I thought the ending of the book was somewhat inconclusive as to what Antonio wanted to do with his life. I guess he made it very clear that he did not want to be a priest, but he did not seem to want to follow his brothers either. Perhaps, like I thought at the beginning, he will follow in Ultima's footsteps rather than those of his mother or father.
The first interesting passage in this section of the book was the priest's description of eternity. I think Anaya was trying to really drive home the concept of being in Hell for an eternity in order to show that such a punishment is too harsh for anyone, no matter what they have done in life. This idea goes along with the themes of forgiveness and the harshness of Antonio's christian God. Another significant scene was when the boys were playing around, pretending Antonio was their priest. It became clear that they didn't want a forgiving priest, but one who punished people for their sins. Maybe Anaya was suggesting that human nature, which can be harsh and vengeful, is the reason that people look to God as someone to punish people for their sins. If everyone tried to be compassionate and forgiving like Antonio, we could look to God for compassion and understanding instead. The overall idea seems to be that religion does not make good people, because people apply their own personal values to their religions. Being a good person regardless of your religious beliefs is what really matters. After all, Florence was portrayed as a moral character, who seemed to be good and kind. Many of the other boys, who seem more immoral and cruel than Florence, believe wholeheartedly in their religion.
Antonio's first communion was a major turning point in the novel. He had been expecting some sort of revelation, where God would explain everything and reward his dedication to his religion. Instead, Antonio finally had to accept that he would never get simple answers to the complex issues of life. Simply believing in his religion would not solve his problems and make everything in his life good and fair. In the end, he finally faced the harsh reality that life was full of unfairness, and the only certain way to solve it was by being a good person and fighting for justice, not by asking God for assistance. I think it's hard to tell how Antonio feels about his religion at the end of the book. However, he certainly feels different than he does at the beginning. He realizes that everything related to religion will always be uncertain.
One particularly powerful line in the book is spoken by Cico: "You have to choose between the god of the church, or the beauty that is here or now..." I think Anaya wants to convince us that the correct choice is the here and now, because we should do what we think is good and right, and not worry about what form it comes in. It doesn't matter whether there is a god, or whether Ultima is a witch, or whether the story of the golden carp is true. People should do the right thing whether or not they will be rewarded amd Ultima should be judged by her actions, not by whether she can walk through a door with a cross on it.
I don't know exactly what to make of Florence's death. Maybe Anaya wanted to make it clear that Florence died without ever embracing any god, so readers will question the idea of nonbelievers going to hell. After all, Florence had a difficult life and was a good person, but the other children say that he will go to hell for not believing. His death makes that concept seem frightening and unfair.
In the very last chapter, Ultima dies because her spirit actually lives inside her owl rather than her body. I think that if Antonio told everyone this, they would believe more that ever that she was a witch, and maybe kill her for it. Her death proves beyond doubt that she had some sort of supernatural powers. As she is dying, Antonio says "Bless me, Ultima," which is obviously a significant line since it is the title of the book. Maybe this implies that Antonio values her blessing, rather than a religious blessing, because she is a real person who has proven her goodness through her actions on earth. Since this is the title of the book, I would say that it sums up the overall theme. Religion does not matter as much as being a good person, and we should judge people based on their actions rather than there religious affiliation.
No comments:
Post a Comment