In the Christian Bible, Adam and Eve are banished from the Garden of Eden for the crime of disobeying God. The way they do this of course, is by eating from the Fruit of Forbidden Knowledge. When they do so, they gain knowledge of much of the world, such as the shame of being naked. Because of this, it can be argued that Adam and Eve are therefore banished because they broke their ignorance. This then begs the question, is ignorance bliss, and is it a more desirable state of being?
In Bless Me, Ultima, the main character Antonio is in a constant dangerous state of breaking through his ignorance. While Antonio is only a six year old boy, he is constantly questioning the world around him, which leads him into the precipitous situation of learning too much before the appointed time. For instance, Antonio is constantly forced to contemplate the various religious influences surrounding him and which religion he should follow. Antonio sees the Christian influence of his family and the ways in which it governs the world, especially in the lives of the townspeople and the ways that their beliefs influence their behavior. However, Antonio also sees the power of the pagan world through the golden carp, as well the power of Ultima.
Ultima then can be analyzed as a possible allusion to the snake that tempts Eve and Adam into sin. While I would argue that Ultima and the knowledge she brings are not inherently negative, as the snake is portrayed in the Bible, she can still be noted as a figure that tempts Antonio away from the message of Christianity and to turn towards new religious endeavors. Antonio even notes at one point that he notices power in Ultima when he hugs her, but he is unsure of whether this power, which resembles a whirlwind, is positive or negative.
In this way, one must ask whether it is better to remain in ignorance, or move into knowledge. On one hand, one can note that Antonio is stripped of his innocence far too soon. Even though he is a six year old boy, he is forced to contemplate a religious existence that most men do not face until well into college years. On the other hand, one can state that it is because of this strive for knowledge that Antonio is able to function as such a precocious boy. In addition, because of this search for truth, Antonio will be able to function as a much more effective adult.
Bless Me, Ultima therefore explores what it means to be in ignorance and in knowledge, and the struggle to change from this ignorance.
Works Cited:
Anaya, Rudolpho. Bless Me, Ultima. New York: Warner Books, 1972.
It is true that Antonio’s thirst for knowledge does somewhat rob him of his innocence at an early age. The presence the various religious influences in the novel forces him to question his faith. The Adam and Eve analogy is a good one in that it speaks to the curiosity we have as humans. For a child this curiosity is not as heavily weighed down by social norms and expectations. For Antonio, his youth allows him to be open to the possibility of a pagan god or Ultima’s powers.
This blog post is interesting because it takes on the issue surrounding Ultima, whether she has a negative or positive influence on Antonio. In my opinion, I wouldn’t consider Ultima as the same likes as the snake in the story of Adam and Eve because the snake is inherently evil and is the representation of satan. I do not believe Ultima is evil because even though I do believe she is a witch, she uses her magic/powers for good rather than evil. Even though history would tell you otherwise, this story suggests that there can be a good witch such as Ultima because she heals people, but yet fails to walk through the door post with needles shaped as a cross.