Kids usually take the time spent as an innocent and pure child for granted, perhaps even expecting it to always be that way. But eventually reality sets in and the world pressures you into being what society has labeled an ‘Adult’ working for a living, getting an education and overall being a mature and wise person. The protagonist from the novel Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya, is expected to rise to his calling as an adult rather quickly. As he leaves the protection of his parents, gains their respect, and accepts that his childhood wouldn’t last forever, Tony gains knowledge, grows and becomes a more responsible person.
As Tony grew older it became apparent that he would soon need to leave home and go along with his life without the constant support of his parents. This also meant that he would be responsible for his own eductation and futre rather than his parents deciding for him. In the text it says “For the first time, I would be away from the protection of my mother” (Pg. 51) .This shows that Tony would soon be expected to get by on his own as he grows older and gains more knowledge as well as experience. Another example from the text is “You are innoecent until you understand” (Pg.71). Innocence can be caused by ignorance, so until you learn the truth about certain things then you are considered innocent and pure because of your lack of experience. This is the case for Tony because he is young and has alot of time to grow and learn.
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While Tony gained more maturity with time, his parents grew to respect him more and see him as the man he is to become. An example from the text is, “Take them to their room, I said to my mother. It was the first time I had ever spoken to her as a man, she nodded and obeyed.” (Pg.259) From this you can see how Tony is maturing and his parents are beginning to see that. From the text, it also states, “But what hurt more was I had witnessed the death of a man.”(Pg. 24) This is an example of a harsh experience that Tony went through that helped him gain knowledge and become more wise as time passed.
Eventually Tonys childhood would come to an end and he would have to learn to move on, which can be challenging for some people. Being an adult puts more responsibility on your shoulders as you are expected to be more mature in situations and take care of things on your own. An example from the text would be, “ But there was no sweetness to the victory, instead I felt that something good had ended” (Pg.223) From this I can infer that Tony is beginning to realize that he wouldn’t be a kid forever. It can be hard to take on life as an adult because of what is said that needs to be accomplished. Your days as a kid with no responsibilities other than household chores were short compared to the long life of education and work.
In conclusion, I think that the protagonist from Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya, Tony experiences many things that help him gain maturity and knowledge. Tony comes of age by leaving the protection of his family, gaining their respect, and accepting that his childhood would not last forever and that he must grow and take on responsibilites.
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