The River

"I had been afraid of the awful presence of the river, which was the soul of the river, but through [Ultima] I learned that my spirit shared in the spirit of all things." (Rudolfo Anaya, Bless Me, Ultima, 15.)

          Bless Me, Ultima is the coming-of-age story of Antonio Marez.  With the guidance of his mentor and protector, Ultima, Antonio explores the family ties that both shape and plague him, and ultimately discovers his unique identity and destiny. Antonio is a very serious and thoughtful 6-year-old, one prone to moral questioning. His coming-of-age is shaped as he is repeatedly forced to confront difficult issues that blur the lines between right and wrong. Ultima guides his progression. For example, she teaches Antonio early on "that there is peace in the river." (15.) Soon after, Antonio's witnesses the death of a man in the river.

          The timing and significance of the river lesson for young Antonio cannot be ignored. What can Antonio gain from being at peace with the river, recognizing in it his own "spirit"? In the book Jung And The Story Of Our Time, Laurens van der Post notes that a river is the image of "water already in movement, finding its own way through great ravines, carrying all over cataract and rapid through conditions of external danger, to emerge intact and triumphant for union with the sea out of which it rose as vapour at the beginning." Rivers disregard straight lines or short cuts as they confront the physical impediments before them. Not ignoring but fully acknowledging all that surrounds them, rivers do not let outside forces hinder their path towards the sea.

          Ultima seems to know everything before it happens, (see page 24 if you don't believe me). She knew that Antonio, before the life-altering experience of witnessing Lupito's death, needed to come to terms with the river. Not only was Lupito killed in the river, but understanding "the soul of the river" meant moving on. As Ultima taught him, he must follow the example of the river by allowing his experiences to shape his progression, not incapacitate or "dam" it. Because he chose to learn from the "physical impediment" that confronted him, rather than stalling his coming-of-age, this experience propelled it.