Antonio's Life through his Dreams (Bless Me, Ultima)

            Throughout the novel, "Bless Me, Ultima-, the main character, Antonio, has a series of dreams, which help him understand the answers to many of his questions. In his early dreams as a boy Antonio is challenged between the wishes of his mother and the wishes of his father, however as the novel progresses and as Antonio matures the dreams are preoccupied with much larger questions of family, morality and duty. In these three dreams Antonio's growth is expressed greatly, starting with the first as he expresses difficulties adapting to two lifestyles to the middle where he beginning to accept the middle area of right and wrong and to his final dream, where he realizes how to express change. Each dream allows Antonio to grow, and allows him to better interpret what is happening around him, and as he evolves so do his dreams and interpretations. .
             In his first dream Antonio envisions, a baby being born he is unable to see the face of the mother, he does however see an old lady cleaning around the room and helping the yet unknown mother. "Mysterious people waiting outside were finally let in to speak to the mother and present their gifts to the baby- (Anaya, 05). As the guests walked in Antonio began to recognize his mother's uncles and other members of the Lunas family. "This one will be a Luna, the old man said; he will be a farmer and keep the customs and traditions. Perhaps God will bless our family and make the baby a priest- (Anaya, 06). After a few moments of silence the bombarded with loud men, who he recognized as members of his father's family the Marez, "Gabriel they shouted, you have a fine son! He will make a fine vaquero- (Anaya, 06). Soon after the families had arrived they began to quarrel over the future of the baby, whether it be priesthood for the Lunas or the life of the cowboy for the Marez. "The clash was stopped by the old woman who delivered the baby. Cease! She cried, and the men were quiet.