BLESS ME, ULTIMA, STUDY QUESTIONS

CHAPTER 1
1. How does Tony's father feel about the family moving to Guadalupe?
2. What is Tony's first reaction when he meets Ultima?
3. How does Tony regard the owl that Ultima brings with her?
4. What connotations are attached to the owl?
5. How does the family regard the responsibility of taking care of the older generation?
6. What happens in Tony's dream?
7. What is his mother's reaction when Tony relates his dream to her?
8. Compare Tony's two meetings with Ultima--one on page 1 and the second on page 10. How are they similar? How are they different?
9. Anaya was interviewed by Juan D. Bruce-Novoa in a book called CHICANO AUTHORS: INQUIRY BY INTERVIEW. Anaya said:

I was born in Pastura, New Mexico, a small village on the llano. It's a harsh environment. I remember most that sense of landscape which is bleak, empty, desolate, across which the wind blows and makes its music. The influence of that land was early and lasting. I have tried to describe it in an article, "The Writer's Landscape: Epiphany in Landscape," as almost a religious experience, or a religious communication that man has with his earth when the two come to meet at one point and the power which is in each one is energized, no longer fusing together. That landscape plays a major role in the literature that I write. And always there is the interplay of people on the stage of life with the elements of nature--and the llano itself working through the people, changing the people, finally making the people who they are.

The beginning of Anaya's novel reflects his feelings toward the importance of physical surroundings and landscape. Comment on the landscape that he describes and say how it relates to his own comments printed above.

CHAPTER 2
1. How does Ultima guide Tony's spiritual growth?
2. In what ways is Ultima a believer in animism?
3. Why do they say the war has made Lupito the way he is?
4. What does Lupito feel in this chapter?
5. Analyze the images used to describe Lupito as he is being chased.
6. What does Tony feel after witnessing the death of a man for the first time?
7. Why does he recite the Act of Contrition as he runs?
8. How does the river affect Tony?
9. Why is it significant that he hears the owl as he is running?
10. What is Tony's father's dream?
11. What does Tony dream in this chapter?
12. Why does Tony say, "Bless me" on page 20?
13. In this chapter, how does Tony feel about becoming a priest?

CHAPTER 3
1. How is Tony noticing the passage of time in this chapter?
2. What questions is Tony asking about Lupito's death?
3. How do Tony's parents differ in their attitudes toward Tony's future? How does Ultima feel?
4. What stories has Tony been told about life in Las Pasturas?
5. What is going through Tony's head as he wrestles with Horse?
6. Why does María Márez (Tony's mother) say that "growing into manhood is a sin"?
7. What was the grey house on the hill?

CHAPTER 4
1. How is Tony changing as this chapter opens?
2. How does the "presence of the river" affect Tony?
3. How does Ultima perceive the two branches of the family?
4. How does Tony feel here about having to choose his future?
5. What is Tony afraid of at the end of this chapter?
6. Why does Tony's mother have an altar in the house?
7. How is Communion regarded in the Catholic Church?
8. How do Tony's ideas about God compare to his perceptions of the Virgin of Guadalupe?
9. What is the nature of Tony's dream in this chapter?
10. Why is the Virgin in mourning for the fourth son?

CHAPTER 5
1. What are Tony's uncles like?
2. What do Tony's uncles feel about his future?
3. Why do cultures often have stories about people in forests dancing with the Devil?
4. Why does the family stop at the grandfather's house first?
5. Describe the harvest that the family works to gather.
6. Why do the bells toll?
7. What is the feeling at the end of this chapter as Tony drifts off to sleep?

CHAPTER 6
1. How does Tony feel about starting school?
2. How is Tony's mother reacting to Tony's first day of school?
3. How does Tony's father regard his work on the highway?
4. Describe Gabriel's feeling toward the llano on page 51.
5. What blessing do you think Ultima is giving Tony on page 51?
6. In what ways could Ultima's blessing be like a whirlwind?
7. Tony says, "I looked at the three of them standing there, and I felt that I was seeing them for the last time: Ultima in her wisdom, my mother in her dream, and my father in his rebellion.” Comment.
8. Why do the other children make fun of Tony in class and at lunch?
9. How is Tony feeling at the very end of this chapter?
10. Why does the author compare the area to a "land of milk and honey”?

11. Why do the boys believe that drawing letters in the sand is magic?
12. Why are blessings important?

CHAPTER 7
1. Why are the three sons meeting in San Diego?
2. How has the war affected the brothers?
3. How do Tony's parents disagree in this chapter?

