In Tony’s life there are two sides of the river, on the far side is of the wild spirited vaqueros who live off the land and have a careless and laid back attitude. On the other side is the Luna family, who are farmers who live off the land with poise and quietness to them. Living in a reality of complete opposites drives Tony to have to choose between the life of the Luna and the life of the Marez. Fortunately for Tony, there is Ultima, a kind spiritual healer and grandmother figure, who has a more spiritual approach towards life and helps mediate his parents differing opinions. Although Tony is stuck in between three lives, the life of a Luna, curandera, and, priest, all of these influences are beneficial towards Tony transitioning from a …show more content…
This is demonstrated when Tony first sees Ultima and is describing her as someone who has a powerful presence by saying, “When she came the beauty of the llano unfolded before our eyes… “(1). Her presence gives Tony an out of this world experience. She is a woman who looks beyond what is seen and before she arrived at the Marez house Tony never officially felt that spiritual connection to the land until then. She allows him to figure out his identity by going at his own pace without his parents constantly nagging about what they want him to be. While Antonio and Ultima were alone picking herbs Tony asked about his mother’s family and why they are differing to the Marez blood and Ultima replied, “It is the blood of the Luna to be quiet, for only a quiet man can learn the secrets of the Earth”(41). With this information, it gives insight to Antonio’s family which changes his belief on that side by allowing him to respect what they do. Ultima does not take sides, she sympathizes with both the vanqueros and the Luna’s and that is what makes her very influential to Tony. She present at Tony’s birth, therefore from the beginning they also had a special everlasting bond that Tony felt with no one else. Especially not with this parents who made him choose