Capítulo Uno

A first chapter of a good book should set the stage for what is to come, and Anaya certainly delivers in Bless Me, Última. He touches on family relationships, cultural traditions, and spirituality.

One of the first motifs that I can sense in just the first chapter is that family relationships (If you’re wondering what a motif is, click here: http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motif).  I will be interested to watch how the family members shape and influence Antonio on his journey. Based on what I’ve read so far, I’m going to guess that they don’t have a very strong direct effect on him. I sense that Antonio feels isolated in his own family. With his brothers at war and his English-speaking sisters muy unidas, Antonio is left to wrestle with life and rectify the opposing aspirations of his parents; Antionio does not yet know if he identifies with his mom or dad more.  Antonio’s vantage point from the attic bedroom accurately symbolizes his psychological distance from the rest of the family.

I predict that the relationship with Última, la curandera, will prove to be an influential one in Antonio’s life, perhaps more so than his relationship with either of his parents. Antonio seems to have some prophet-like qualities because of his immediate connection with Última, and his flashback dream to the day of his birth.  The vision is a clever trick by Anaya that lets readers in on deep-seated tension between the in-laws. The dream shows Última fulfilling the roles of peacemaker and midwife at the birth.  For some reason that role of bringing the baby into the world (and biting off the umbilical cord!  Did I read that right?!) entitle her to determine what happens to the placenta and cord of the infant. This tradition of surrounding the newborn with symbols of the desired future profession and specifically disposing of the placenta and cord may seem nonsensical to readers unfamiliar with the cultural significance. I plan on looking up more information about this. Wow!

Also, Anaya is already showing Antonio to be somewhat spiritual.  His dreams are significant and almost prophetic. His mother’s desire for him to become a priest will certainly affect Antonio’s perspective of church and organized religion. Could this be foreshadowing of Antonio’s future career decisions? 

On a final note, I’ve started reading the book in Spanish, so it will be interesting to see the way the language influences my perception of the book. I look forward to hearing from those who are reading it in English. I hear that the author sprinkles the text with lots of Spanish vocabulary. It seems a fitting reflection of the protagonist’s bilingual community. I imagine that other students of Spanish can appreciate the flexibility and oddity of Spanglish albeit grammatically incorrect. What are your thoughts on the inclusion of Spanish in the text?