Bless Me, Ultima

This paper will show how the principles described in Milton Mayeroff book On Caring can be used to interpret the relationships of the characters in Rudolfo Anaya's novel Bless Me, Ultima. Anaya's 1972 novel is a coming of age story about a troubled Mexican-American boy named Antonio in 1940s New Mexico who is facing crucial decisions regarding his future. Helping him learn how to grapple with good and evil, and how to reconcile the different aspirations of his father and mother is the old curandera Ultima who enters Antonio's life when he is six years old. The caring attributes of Ultima regarding Antonio are the major focus of the novel. Other significant caring relationships are between Ultima and Antonio's parents, and between Antonio and his first grade teacher, Miss Maestas, among others.

Mayeroff argues that 'the concept of 'caring' is developed by disclosing its relationships to other significant concepts like 'trust,' 'honesty,' and 'humility,' and it also grows by coming to terms with seeming exceptions" (14). He identifies eight main ingredients of caring that enable someone to have a relationship with another person. These are: Knowing, the awareness of the self, understanding the needs of others and knowing how to respond properly; Alternating rhythms, the ability to apply learning to help others; Patience, interacting with others to enable them to grow in their own time and way; Honesty, to see truly what the other is and not as you want she/he to be; Tru

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by most of the townspeople so it is not a popular move to take Ultima in. They do, however, because they acknowledge that 'she served the people all her life" and 'it is not right that la Grande (the title they use to refer to Ultima) be alone in her old age" (5). Although Maria is a devout Catholic and the Church finds Ultima evil, Maria says, Awe cannot let her live her last days in loneliness" and Gabriel agrees because ' it is not the way of our people" (6). In the second instance, a drunken lynch mob comes to the Marez home to get Ultima who has been accused of witchcraft. The men have no quarrel with Gabriel but realize that he 'would let no man invade his home" and take Ultima (130). As the rage of the men increases, Gabriel holds his ground and the mob realizes they would have to fight him, which they don't want to. Narciso devises a witchcraft test which Ultima passes, and the mob disperses. By caring more for the safety of Ultima than his own life, Gabriel exhibits Courage and Authenticity as well as repaying his debt to Ultima for all the care and help she has given his family. One of Mayeroff's points is that caring must be mutual, and that caring is developed in relationship to others (47). Another incident of

Category: Literature - B