her art to students will help them understand that culture better. She even has several paintings called “Curandera” depicting woman healers such as Ultima. These pictures could be used to introduce students to the feel and color of Hispanic culture.

10. Anaya, Rudolfo. The Farolitos of Christmas. Edward Gonzales, ill. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 1995.

This children’s story by Anaya has a similar setting and characters to Bless Me Ultima. By reading this simpler story with Hispanic artwork would be a soft introduction to Anaya’s style and themes in his more complex, adult book. Other books of his could be used as well such as Farolitos for Abuelo, which accompanies The Farolitos of Christmas, and Maya’s Children, which is a retelling of La Llorona by Anaya.

During Reading Strategies:

1. Latin Culture Through Art and Literature. Dina Secchiaroli. Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute. 24 September 2005. <http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/2000/4/00.04.08.x.html>.

This site is a good resource for lesson plans for context and themes of the book. It focuses on Latin American culture and the issues involved. Secchiaroli uses The Horned Toad by Gerald Haslam but the teacher can easily change the text to Bless Me, Ultima or introduce Haslam’s book as an extra text. The site has resources and introductions to Latin American literature and culture as well as women writers in the tradition.

2. Mario Araujo. “Are Chicanos the Same as Mexicans?” Mexica.net. 27 September 2003. Azteca.net. 10 October 2005. <http://azteca.net/aztec/chicano.html>.

Although not a scholarly site these definitions explain the differences between the different Spanish related cultures that often get lumped together. These definitions also imply some of the issues and controversies between cultures that Antonio deals with. Reviewing these terms will help students understand these cultures and give them correct information that will be helpful to them in the future.

3. Index of /k-12/ultima. Jamie Myers. 2005. PSU. 24 September 2005.
<http://itss229.ed.psu.edu/k-12/ultima/SPANISH.HTM>.

This site is an index to the Spanish words and phrases used in the book. As a project students could make their own list of unfamiliar Spanish words and look them up in a Spanish dictionary. Studying these Spanish words and phrases not only would help students understand what the characters are saying but also help them appreciate the Hispanic culture. This exercise would also be helpful for ESL students as well as students learning Spanish.

4. “The Anasazi & Kokopelli.” Canyonlands National Park. Ray Rasmussen. 24 September 2005. <http://raysweb.net/canyonlands/pages/anasazi.html>.

One culture that influences the story is the Anasazi who are presumed to be the people from the Golden Carp legend. This site is a thorough and attractive introduction to the Anasazi people. Included in the site are links to photos of ruins, articles, and stories. Students can learn from this website of the mystery and beauty of the Anasazi culture which would lend to their understanding of the religion of the Golden Carp.

5. Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. Indian Pueblo Cultural Center and Institute for Pueblo Indian Studies. 24 September 2005. <http://www.indianpueblo.org/intro/index.cfm>.

The Pueblo culture is the Native American culture in the area where the book is set. Many of the pagan traditions of Ultima come from this culture. Understanding the Pueblo culture would help students understand the conflict between cultures as well as religions that Antonio is faced with. This site is a beautiful and well-organized database of the Pueblo Indians. It is controlled and funded by the Pueblo tribes and has information and pictures on the 19 pueblos, museums, and programs of the culture.

6. Lummis, Charles. “Pueblo Indian Folk-Stories.” Internet Sacred Text Archive. 24 September 2005.
<http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/sw/pifs/index.htm>.

This site is another good resource to study the pueblo culture and the storytelling tradition. Numerous folk stories are linked here told in a traditional manner. Reading these stories the students will see similarities between stories in the book or even in their own cultures. They will better understand the cultural heritage that Anaya has made one of his main themes in the book.

7. “Hispanic Heritage Plaza.” 2005. Hispanic Online. 24 September 2005.
<http://www.hispaniconline.com/hh02/>.

This site is a wonderful resource for information on Hispanic Americans in a simple but attractive way. This site has links that would be helpful as students continue to read and come across new issues like WWII. This site has several links for Hispanics in wars and even a short article on Anaya. There are activities, timelines, recipes and much more to inform as well as excite students about the Hispanic culture.

8. Hernandez Cortes On The Web. Tim Spalding. 2000-2005. Isidore of Seville.
<http://www.isidore-of-seville.com/cortes/ >.

This site is great to learn about the Spanish conquistador culture that Cortes represents. In Bless Me Ultima the vaqueros are said to descendants of these restless, adventuresome explorers. This website will give well-documented and varied information about the conquest of Spanish America. There is also a page dedicated to Cortes’ mistress and translator, La Malinche, who many say is the origin of La Llorona. Her story is pertinent because she is a figure of the Pagan Native culture blending with the Christian Spanish that is so prevalent in the story.

9. Catholic Encyclopedia. 2005. 24 September 2005. New Advent.
<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/>.

The Catholic Encyclopedia online has over 10,000 articles about the Catholic Church and its culture. This resource will be useful for those unfamiliar with the Catholicism in the book. If the teacher or students have questions on a Catholic term or tradition, for example “scapular” or “Saint Christopher,” they will find it on this site. The encyclopedia is very well edited and detailed.

10. Multicultural Education Internet Resource Guide. Dr. Jon Reyhner. Northern Arizona University. 24 September 2005. <http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jar/Multi.html>.

