Throughout Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima, Antonio Marez is the six-year-old son of Gabriel and Maria, who is torn between which of his parent's lifestyles to pursue. Gabriel is a Vaquero and his lifestyle is non-religious and wild. Maria is a Luna who is tied to the land, and wants Antonio to become a priest. When Ultima comes to stay with his family, Antonio feels this will bring a much-needed resolution to the conflict he faces. Antonio has many dreams throughout the novel that display his thoughts on the conflict. Through Antonio's maturation in both his dreams and in reality, the reader is able to see that as one gets older, they must make their own decisions after considering all options instead of sitting back and having others do it for them.

From the beginning of the novel, Antonio thinks of god as a savior, and a being...