Myths and Legends in Bless Me, Ultima

1. Please read through the information about your myth or legend.

2. Then write a creative, engaging story that tells the myth/legend to share in a group.

Oral storytellers…

Orally share your myth/legend in your group.

La Virgen de Guadalupe

La Llorona The Golden Carp

Quetzalcoatl

Interview with Anaya

After the person is done sharing, take notes on what he/she said.

Icons/Symbols: What does the statue of liberty mean to the U.S. and people all over the world?

Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses, yearning to breath

free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest tossed,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

What doesshe represent?

"Icon -- loosely, a picture, a sculpture, or even a building when regarded as an object of veneration. Examples--a flag, religious symbols .

Also, an icon can be a person who is the object of great attention and devotion, an idol.  And, in computer jargon, an icon is a picture on the screen that represents a specific command or a piece of software."

From icon, we have other words such an iconoclast, iconic, and iconography, the study of a subject matter and symbolism in the visual arts.

From the Internet Dictionary of the Visual Arts

From Chicano Art: Resistance and Affirmation (page 363):

"Icons of Chicano art are images or objects that embody symbolic meaning particular to the cultural and political identity of Chicanos. Their emblematic qualities serve as effective symbols of the Chicano experience."

1. Why do you think La Virgen became the Patron Saint of Mexico. 2. According to legend, how did she unify the people of Mexico? 3. What does she represent for the people of Mexico?  

What are Antonio's thoughts/feelings about Christianity/Catholicism?  

How do La Virgen de Guadalupe and the Golden Carp show his confusion?

 Despite the differences between the two symbols, how does Anaya use them in crucial moments of the plot to probe Antonio’s anxieties, doubts, and fears, and therefore develop his character?

Evaluate if Antonio subscribes more to his Catholic faith or to the Native American traditional religious beliefs.

1. TEXT SAYS: From the bottom up, categorize Antonio’s experiences (briefly summarize). Write the summaries on the appropriate side of the scale.

2. I SAY: Off to the side, write what you think this shows about his beliefs, doubts, anxieties, fears.

3. At the bottom of the page, write several sentences to explain which you think he will choose to identify with.

Antonio didn’t make the sign of a cross and wind hit him powerfully (55).

This reinforces his belief in the power of Catholicism. Although he experimented with not believing, he quickly came back.

Compare yourself to Antonio. Write a paragraph about a time when you questioned your beliefs and how you resolved your questions.