CHAPTER 8
1. How does Tony's mother react to having her sons back from the war?
2. How are the brothers affected by the season of the year?
3. In particular, how is Leon faring after his return, and what does Tony think about it?
4. Compare and contrast Tony to his brothers.

CHAPTER 9
1. How does the dream in this chapter affect Tony?
2. Why does Andrew remain at home?
3. Why does Tony feel like celebrating?
4. Why is it bad luck to catch and eat a carp?
5. How is Tony feeling about his religious training, now that he has encountered the Golden Carp?

CHAPTER 10
1. What has caused Uncle Lucas' illness?
2. What risk is Ultima taking in deciding to cure Lucas?
3. Why do the Tenorio sisters feel the way they do?
4. Why is Tony's presence important when Ultima exorcises the curse?
5. What role does Tony play in Lucas’ recovery?
6. How does the experience affect him?
7. How do the people of El Puerto regard Ultima after she heals Lucas?
8. Why do the witches take the form of the coyote?
9. Why does the curse involve a hairball?

CHAPTER 11
1. What do Cico and Tony agree to do?
2. What feeling is conveyed by the description of Narciso's garden, and what Biblical reference resembles it ?
3. Why do only a few people know about the Golden Carp?
4. Why does Tony become sick?
5. What does the black bass represent?
6. What is Cico's opinion about human nature and people's behavior toward each other?
7. In Tony's dream, what forces are struggling with each other?
8. Compare and contrast the story of la llorona with Cico's story about the mermaid.
9. In what ways is this chapter similar to the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Bible?
10. In this, Tony begins to doubt some of the beliefs he has been taught. His experience with Ultima as she cures Tony's uncle has affected him deeply. Think of a time when you or someone you know has experienced doubts. This can be about any aspect of life--school, job, family, graduation, past, present, or future. Describe this experience and say what effects it had.

CHAPTER 12
1. Why do Tenorio and his men try to hurt Ultima?
2. Why does Ultima's owl attack only Tenorio?
3. Compare Tony's feelings toward Ultima to his feelings toward his mother.
4. Why does Ultima give Tony her scapular, and why does she tell him not to tell others?
5. Why can't a witch pass by the sign of the cross?
6. How does Ultima feel as the mob threatens her?
7. Why does Ultima keep the three dolls?

CHAPTER 13
1. How does the experience with Tenorio affect each person in the Márez home?
2. What doubts is Tony having now?
3. Why does Ultima appear in the casket in Tony's dream?
4. How do people know that the dead Trementina daughter was a witch?

CHAPTER 14
1. What kind of person is Narciso?
2. Why does Tony decide to give Narciso confession?
3. If Tony is supposed to be so faithful to his religion, why does he seem to believe so strongly in the Golden Carp?
4. How does Ultima feel about Tony's getting involved in this conflict?
5. What is the tone of the scene at the Christmas play?

CHAPTER 15
1. Discuss your impression of Narciso and the way people treat him.
2. If you were Tony's mother and father, how would you feel if your sons returned with the story of the burned car and then left home again?
3. Gabriel matures as his sons grow up. Support this idea with details from book and commentary.

CHAPTER 16
1. Describe Florence's life and values.
2. How does Tony react to Tenorio in this chapter?

CHAPTER 17
1. According to the teachings of the church that Tony has learned, why does evil exist?
2. Why is Tony being blasphemous?
3. Why does Florence say he has never sinned?
4. What do the children think of Tony's playing the part of a priest?
5. How does the presence of the atomic bomb affect the people of the town?
6. How does the gang of boys represent different traits in Tony?
7. Compare Florence's behavior in the Christmas play and at Easter with his behavior at Horse's and Bones' first confession when Tony plays the priest.

CHAPTER 18
1. Why does the priest say, 'Thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return" as he places ashes on each person's forehead?
2. What fears does Tony have about his actions?
3. Why does Florence refuse to confess his sins?

4. Why does Florence have trouble believing in God?
5. Why does Tony wonder "how the priest could shoulder the burden of all the sins he heard” on page 201?
6. After Tony absolves Florence of his sins, he feels relieved. Why?

CHAPTER 19
1. What does Tony expect will happen when he takes holy communion for the first time?
2. How does he feel when his expectations are not met?

CHAPTER 20
1. Why do people believe that a curse has been placed on the Téllez family?
2. Where does the curse come from?
3. What is the significance of Tony's beating the Vitamin Kid across the bridge?

