Characters
This curandera guides Antonio and teaches him about good and evil.
Who is ultima
This event begins Antonio’s loss of innocence early in the novel.
What is Lupito’s death
This animal represents Ultima’s spirit and protection.
What is the owl
Antonio’s journey from innocence to experience is an example of this theme.
What is coming of age
This Spanish word means “healer.”
What is curandera
Antonio’s friend who introduces him to the Golden Carp.
Who is cico
Ultima saves this family by removing a curse.
Who are the Téllez family
This golden creature represents an alternative belief system
What is the Golden Carp
The conflict between Catholicism and curanderismo represents this theme
What is cultural conflict
Llano” refers to this geographic feature
What are the plains
This man believes Ultima cursed his daughters and seeks revenge.
Who is Tenorio
This event marks the end of Ultima’s influence on the physical world
What is Ultima’s death
These wide open lands symbolize freedom and the Márez destiny
What is the llano
Antonio’s uncertainty about sin and forgiveness shows this theme
What is faith vs. doubt
This Spanish word is used to accuse Ultima falsely.
What is bruja
This character’s death forces Antonio to confront injustice and sacrifice.
Who is Narcisco
This religious event disappoints Antonio because it gives him no answ
What is his First Communion
The Luna and Márez families symbolize this major conflict in Antonio’s life
What is his struggle for identity
By the end, Antonio develops this type of belief system
What is a blended or personal belief system?
The novel reflects this cultural identity.
What is Mexican-American identity
Antonio’s father, who dreams of freedom on the llano.
Who is Gabriel Márez
Ultima’s death marks the resolution of Antonio’s central conflict by forcing him to accept this truth about lif
What is that certainty and innocence cannot coexist?
This symbol represents an alternative moral universe where mercy exists outside Catholic doctrine.
What is the golden carp
Antonio’s coming-of-age depends on his acceptance of this contradiction.
What is that good and evil can exist simultaneously
The llano symbolizes this philosophical force influencing Antonio’s destiny.
What is freedom and independence