Anaya uses symbolism in Bless Me, Ultima to convey enlightenment that came be found by living a humble life. Antonio goes to his uncles’ farm and works the land for a summer. It is there he finds peace and serenity, far away from the violence and evil that surrounded him back home. Antonio’s uncles were the Lunas, and Anaya uses their namesake as symbol of a pure light in darkness. One of Antonio’s uncle expresses the gifts the moon graces them with, “Each night it filled the valley with her soft light and lighted a way for the solitary man” (Anaya 264).
The moon symbolizes Antonio finding enlightenment while working on his family’s farm simply because the moon represents enlightenment and it provides light and guidance on a dark night. Antonio…show more content… The author uses imagery to foreshadow the nightmare Antonio was soon to walk into. Anaya writes “Already I could see in the setting sun the peaceful adobe houses on the other side of the river” (268) to depict the serene mindset Antonio was in as he headed home. At the Lunas' farm Antonio was in a dreamland where everything was peaceful and pure, and as Antonio walks home he still sees the world through those rose colored glasses. In contrast, Anaya describes Antonio’s setting as falling apart and unnerving. He says “ the river was… swollen with muddy water and debris, and so as I was crossing the narrow, wooden bridge my attention was drawn to the raging waters” (268). Anaya creates an uneasy feeling by portray the river as destructive and angry. Antonio becomes captivated by the roaring river once again remembering the frighten power of the river. As Antonio stands there mesmerized by the river, he falls to notice the man on horseback raging towards him. Antonio’s visit to the Luna farm gave him a false sense of security that was rudely scattered when he returned to his evil infested