CHAPTER 21
1. What does Cico mean when he says, "There are many gods"?
2. Why do Cico and Antonio feel that it would be good for Florence to know of the golden carp?

CHAPTER 22
1. Why does Tony say the Act of Contrition for Florence when he knows that Florence didn’t believe and it wouldn't do any good?
2. Why doesn't the Vitamin Kid race Tony at the end?
3. Why does the author make Florence die right before Tony and Cico get a chance to tell him about the Golden Carp?
4. What is Gabriel's answer to Tony's question about the existence of evil?
5. Why don't the townspeople turn against Tenorio if he is so evil?
6. How is Tony's flight through the woods to warn Ultima similar to Narciso's?
7. If Ultima is so powerful, why can't she save herself?
8. What advice does Ultima give Tony at the end?
9. Why is the owl's death important?
10. What tools has Ultima passed on to Tony to help him become a spiritual leader?
11. Think back to one or more people or experiences that have influenced you as you have grown up. Describe those people or experiences and say how they have affected you.

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DIRECTIONS: Read each question carefully. Remember to write in clear sentences. Spelling and punctuation count. You may use your book.

A.Choose three questions from the group below:
Chapter 1: Write a short paragraph describing Ultima’s arrival at the Marez house.
Chapter 2: Why does Chávez come to the Márez house?
Chapter 3: Write a short paragraph describing the boys that Tony meets at church when the family goes to Mass.
Chapter 4: What does Ultima begin to teach Tony about the land and the plants?
Chapter 5: Write a short paragraph describing the trip to El Puerto de los Lunas.
Chapter 6: Write a short paragraph telling about Tony’s first day of school and his feelings about it.

B. Choose three questions from the group below:
Chapter 7: Describe the brothers’ homecoming from the war.
Chapter 8: Write 1-2 sentences explaining Tony’s relationship with his brothers.
Chapter 9: Explain the story that Samuel tells Tony about the carp.
Chapter 10: What is wrong with Uncle Lucas, and how does Ultima try to cure him? What does Tenorio have to do with the curse?
Chapter 11: Using details that you read from this chapter, draw a sketch of Narciso’s garden. Draw a sketch of Tony’s experience with the Golden Carp.
Chapter 12: 1. Describe the three dolls in Ultima’s room.
2. What good deed does Narciso do?
3. What test do the men suggest to prove that Ultima is a witch?BLESS ME, ULTIMA TEST
Second half of the novel

C. SHORT ANSWER:
Chapter 13:
1. Briefly describe the funeral taking place in this chapter.
Chapter 14:
2. What argument does Tony have with his friends about Ultima?
3. Briefly describe the Christmas play.
4. Where does Narciso go to find Andrew?
5. Describe the scene of Narciso’s death.
Chapter 15:
6. Why do the state police bring Eugene and León back?
Chapter 16:
7. Sketch and describe the scene where Tony runs into Tenorio.
8. What is Ultima’s reaction to Tony’s story about meeting Tenorio?
Chapter 17:
9. What does Florence reveal about his family?
10. Describe Father Byrnes as a person.
Chapter 18:
11. Describe the scene where Tony pretends to be a priest. Include how Florence reacts in this scene.
Chapter 19
12. What is Tony’s reaction to his First Holy Communion?
Chapter 20:
13. Why does the Téllez family come to see Ultima?
14. What does Ultima do to help them?
Chapter 21:
15. What happens to Florence in this chapter?
Chapter 22:
16. What happens to Ultima?
17. What does Tony attempt to do?

D. ESSAY QUESTION: Choose only one question. Copy the question on your paper. Write an essay responding to your chosen question.

1. BLESS ME, ULTIMA is considered a “bildungsroman,” a novel that deals with a person’s development, most often from adolescence to adulthood. It chronicles (makes a record of) the influences on Tony’s spiritual growth and maturation over a period of seven years.
Analyze Tony’s growth during this time. In what ways does he change, and why? Which teachers influenced him and in what ways?

OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR

2. Growing up requires the acceptance of limitations and the acknowledgment of reality. It requires setting aside a portion of one’s idealism and naiveté in order to move ahead.
At what point does Tony begin to set his idealism aside and start to lose his spiritual innocence, and what events contribute to that loss?

OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR

3. Discuss the ways the author deals with good and evil in the novel. You may also treat the topic as a personal one and write about your own attitudes, experiences, and thoughts about good and evil.