Bless Me, Ultima

Juniper trees proliferate in the New Mexican landscape of Bless Me, Ultima. Initially, they symbolize death and the accompanying fear. As Antonio contextualizes death as part of the grand cycle of life, however, the juniper trees come to represent a natural part of this cycle, both the site of death and the site of rebirth. Anaya’s use of juniper trees also highlights the cyclical nature of time. His choice to include a tree as the site of so many transformative experiences also highlights the vital role that nature plays in human lives.

Juniper trees appear in a number of places throughout the novel, and each appearance carries symbolic significance. Ultima links juniper back to Comanche burial traditions when she has Gabriel and Antonio build a platform out of juniper branches and uses it to set the trapped souls of the three Comanches free. Several key characters die near juniper trees, and Lupito’s death occurs near the juniper that stands by the river. At this stage, Antonio still fears death, so he flees from Lupito’s dying body. In Chapter 14, Tenorio shoots Narciso under a juniper tree, but by this point, Antonio has undergone some maturation and is able to stay with Narciso and bless his soul.