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Motifs
Definition of Personification
Personification is a type of figurative language in which non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the sentence, "The rain poured down on the wedding guests, indifferent... read full definition
Personification is a type of figurative language in which non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the sentence, "The rain poured down... read full definition
Personification is a type of figurative language in which non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the... read full definition
Key Examples in Bless Me, Ultima
Chapter 1 (Uno)
Explanation and Analysis—When Ultima Came:
In this passage, the author uses personification and metaphor to show the transformative effect of Ultima’s arrival in Guadalupe. Looking back on his childhood from the future, Antonio reflects on how Ultima’s presence opens his eyes to the beauty and vitality of New Mexico:
When [Ultima] came the beauty of the llano unfolded before my eyes, and the gurgling waters of the river sang to the hum of the turning earth. The magical time of childhood stood still, and the pulse of the living earth pressed its mystery into my living blood.
Related Themes:
Chapter 8 (Ocho)
Explanation and Analysis—Blood of Spring:
In this dense passage, the author uses personification, a metaphor, and an idiom to convey the unsettling influence of spring on both the natural world and on Antonio’s Márez brothers. Antonio explains, warily:
Unlock with LitCharts A+The lime-green of spring came one night and touched the river trees. Dark buds appeared on branches, and it seemed that the same sleeping sap that fed them began to churn through my brothers. I sensed their restlessness, and I began to understand why the blood of spring is called the bad blood.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Restless, Seeking:
In this passage, the author uses personification and a simile to highlight the restless nature of Antonio’s Márez lineage. Andrew explains to Antonio that his desire to leave the river valley and avoid the quiet life of a farmer stems from their father Gabriel's side of the family:
Unlock with LitCharts A+[...] [T]he Márez blood in us that touches us with this urge to wander. Like the restless, seeking sea.
Related Themes:
Chapter 10 (Diez)
Explanation and Analysis—Smallest Good:
Ultima explains to Antonio that goodness has an inherent strength that always allows it to triumph, even in the face of overwhelming evil like Tenorio's family's witchcraft. In this passage, Anaya uses hyperbole and personification to intensify the weight of Ultima’s lesson, as the curandera says:
Unlock with LitCharts A+The smallest bit of good can stand against all the powers of evil in the world and it will emerge triumphant.
Related Themes:
