When reading “Bless me, Ultima”, I was very much sensing the conflicting and oftentimes confusing nature of growing up. Everyone experiences the notion of growing pains. We are trying to discover who we are as an individual but are torn between our heritage and roots.
The scene that really showed this was in the very first chapter when Tony was falling asleep listening to this parents talk about the arrival of Ultima, a healer, that is coming to live with his family.
His mom’s side come from a long line of farmers who are grounded in a deep Catholic fate and hope Tony will embrace the calling of Priesthood. When he is born they surround the baby with varying fruits and vegetables that are a complete representation of earth and the products of laboring with Mother Nature. This entire ceremony is interrupted by the arrival of his father’s side as they smash the vegetables and fruits and replace them with tools of cowboys: a saddle, rope and whiskey. This act completely shows that from the very beginning, Tony’s parents both controlled the future of his cultural identity and also internally clashed with each other on how he should be raised.
They also clash on what to do with the remains of his afterbirth. The side of the mom wishes to bury it with the earth while the father’s side attests to burn it and scatter it amongst the air. This dream was very telling and besides discovering how Tony feels conflicted with his parents, the presence of Ultima shows that from the very beginning of Tony’s existence, she was with him and proclaimed she is the only one that “knows his destiny”.
With what we have been discussing so far in relation to Gothic/Chicano elements in novels, I would definitely add this one to our list. This novel exemplified a complete hybrid of Chicano/Gothic elements. Firstly, the internal struggle of the main character Tony with cultural roots in his Spanish and Indigenous heritage. This is seen with his future of potential Priesthood and cowboy professions and his conflict of language in school with both Spanish and English.
The Gothic elements were highly laced within the character of Ultima, who I observed as highly mysterious in her teachings and mystical powers of healing. There is continuous confusion as to whether or not she is a witch and whether or actions are underlining good or evil. The presence of her owl, the Virgin of Guadalupe (which we just saw in “The Calligraphy of the Witch”), the magical carp, and several characters who practice witchcraft and perform curses of black magic (Trementina sisters), all added a magical/supernatural atmosphere. Also a large gothic element for me was Tony’s dreams acting as omens of prophecy. He had several dreams throughout the book and the contained an air of mystery and ambiguity.

The work Bless Me, Ultima contains a number of elements that qualify it as a hybrid of Chicano and Gothic literature. First, the work displays a number of literary tropes that demonstrate it as a work grounded in Chicano elements. Antonio’s entire battle between the two sides of his family, the indigenous and the Spanish, display Chicano themes in the idea of being split between two identities. At time, Antonio is confused because he does not know whether he should follow the teachings of his Spanish side, often relating to God, or his indigenous side. This presents Chicano themes in that much of Chicano literature is focused on the way one does not fit in when one is both Mexican and American. In addition, Antonio’s struggle to fit into school plays into this theme. Antonio has difficulty when first entering school, as he does not speak English and eats green chili with tortillas, which earns him scorn from his classmates. This exclusion demonstrates the Chicano theme of not fitting into the general populace, as one has been raised as a Mexican (or in this case Spanish), and not as a white American.
In addition, the work contains a number of elements that qualify it as a Gothic piece. The character of Ultima for instance demonstrates a number of Gothic elements, mainly through her moral gray area and the various supernatural elements she appears to control. For instance, when Antonio first meets Ultima, he remarks on her owl and how owls are usually the signs of witches. This of course plays into the Gothic in the fear inspired by witches, as well as the supernatural elements. However, the moral gray area is created in the fact that Antonio also remarks that he believes Ultima’s owl is an animal that will take him to the Virgin Mary. This further displays tropes of Gothic literature, as the work begins bringing in religious elements that are a staple of Gothic literature. In addition, the use of curses in the plays further displays themes of Gothic literature. The curses sent by the Trementina sisters demonstrate the idea of the supernatural, specifically dangerous magic, that is common in Gothic literature. In addition, the rituals performed by Ultima to remove this curse, which feature animals turning on one another and battling outside, play into the theme of Gothic literature.

As a couple of my classmates have already made note of, Bless Me Ultima can definitely be considered Chicano Gothic literature. The books contains the same elements that we have been discussing from other Chicano Gothic works, such as the use of supernaturalness and spiritualness. In relation to the supernatural, the storyline follows a boy who contemplates his religious beliefs and their credibility. This work also includes witchcraft, an element that we linked to Gothic literature when we discussed it about Calligraphy of the Witch. The detailed account of the Uncle stumbling upon the Trementina sisters’ “devilish” rituals is one part that truly contributes to making this work a definite Gothic work. Ultima, the curadora, is a prime example of spiritualness and the supernatural, and therefore Gothic. The tale of the Golden Carp that Cico tells Antonio is also another element of Gothic literature because it talks of a legend of a group of people who are turned in to carps by gods and then a god becomes a gold carp to watch over them. This is also a Chicano work because it talks about a family who contemplate where they belong. The sense of belonging is definitely a driving element in the book: the sons do not feel like they belong in the town anymore, the father wants to move to California because he no longer feels happiness in his routine, Antonio does not feel like he belong when he is first starting school, and there are several more moments like this. The use of many phrases in Spanish mixed in to the English sentences is an element that emphasizes the Chicano-ness of this work because it symbolizes the mixing of two different cultures, a sort of meshing that Antonio feels occurring in his life, and not just with the language, but as he begins to question his religious beliefs and his maturation in to becoming a man. This book shared many similar gothic elements of “The Vine Leaf” and “The Birth Mark” , but also had Chicano elements like those of Calligraphy of the Witch (along with the gothic ones in that as well) and should unequivocally be considered as a work of Chicano Gothic.

