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Post by reluedders on Jul 11, 2024 18:28:04 GMT
There was a common theme in the novel that I want to explore more, which is does experienced trauma bring you closer to God/your faith, or does it prompt someone towards a more existentialist lifestyle? I thought about this in "Winter in the Blood" as well, and Tony definitely experiences this doubt at multiple points throughout "Bless Me, Ultima." When Tony is present for 3 deaths in the novel (I won't write their names just in case others haven't read these parts yet!), he questions his belief in God and his Catholic faith. I think about this a lot when speaking to veterans who have come back from war. I've seen some who dive right into their faith after experiencing and seeing the horrors or war. Others, however, go the opposite direction and turn away from God, adopting the belief that their can't be a God because how could he let the things they've seen happen.
Thoughts on this?
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Post by gillianlaird on Jul 12, 2024 20:56:42 GMT
This is a great question because of how existentialist it is. It goes to Anxiety of Choice (I think) because you are left to choose whether to take that leap of faith or not. A great example of this is Fred Daniels in The Man Who Lived Underground. After the traumatic experience that he went through we see him grapple with his faith in a very intense way. So to answer your question, I believe it simply has to do with the person and what they perceive to be the best thing for them.
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Post by mjunious on Jul 17, 2024 20:30:47 GMT
Bless Me, Ultima shows just how personal these existential journeys are, and how trauma can affect people in different ways. Antonio obviously sees death, and one could argue that the curses and illnesses will create their own trauma, but we also see how the brothers embark on a radically different path after the war. They find meaning in more secular vices instead of religion. Also, Florence can show how childhood trauma will not automatically push someone to religion; for him it did just the opposite. Even Tenorio, the main antagonist of the story, although he acts "evil" throughout the story, we see his self-appointed purpose shift after his daughters become sick. He could have dove deeper into the practices (Satanism since his daughters have a black mass?) or he could have found meaning in operating his businesses after his daughter's death, but instead he is consumed by revenge.
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Post by Dr. Nemmers on Jul 17, 2024 22:59:58 GMT
Good point to bring up, Renee--- now that I've finished the novel and read of these three deaths, we can see how each of them has a cumulative effect on Antonio such that he despairs additionally as he grows. I don't think he completely loses his faith by any means, nor does he turn away from God (in some sense he seeks God more fervently) but this trauma definitely causes him to have more distance from his faith tradition and perhaps even his family and upbringing.
This is another way we see the proto-existential framework of the novel-- not as developed or as sharp as in other novels, but nevertheless distance and despair seem to be salient throughout here.
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Post by Rylee Wenzel on Jul 17, 2024 23:31:54 GMT
Hi Renee! I think you raised an interesting question. Does trauma bring you closer to or farther from God? I don't think this question has a definitive answer. I think it is different for everyone and can depend on the specific circumstances. How were you raised? What kind of trauma did you experience? Did you believe in God before? I think in some situations it can open up a different perspective on life. Maybe you don't have a relationship with God and whatever you experience doesn't change that, but you gain a new perspective. A new way to view life.
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