English 2 Honors, Summer Reading Study Questions for BLESS ME, ULTIMA

English 2 Honors

Summer Reading

Study Questions for BLESS ME, ULTIMA by Rudolfo Anaya. Due on the first day of class; be prepared to take a test and you must complete the questions in handwriting NO TYPING. Any typed responses will receive NO CREDIT. All questions must be answered in COMPLETE ANSWERS by incorporating the question into the answer. Questions that are not answered in this way will receive NO CREDIT. Do not answer the questions by writing on this page; you must use college rule, lined paper. Be sure to number the questions neatly and clearly.CHAPTER 1 1. How does Tony's father feel about the family moving to Guadalupe? 2. What is Tony's first reaction when he meets Ultima? 3. How does Tony regard the owl that Ultima brings with her? 4. What connotations are attached to the owl? 5. How does the family regard the responsibility of taking care of the older generation?

CHAPTER 2 6. How does Ultima guide Tony's spiritual growth? 7. In what ways is Ultima a believer in animism? 8. Why do they say the war has made Lupito the way he is? 9. What does Lupito feel in this chapter? 10. Analyze the images used to describe Lupito as he is being chased. CHAPTER 3 11. How is Tony noticing the passage of time in this chapter? 12. What questions is Tony asking about Lupito's death? 13. How do Tony's parents differ in their attitudes toward Tony's future? How does Ultima feel? 14. What stories has Tony been told about life in Las Pasturas? 15. What is going through Tony's head as he wrestles with Horse? CHAPTER 4 16. How is Tony changing as this chapter opens? 17. How does the "presence of the river" affect Tony? 18. How does Ultima perceive the two branches of the family? 19. How does Tony feel here about having to choose his future? 20. What is Tony afraid of at the end of this chapter? CHAPTER 5 21. What are Tony's uncles like? 22. What do Tony's uncles feel about his future? 23. Why do cultures often have stories about people in forests dancing with the Devil? 24. Why does the family stop at the grandfather's house first? 25. Describe the harvest that the family works to gather. CHAPTER 6 26. How does Tony feel about starting school? 27. How is Tony's mother reacting to Tony's first day of school? 28. How does Tony's father regard his work on the highway? 29. Describe Gabriel's feeling toward the llano. 30. What blessing is Ultima giving Tony?

CHAPTER 7 31. Why are the three sons meeting in San Diego? 32. How has the war affected the brothers? 33. Which brother has been effected the most by the war? 34. How do Tony's parents disagree in this chapter? 35. Why do they disagree?

CHAPTER 8 36. How does Tony's mother react to having her sons back from the war? 37. How are the brothers affected by the season of the year? 38. In particular, how is Leon faring after his return, and what does Tony think about it? 39. Compare and contrast Tony to his brothers. 40. Which brother is Tony closest to and why?

CHAPTER 9 41. How does the dream in this chapter affect Tony? 42. Why does Andrew remain at home? 43. Why does Tony feel like celebrating? 44. Why is it bad luck to catch and eat a carp? 45. How is Tony feeling about his religious training, now that he has encountered the Golden Carp?

CHAPTER 10 46. What has caused Uncle Lucas' illness? 47. What risk is Ultima taking in deciding to cure Lucas? 48. Why do the Tenorio sisters feel the way they do? 49. Why is Tony's presence important when Ultima exorcises the curse? 50. What role does Tony play in Lucas recovery?

CHAPTER 11 51. What do Cico and Tony agree to do? 52. What feeling is conveyed by the description of Narciso's garden, and what Biblical reference resembles it ? 53. Why do only a few people know about the Golden Carp? 54. Why does Tony become sick? 55. What does the black bass represent?

CHAPTER 12 56. Why do Tenorio and his men try to hurt Ultima? 57. Why does Ultima's owl attack only Tenorio? 58. Compare Tony's feelings toward Ultima to his feelings toward his mother. 59. Why does Ultima give Tony her scapular, and why does she tell him not to tell others? 60. Why can't a witch pass by the sign of the cross?

CHAPTER 13 61. How does the experience with Tenorio affect each person in the Mrez home? 62. What doubts is Tony having now? 63. Why does Ultima appear in the casket in Tony's dream? 64. How do people know that the dead Trementina daughter was a witch? 65. Are the people correct?

CHAPTER 14 66. What kind of person is Narciso? 67. Why does Tony decide to give Narciso confession? 68. If Tony is supposed to be so faithful to his religion, why does he seem to believe so strongly in the Golden Carp? 69. How does Ultima feel about Tony's getting involved in this conflict? 70. What is the tone of the scene at the Christmas play?CHAPTER 15 71. Discuss your impression of Narciso and the way people treat him. 72. Why do they treat him this way? 73. How does Narciso feel about the way the people treat him? 74. How does Gabriel mature as his sons grow up? 75? What impact does this have on his relationship with his sons?

CHAPTER 16 76. Describe Florence's life. 77. Describe Florences values? 78. Why does Florence hold these values? 79. How does Tony react to Tenorio in this chapter? 80. Why does he react in this way?CHAPTER 17 81. According to the teachings of the church that Tony has learned, why does evil exist? 82. Why is Tony being blasphemous? 83. Why does Florence say he has never sinned? 84. What do the children think of Tony's playing the part of a priest? 85. How does the presence of the atomic bomb affect the people of the town?

CHAPTER 18 86. Why does the priest say, 'Thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return" as he places ashes on each person's forehead? 87. What fears does Tony have about his actions? 88. Why does Florence refuse to confess his sins? 89. Why does Florence have trouble believing in God? 90. Why does Tony wonder "how the priest could shoulder the burden of all the sins he heard?

CHAPTER 19 91. What does Tony expect will happen when he takes holy communion for the first time? 92. What actually happens? 93. Why does this happen? 94. How does he feel? 95. Why are his expectations not met?

CHAPTER 20 96. Why do people believe that a curse has been placed on the Tllez family? 97. What is the significance of Tony's beating the Vitamin Kid across the bridge?

CHAPTER 21 98. Why do Cico and Antonio feel that it would be good for Florence to know of the golden carp?

CHAPTER 22 99. Why does the author make Florence die right before Tony and Cico get a chance to tell him about the Golden Carp? 100. What is Gabriel's answer to Tony's question about the existence of evil?