Summary: Antonio is a young boy whose family moves to Guadalupe, New Mexico. His "curandera" or herbal curer grandmother, Ultima falls ill and comes to live with them. Antonia has a lot of respect for Ultima and she plays a pivotal role on his journey to adulthood. Antonio is trying to find his identity which is difficult because of the conflicting cultures of his community and his family. Antonio is having a hard time leaving his mother when it is time for him to start going to school but also is struggling to find independence. He witnesses the murder of Lupito which greatly disturbs him. As he is dealing with school and the conflicts going on within him Ultima cures a man who has been cursed by a group of women. Their father seeks revenge and kills Ultima's owl which also causes Ultima to die. Antonio has to come to terms with this while still going to school and trying to find his place.
Theme: One of the prominent themes in this book was finding one's sense of self. Antonio didn't just have to grow up. He had to battle all sorts of both internalized and external conflicts to find himself including cultural, religious, and social identity.
Tone: The author retains a more serious and philosophical tone which mirrors the struggle Antonio faces to make sense of everything going on around him.
"Time stood still, and it shared with me all that had been, and all that was to come...."
"The day dawned and already the time of youth was fleeing the house..."
"But God didn't forgive anyone."
"Perhaps like the dream said the waters of the river had washed his soul away, and perhaps as the water seeped into the earth Lupito's soul would water the orchards of my uncles..."
Techniques:
- Foreshadowing ("Time stood still, and it shared with me all that had been, and all that was to come....")
- Aphorism: Used to send a message to the readers.
- Symbolism: Ultima's owl, Golden carp
- .Metaphor: Antonio's mother is referred to as a mother hen which represents her protectiveness over her children.
- Direct Characterization: The author gives us a generalization of how the characters are.
- Indirect Characterization: We see more about the characters through Antonio's thoughts. Also we learn about characters like Lupito through what people in the town say and what Antonio overhears.
- Synesthesia: Antonio goes through an internal change throughout the novel.
- Motif: The loss of innocence is a central idea carried out throughout the novel.
- Diction: Anaya uses a unique blend of Spanish and English (" 'Es una mujer que no ha pecado,' some would whisper of Ultima.")
1. Indirect/Direct characterization: see techniques above.
2. Antonio is definitely a dynamic character. His naturally inquisitive personality leaves him constantly asking questions about what he sees and leads him to develop as a person in his journey to find answers. He goes through so much as a young boy and struggles to find his identity, but regardless of his struggles he is able to take it all in and use it to further his outlook on life.
3. The authors word choice, diction, changes with certain characters. Ultima has a distinct wise tone and broken English while speaking. The author chooses to switch between Spanish and English for Antonio's family and uses no Spanish with the characters that are indigenous to the area. This also helps to stress the familiarity and comfort between certain characters.
4. Coming away from this novel, however well written, I felt as if I had read a character. Mostly due to the fact that I was unfamiliar with anyone in Antonio's situation and with his mindset at that age. He was a very deep thinker for his young age and dealt with so many things that felt foreign to me it was hard to imagine him as someone I could truly know and understand. Regardless I felt as if I understood some of what he was going through on his journey towards growing up in a changing environment.
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