Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- In Bless Me, Ultima, Antonio knows exactly what his mother and father want for him, and there is part of him that does not want to let them down, even though they dream of different things for him. Antonio is not alone in this. How do our parents' dreams shape the way we are raised?
- Is the type of magic Ultima displays still evident in our own world? How so? Or why not?
- Anaya uses Spanish throughout the novel. How would the book be different if it were entirely in English? In other words, what's the effect of mixing the two languages?
- By the end of the book, is Antonio a Márez or a Luna? Is he both? Is he neither? How can you tell?
- In the novel, is there true justice for those who do wrong to others? Why or why not?
- It's not totally pivotal, so why does Anaya set the book during and just after World War II? Why not just have it be set in the present day?
- Anaya makes it a point to have Antonio skip a grade, so he is surrounded by children who are older than he. Why do you think Anaya wants Antonio to be the youngest among his schoolmates?
- Why does Antonio struggle to connect on any meaningful level with his siblings?
- Who would you cast as Ultima if you were making a movie version of the novel? Why?