Bless Me Ultima is mostly taught to explore multiculturalism. This site would be a helpful tool to a teacher teaching the book for that reason. The site is replete with links to other cultural websites, lesson plans, articles, libraries, bibliographies and so much more that focus on multiculturalism.

11. Rachel Hatch. Compare and Contrast. Provo, Utah. Brigham Young University.

To help students understand the conflict Antonio is going through in the book is to help them realize the contrasts as well as similarities between elements in the story. One way to do this is to have the students write down contrasts on a piece of paper. These contrasts will represent the conflicting cultures and philosophies that Antonio is faced with. This worksheet is an example of an assignment finding contrasts but you can do it in many different ways such as a Venn diagram.

After Reading Strategies:

1. Gilmer Maureen. “The Curandera’s Garden.” Home and Garden Television. 30 September 2005. <http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_herbs/article/0,,HGTV_3595_2251140,00.html >.

This article talks about modern curanderas in the Southwest and also suggests a book on southwest herbs for further studies. By studying this article and possibly the book, Los Remedios, Ultima’s role will become more real to them and will expand their knowledge on medicine and nature.

2. Folk Healers. Evelyn Jeffers. South Central Service Co-op. 30 September 2005. <http://www.scsc.k12.ar.us/2000TexNatHist/TexasNatHist/Members/jeffersE2/default.htm >.

This site gives a simple but informative overview of the curandera. The site includes photos and classifications of curanderas, plants and remedies. Through this site students can understand more fully what a curandera is and what tools she uses.

3. Storyteller.net. 1999-2005. 30 September 2005.
<http://www.storyteller.net/>.

This website is a good resource for the tradition of storytelling which is a prominent concern for Anaya. In this site are articles, links and directories to stories and storytellers all over the world. One way to help the children understand and appreciate the tradition of storytelling is to have an actual storyteller come and tell stories to the class.

4. Rudolfo A. Anaya. Jim Paterno. Emerald Ridge High School. 24 September 2005. <http://www.angelfire.com/wa2/buildingcathedrals/blessmeauthor.html>.

This is a webpage dedicated entirely to Anaya and his book, Bless Me, Ultima. The site has information on issues such as curanderismo, dreams, the Virgin of Guadalupe as well as lesson plans. This source can be used by both the teacher and the students for research and ideas for assignments that are interesting and pertinent to the text.

5. In Search of Aztlan. 1 October 2005.
<http://www.insearchofaztlan.com/.>.

Aztlan is a chicano movement that Anaya was heavily involved in and has much to do with Bless Me Ultima. This website is for the movie called In Search of Aztlan that Anaya participated in. The movie is a docu-comedy and might interest the students. The site also contains interviews by Anaya and others about the Aztlan movement of the 60’s and 70’s. By exploring this site students will understand Anaya’s point of view as he wrote this book in the 70’s and also his passion for his culture. The site is set up in an attractive and easy way and offers information and links about Aztlan.

6. Vaqueros. Views of a Western Way of Life. 1 October 2005.
< http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ncrhtml/crview03.html >.

This site has information on vaqueros and their influence on the American west. It includes pictures and other links about the west. Learning about the vaqueros will help students understand the pride that Antonio’s father has in being one. Also through learning about the factual vaqueros the book will become more real to the students and expand their understanding of the history of the American West. Another good source for information is the book In the Days of the Vaqueros by Russell Freedman.

7. Hatch, Rachel. Family History. Provo, Utah. Brigham Young University. 2005

In Bless Me Ultima, Antonio’s father says, “Ay, every generation, every man is a part of his past. He cannot escape it, but he may reform the old materials, make something new” (261). One theme throughout the book is an individual’s tie to his or her past including family and culture. This activity would help the students understand this theme more completely. In this activity, students will make a basic family tree, interview parents and relatives, write down stories from their life and research the cultures they come from. Through this research they will come to understand what has influenced them as individuals. They can examine what from their family and cultures they want to explore and build upon and what they want to change. This activity is not only very beneficial for the students’ critical and emotional development but it also is flexible and can be as intense or as simple as the students need.

8. K. Ellen. “Archetypal Criticism and Joseph Campbell.” George Mason High School. 1 October 2005.
< http://www.fccps.k12.va.us/gm/faculty/english/archcrit.htm >.

Bless Me Ultima is rife with archetypes. To more fully understand and appreciate the book students must have a good knowledge of archetypes. This site provides a good example of a presentation on archetypes for students to understand. It is simple, informative and provides familiar examples.

9. Hatch, Rachel. Antonio’s Dreams. Provo, Utah. Brigham Young University. 2005

One way for students to analyze the text is to depict it in art. In this activity, students will depict Antonio’s dreams through art. This will expand their skill and creativity in critical analysis. By comparing Antonio’s dreams to other artists like William Blake students will also be able to make connections through genre and period.

10. Hatch, Rachel. Accompany Reading for Bless Me, Ultima. Provo, Utah. Brigham Young University. 2005.

Bless Me, Ultima can be explored on several different levels and so is flexible in the literature that it can be studied with. Here is a list that I have compiled based on the themes of loss of innocence/ the discovery of evil, coming of age, multi-cultural, and Hispanic. The list can definitely be expanded. These books are ones I know of and am confident will develop students understanding of the issues in Anaya’s book and also help them make connections between cultures, times and authors and consequently real life.