by antonio cerezo Antonio Cerezo's Novel, "Bless Me Ultima," Is A Revolutionary Work

In the final phase of the book "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya, Antonio proclaims, "Ultima was really buried here. Tonight". This statement means that even though Ultima's physical body is buried in Las Pasturas according to customary rituals, her spirit, her teachings, and her influence are firmly implanted within Antonio himself, making him her ultimate resting place. Essentially, what Antonio is expressing here is that Ultima's true essence is 'buried' or resides within him rather than in the physical ground at Las Pasturas. There isn't an exact quote from the book that directly supports this interpretation since it is more of a layer of symbolic meaning that Anaya weaves into Antonio's final words. However, the entire novel consists of Antonio learning from Ultima’s wisdom and guidance, which works as a broader textual citation. For instance, in the course of the book, Antonio says, “I was excited because Ultima, who had guided me to manhood, would be with me" (Anaya, Chapter 22). This demonstrates how Ultima's influence is deeply embedded in Antonio's self-understanding and growing maturity, and thus, she metaphorically 'lives on' or 'is buried' within him, supporting his final declaration.