There are several gothic elements in “Bless Me Ultima”: the supernatural, dark powers, terror and the sublime in nature. It depicts the Luna family as connected to the earth, as healers who use magic based upon nature, and Ultima as a curandera. There is familial tension between that side of the family, and Antonio’s father, whose family is characterized as restless vaqueros. In contrast to the Lunas being connected to the earth in a mystical way, the Marez family is connected to the earth in a salt of the earth, physical way.

According to Samuel and Ultima, the river holds secrets and magic. Antonio is able to divine the presence in the river and is also able to see the golden cod. Though it is clear that he takes after the Luna family and is able to sense supernatural elements in nature, he struggles with the fact that what nature and Ultima can cure, God cannot. It adds to the tension in the book, because his mother wants him to be a priest. A major theme of the book is seeking truth and Ultima counsels Antonio that each man must find his own answers.

Even though there are several elements of the gothic genre, I think that this story falls more on the side of magical realism. The fantastic is used to explore topics of spirituality, and I felt that there was more supernatural “magic” than horror supernatural.

When I was reading “Bless Me, Ultima”, I felt a lot of gothic elements within the text. Antonio has a deep connection to the land sensing it’s spiritual and sometimes evil ways. He also is not only very emotionally attached with “La Curandera”, as they often refer Ultima as, but also aids Ultima to cure his uncle Lucas out of a demonic possession. Uncle Lucas saw three girls doing witchcraft in the woods and they got so angry that they made him sick with a hair ball that turned into small snakes. Witchcraft and the many Catholic elements make this novel fulfill many of the gothic elements. There are many supernatural elements as well, such as the storms and the man eating mermaids. The event of the god turned golden carp stood out to me because it doesn’t seem to have gothic elements at first; however, with the story behind it and the conflict it poses to Antonio with his deep Roman Catholic beliefs changes the story into evil at first and then into an inexplicable spirit, opening a new world for him. The gothic element between the exotically evil pond that leads to the bottomless lake at the top of the hill where the killer mermaids reside and the darkness of the pond where the golden carp swam by both lend gothic elements as well. I also find this novel to be the essence of Chicano/a culture. Beginning with language struggles from home and school where Antonio did not know English, yet he was put in a classroom where the children only spoke English which led to him to be bullied, to his sisters speaking English while the rest of the family spoke Spanish. Especially when they said words like ‘yeah’ and ‘gosh’ which the family did not know how to respond to. There is also the religious background with Our Lady of Guadalupe and church every Sunday with a very faithful prayer life. There is also the tradition that at least one boy of the family should be a priest, and this is what Antonio’s mother, Maria, wants for Antonio. This tradition that is constantly placed upon Antonio’s shoulders and the sayings of wisdom in Spanish that are splashed around the story show elements of the Chicano/a ness in the novel.

I would definitely agree that Bless Me, Ultima can be added to a Chicano Gothic class list. The novel has both Chicano and Gothic elements. Antonio is constantly worried about finding his identity. He faces issues like deciding between Spanish and English, Catholicism and Indigenous ways. He thinks he has to choose between the dreams of his parents, to either be a priest or a vaquero. This is a Chicano element since often Chicanas/os face the big question, “Who am I?”. In the end, Antonio realizes that he doesn’t have to choose one or another.
Catholicism is one of the Gothic elements in this novel. Maria Marez constantly prays and the Virgen de Guadalupe is mentioned a lot. Ultima is definitely one of the big Gothic elements in this novel. Ultima is very mysterious. She is also connected to the owl. Many people call her a witch even though she is just a curandera. Tenorio Trementina’s daughters were witches and they certainly give this novel a Gothic vibe.

I can definitely see how Bless Me, Ultima falls under the Chicano/a gothic genre. The family is from Guadalupe, New Mexico and Antonio’s mother is very catholic. This can relate to many hispanic people who are very religious and happen to be catholic and those that believe people can have power. The reader can also make the conclusion that perhaps the place that they are living in is a very religious town because it is named just like the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe and the talk of first communion is brought up. Ultima is a healer who has magical powers that cannot be explained through the catholic church. This ties in with gothic elements, the clash between religion and a supernatural power that has no explanation. Also, the Trementina sisters have power as well and use it for evil. These characters represent the evil and the bad on Earth in the book, and so can Ultima, but she uses her powers to heal and for good; these women represent the gothic element of mysterious and possible witches. This can be why Antonio doesn’t understand why there is good and evil on Earth and is tormented between religion and supernatural powers. Antonio also has dreams that seem to be out of the ordinary and symbolic dreams. He is not only fighting demons of the Earth, he is also fighting the demons inside of him that don’t allow him to see who he truly wants to be. Bless Me, Ultima is a great coming of age story which presents the question of “who am i?” and brings elements of not only Spanish and Mexican traditions, but other cultures that can cause a conflict between each other. The mystery of what lies in Antonio’s future and how only Ultima knows is strongly something I believe relates to gothic literature.

