Rudolfo Anaya's novel Bless Me, Ultima belongs to one of my favorite genres: magical realism. Magic does not exist in reality, so tying realism to magic seems oxymoronic, but the genre manages to link the two aspects through detailed descriptions of life that just happens to involve the supernatural. For instance, in Bless Me, Ultima the characters view witchcraft as a reality that is never questioned, just taken in stride. Similarly, spirit animals, mythical creatures, and ancient gods are all accepted as real by the characters.
Bless Me, Ultima tells the story of Antonio Márez, a young boy growing up in New Mexico during World War II. Magical realism is clear throughout the book as Antonio seeks to reconcile his Catholic faith with the mystical events he witnesses and the traditional magic that seems to accomplish what the Church cannot. Although the fantastical images in the novel are clearly part of the genre, I found it different in many ways from much of what I associate with magical realism. Magical realism seems to delight in epic stories that span many people and many generations. Ultima, however, is limited: Antonio is the sole narrator, the plot takes place over the course of a few years, and the action is confined to a few small towns.
I did not expect this smaller scope, I think now that it serves particularly useful in adding to the book's ability to impact the reader. Antonio's daily routines – doing chores, helping the curandera (traditional healer) Ultima find plants for her medicines, going to school, playing with friends – build an image of a fully human and three-dimensional young boy. This in turn means that the conflicts in the book are more keenly felt. The trauma Antonio feels when he witnesses death, his internal struggle to define who he is, and his joy at discovering new things all become more important than the mystical elements involved. This, I think, means that Anaya does a very good job in conveying the emotions and experiences of Chicanos in the United States to a wider audience.
I love magical realism! Ah! It was really interesting to me how Anaya blatantly blended together religion and magic. I feel that usually, the connection between the two is much more subtle. Is that your experience too?
ReplyDeleteI had not thought about the book's ability to impact the reader or what enabled it to do so. I think you're definitely right that it stems from Antonio's presence as the narrator. As a child, he's easily relatable--everyone has been a child. He's also seen as being reliable, which in my opinion is probably a direct result of being young and, as a result, innocent.
Magical realism immediately makes me think of Laura Esquivel's "Como Agua Para Chocolate." In this book, Tita, the protagonist, is heartbroken and sobs to herself as she makes a cake for a wedding. At the wedding, all who eat the cake begin to vomit and feel similar intense feelings of sadness. This weaving of magical realism into a lifelike experience is enchanting and fun to read. I love the way Anaya describes Antonio's experience of seeing the golden carp for the first time. I could visualize it though it contained a sense of mystery.
ReplyDeleteI had not previously considered what you said about magical realism involving epic multi-generational stories. There are often multiple voices in books with magical realism, but perhaps the generation spread stems more from the unique emphasis of Latino/a culture on family and heritage than on the genre of writing itself.
I think I may begin reading more of the Magical Realism books you ladies love so much, it seems to have a some power to it. :), but yea, I think you all are correct about the way in which Anaya brings religion and magic together to make a mix of power that holds some really significant meaning in the novel. Bless Me, Ultima is a great experience and it surely gets the heart and mind racing with its ability to make you feel what the narrator is going through and the events that shape his life.
ReplyDeleteI agree that comparing the story of "Bless Me, Ultima" with other stories of this genre gives interesting results. What you said about the townspeople accepting the magical creatures as a way of life is a very interesting point. The characters in the book never question that they are true. This is dissimilar to the conceptions held by the characters of "Beloved," by Toni Morrison. In this book, the conflict revolves around whether Beloved is truly a ghost or not, which contrasts the beliefs held in "Bless Me, Ultima."
ReplyDeleteWhat Ann said about the setting of this book taking place in a purely Latino/a setting was another interesting fact of the story. Because this book was written purely in and about Chicano/a culture, it shows the conflicts within the culture itself on a smaller scale, instead of Anglos versus Latinos.
I really enjoyed the way you connected "Bless Me, Ultima" to the wider genre of magical realism. I too have an interest in stories that fall under this category, which is one reason I was immediately turned on to Anaya's writing.
ReplyDeleteOne question I may have is whether some people might consider Christian Fiction to belong in the "magical realism" category as well.
Seriously, this might sound like a really weird question, but I think it has some merit. Magical realism--in the case of "Bless Me, Ultima"-- deals with many religious beliefs that (I assume) are native to certain groups of indigenous Mexico. This makes me question what you said at the beginning of your post about magic "not existing in the real world."
True, you may not embrace the teachings of any of the many religious groups indigenous to the Americas, but part of me wonder if when outsiders dismiss these beliefs as "superstition" or "magic," if there might be a little bit of privileging of religious experiences going on.
Honestly, "magical realism" does a way better job of describing the actual world I believe we live in than a lot of fiction from non-latino, "realist" authors. While discussing some of these issues with Peruvians this past Summer--particularly among groups more connected to their indigenous roots--I encountered many beliefs similar to those found in "Bless Me, Ultima." This makes me think we should take some of these writings a bit more seriously.
I might argue that magical realism is actually closer to "realism" from a particular world view than it is to fantasy. It is--in fact--a vital challenge to the sort of materialistic, "enlightenment" thinking that has been forced upon the Americas for so many centuries.
Magical realism in Christian fiction? Try The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe! There's all kinds of magic in C. S. Lewis's Narnia books. Don't know if you'd call it magical realism, exactly, but it's close. Nate, you make some interesting comments here about culturally specific ways of looking at the world--and Western tendencies to dismiss magic and the supernatural. I would love to hear more about the indigenous beliefs you encountered in Peru. One thing magical realism does is ask readers to question their orientation and their basic assumptions about how reality operates. By focusing on myth and dream, Anaya asks us to consider looking at the world through a different lens--one infused with an indigenous perspective in which humans and animals communicate with each other and the spirit of the earth and of the rivers is a living, breathing presence.
ReplyDeleteNow, to comment on Tillie's original post--I love the way you bring up magical realism and then describe how Anaya creates his own variation, focusing on the more specific place of Northern New Mexico and a select group of families. In fact, most of the "magical" or mythic elements of this novel are taken in stride by the characters--the appearance of the golden carp, and the story Cico tells about it, the witchcraft of Tenorio's daughters, Ultima's healing powers. Ultima isn't that different from indigenous healers in many cultures. In fact, until quite recently, the Amish had such folk healers amongst themselves who used remedies passed down from oral traditions in Europe. Much of what seems "magical" in this book actually occurs in Antonio's dreams. The interplay between magic and reality seems more subtle and more co-extensive in Bless Me, Ultima than in, say One Hundred Years of Solitude, where much of the narrative is fantastic, and thus less believable.
ReplyDeleteHi Everyone! I came across your blog and wanted to share the information related to the Bless me, Ultima movie! You can view the trailer at www.blessmeultima.com :) Twitter: @BMUmovie
ReplyDelete