Old Man and the Sea

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Ultima sees Antonio’s determination as he argued with his mother about helping Ultima and his uncle Lucas, illustrating how determined he is in standing by his decision. Gradually, Antonio starts making his own decisions without Ultima’s help, reminding himself that he can choose his own destiny. Although Antonio is making his own decisions, Ultima is eternally by his side. As Ultima guides Antonio, she always reminds him of how painful it could be to grow up, unless you decide your own destiny. In this day in age there are more distractions and outside influences that can impact the decisions we make in life. It’s important to stay focused and allow our elders to guide us while staying true to ourselves so that we may choose our own destiny.

EVIDENCE TWO

A second important use of dialogue that Anaya uses to show how Ultima’s teachings shaped Antonio’s destiny is in the novel’s final page. Before Antonio buries the owl (representing Ultima’s soul) under a forked juniper tree, as she requested, Ultima speaks her final words to Antonio, “I bless you in the name of all that is good and strong and beautiful, Antonio. Always have the strength to live. Love life, and if despair enters your heart, look for me in the evenings when the wind is gentle and the owls sing in the hills. I shall be with you-” (Anaya, BMU 261).

EXPLANATION TWO

Ultima’s final blessing to Antonio clarifies Bless Me, Ultima’s moral standpoint. Ultima’s explicit association of her spirit with nature as she refers to the gentle wind, the singing owls, and the evenings, indicates her spiritual conviction about the connections that bind all living things. Her statement also gives Antonio a framework with which to understand her death by offering a sequence of physical objects that he can see as symbols of her life and through which he can continue to feel her presence. Antonio will be without Ultima and will have to make his own choices without her guidance from now on, but she makes it clear in this blessing that her spirit will endure with him and that the lessons she has taught him will still serve him well even after she dies. Readers can connect with Ultima’s transformation into the spiritual world and how Antonio has to continue life without Ultima when they lose a loved one. Although a loved one leaves the physical world, they are still watch over us in spirit and help guide us as we continue to find our own destiny.

SUMMARY

Anaya compels the readers to connect with Antonio when Antonio makes his own decisions by an influence of his mentor, Ultima. Antonio’s decisions demonstrates his power of speech and his way of thinking that have been passed down to him by Ultima.

CONCLUSION

Guidance is something we should value and continue to provide to younger generations. Ultima not only provides life lessons to Antonio, but also the reader. She teaches us about the value of having a mentor and to stand by our choices. Ultima has also impressed us by staying true to herself and never letting anyone take that away from her. Although Antonio witnesses how the townspeople negatively judge Ultima, he perceives her as a hero. Even though Antonio is just a kid, he internalizes Ultima’s teachings and uses her knowledge to become a man and find his own destiny. Ultima and Antonio offer comfort to young readers by making us realize how fortunate we are to have elders guide us as we discover our own destinies.

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