When reading Bless Me, Ultima, I immediately identified Antonio as a character that embodied a young man struggling to be comfortable with his Chicano identity. At the onset of the story, Antonio is a young Chicano boy growing up on the eastern plains of New Mexico, a very formative stage in his life. In developing our definition of what it means to be Chicano and how I have come to understand it, one of the most significant aspects is the notion of a split identity, the dualism of an individual’s Mexican and American heritage. Here, Antonio continually struggles with the two sides of his lineage; the devote, noble Lunas of his mother’s side who remain tethered to the land and the adventurous, nomadic and somewhat reckless Marez of his father’s side. The frustration in his attempts at the formation of an identity are evident when we see him in his academic environment. Going to a school with a student body that predominantly speaks only English, Antonio often experiences feelings of isolation and alienation. The conflict associated between his Mexican heritage and the concept of American assimilation is emphasized when Miss Maestas changes his name to Anthony in front of the class.

Although elements of the gothic were not so overtly presented, there are certainly aspects of the novel that fit well into our discussion. Throughout the story, Antonio contemplates the relationship between good and evil, the mystery of his own destiny, and his own religious belief system, particularly within the Catholic church and his somewhat predestined role as a priest. Antonio fervently searches for validation through the church and the ritual of taking communion, but is continually left unsatisfied up to the point where he begins to search for religious fulfillment in the form of a golden coy. The gothic genre is known to include Catholic commentaries. Ultima and the Trementina sisters also represent elements of the gothic in their experimentation with witchcraft, although they employ it with much different intentions. Perhaps the most outstanding embodiment of the gothic in my mind, however, was the focus on the darker side of human nature and the condition of individual’s souls. This struck me especially when Antonio witnesses his father as an accessory to the murder of Lupito and begins to worry greatly that his father will be condemned to hell. Throughout this novel there is an underlying sentiment that the entire population is on the brink of eternal damnation

As Tyre has stated, there are many instances in this novel that tie in very closely to the ‘dictionary’ definition of Gothic Literature. To take Tyre’s response one step further and point out another element of Gothic Literature I was able to find. In order to further my point I would like to call on another story “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. For those of you familiar with the story, I think this stories central conflict of Antonio’s uncertainty about his future plays a similar role to that of the Narrator in “The Yellow Wallpaper” in which something as insignificant as yellow wallpaper can almost take control of the story. In “Bless Me, Ulitma” Antonio’s uncertainty and his constant struggle with religion and God mirror the narrator in “The yellow wall paper” this obsession with one object sets a gothic tone that we can relate back too. I felt that even though Antonio struggles to find peace in religion he is more destined to be a holy-man than live like his brothers and father. Religion is one of the subjects that people can be born into and aimlessly follow because it was something they grew up with. But throughout the book Antonio witnesses moments of extreme violence that make him question the existence of God. This struggle is what I was attempting to tie back into the comparison of “The Yellow Wallpaper” where the more Antonio ‘stares’ at Catholicism the more imperfections he finds imbedded in it. He questions it more and more; he asks his father a multitude of questions that his father cannot answer. Even with the death of Ultima at the end of the novel the boy still seems to be lost within the design of this ‘religious wallpaper”.

I particularly liked your analysis of the river as a Gothic element. Also, I agree with you about how the tension between Ultima’s impressive healing capability and the traditional God is another important aspect of the story which emphasizes Antonio’s conflicted nature. Great analysis!

In Bless Me Ultima, there are many gothic as well as Chicano/a elements present throughout the story. Concerning gothic elements, the one most apparent is Catholicism. As discussed in class, Catholicism is one of the most primary aspects of gothic, mostly being expressed in an ominous manner. Antonio’s mother wishes that he will become a luna as her brothers are or even a priest. There are also numerous references to La virgen de Guadalupe who is a saint in the catholic religion. Lastly, The elements of witchcraft and superstition are also present, which are most commonly found in gothic works. Ultima possesses special powers that many townspeople deem as witchcraft. Antonio’s also has experiences with these superstitious elements when he states how ultimas owl gave him a warning that their “peace on [the] hill”is drawing to an end.
Aside from the elements of gothness present,there are also elements of Chicano/a-ness present as well. As discussed in class, Chicano/a is often described as having conflict with two identities, mainly Mexican and American. However, in this story, our main character is conflicted with his own destiny. He is conflicted as to whether he will become a Luna, as his mother wishes, or a vaquero of the llano, which his father hopes for.
Given the presence of both gothness and Chicano/a-ness, I would in fact add it to our lists of texts. This book contains the Identity conflict present in both Chicano/a as well as gothic works, which can possibly suggest a similarity in meaning of both terms. Similar to the other Chicano/a goth work Calligraphy of the Witch, the protagonist has an ongoing conflict of identity, regardless if it derives from society or within their very own families.