Ultima's Owl

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My Essay 11/23/11 Bless Me, Ultima Essay The Significant Symbolism of Ultima’s Owl Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima has many significant symbols and one of them is Ultima’s owl who is basically Ultima’s spiritual familiar and is there for Antonio when he needs her. Ultima’s owl is able to distinguish between good and evil. The owl appears after Lupito’s death when Antonio is grieving and when Ultima and Antonio are healing his uncle the owl scares off the coyotes brought by the Trementina sisters who are believed to be witches. As well as gouging out Tenorio’s eye because he was going to hurt Ultima. Ultima’s owl is basically her source of power which is why Tenorio killed the owl. The significance of Ultima’s owl helps Antonio by comforting, protecting him from evil, and teaching him important lessons for the future. The first significant trait of Ultima’s owl is being able to comfort Antonio when Ultima cannot be there. One way is by, “singing” at night to comfort Antonio and his family. The first night Ultima slept there Antonio had the owl for the first time in which, “It’s soft hooting was like a song….seemed to say that it had come to watch over us.”(13) That same night Antonio had a dream in which the Virgin smiled at the owl’s goodness. Another way the owl comforted Antonio was during a walk home after Lupito’s death in which the owl had seen throughout the night. AS he walked the owl sang, and “Ultima’s spirit bathed me with its strong resolution.” (23) During hard times Ultima’s owl had sung songs to help Antonio and his family to sleep. Ultima’s owl is able to comfort Antonio when Ultima couldn’t. The second significant trait of Ultima’s owl is being able to protect not just Ultima but also Antonio from evil. When Tenorio brings a mob from his bar to Antonio’s house Ultima’s owl lets out a warning call that someone is

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