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Post by shelbygraham on Jul 14, 2024 23:32:01 GMT
"I had been afraid of the awful presence of the river, which was the soul of the river, but through her I learned that my spirit shared in the spirit of all things." (pg. 26)
I think it's obvious the river symbolizes a lot in the novel and in Antonio's life. It has a strong connection to spirituality and Antonio's personal growth. His fear of the "presence of the river" can be likened to his fear or apprehension for discovering his identity and future. This quote from chapter two seems to be an indicator how Ultima is going to impact Antonio and his growth and search for identity. What does everyone else think about the river?
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Post by Dr. Nemmers on Jul 15, 2024 2:54:14 GMT
Good question, Shelby! The river certainly plays a big part in Chapter 2, but also in a later chapter (maybe chapter 11) that focuses on the Legend of the Golden Carp. To me, the river does have the "strong connection to spirituality" that you note, there's certainly a mystical lifeblood flowing through it. Especially in a desert landscape, the people's entire existence owes to this water.
Also, I'm not sure if this is true for all editions of the novel, but in my book "the presence" is rendered in a different font throughout. Might this signify some special importance or religious significance?
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Post by shelbygraham on Jul 17, 2024 16:02:16 GMT
"Presence" is italicized in my book. It definitely shows that it is something of importance to Tony and something he thinks about a lot. He spends his younger years trying to figure what he believes in regard to catholicism and other gods he has been exposed to, but regardless of what religion/belief system he still knows there is some kind of presence in the river, if that makes sense. It also makes me think about Ultima teaching Tony God's presence can be found anywhere in anything.
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Post by connorswauger on Jul 18, 2024 4:31:42 GMT
"I had been afraid of the awful presence of the river, which was the soul of the river, but through her I learned that my spirit shared in the spirit of all things." (pg. 26) I think it's obvious the river symbolizes a lot in the novel and in Antonio's life. It has a strong connection to spirituality and Antonio's personal growth. His fear of the "presence of the river" can be likened to his fear or apprehension for discovering his identity and future. This quote from chapter two seems to be an indicator how Ultima is going to impact Antonio and his growth and search for identity. What does everyone else think about the river? I appreciate that you bring up the river. I think water is such a strong symbol within spirituality because it is such a driving force. The river constantly flows and in a way it represents life as it moves on with time. A river is often used to represent perseverance for when there seems to be a dead end, the river resembles the strength to forge a whole new path, which I think is shown in Antonio by the end of the novel. Water is also a cleansing and healing symbol within many cultures and folk tales. I think that Anaya persistently used the river to show how through all of the hardships, Antonio persevered.
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Post by dianarmartinez on Jul 18, 2024 4:46:22 GMT
"I had been afraid of the awful presence of the river, which was the soul of the river, but through her I learned that my spirit shared in the spirit of all things." (pg. 26) I think it's obvious the river symbolizes a lot in the novel and in Antonio's life. It has a strong connection to spirituality and Antonio's personal growth. His fear of the "presence of the river" can be likened to his fear or apprehension for discovering his identity and future. This quote from chapter two seems to be an indicator how Ultima is going to impact Antonio and his growth and search for identity. What does everyone else think about the river? I agree with this statement because all throughout the novel was about the power pull between the parents. This can also be related to his growth and identity as you mentioned. I think that the father is being represented by the body of water because of his name. I also agree with the impact that Ultima will likely have in the end.
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