Bless Me, Ultima: Chapters 12–16

by Rudolfo Anaya
As he grows up and develops his own sense of identity, Tony is guided by Ultima, a curandera who heals with magic.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–11, Chapters 12–16, Chapters 17–22
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. departure
    the act of leaving
    Things were quiet at home since the departure of Leon and Eugene.
  2. forsake
    leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
    “They have forsaken their father,” he spoke to the gentle rabbits which gathered around his feet, “they have left me."
  3. ponder
    reflect deeply on a subject
    I waited many an afternoon to catch sight of the beautiful golden carp as it swam by, and while I waited in the sun I pondered over his legend.
  4. befall
    become of; happen to
    Or they would speak about the potato fields of Colorado, and the tragedy that befell them there.
  5. forefather
    the founder of a family
    The songs, the corridos became sad, and the meeting of the people from Texas with my forefathers was full of blood, murder, and tragedy.
  6. ingrained
    deeply rooted; firmly fixed or held
    My mother had lived in the llano many years when she married my father, but the valley and the river were too ingrained in her for her to change.
  7. accustom
    familiarize psychologically or physically
    Then our eyes grew accustomed to the dark and we could see the dark outlines of men, and their red, sweating faces by the light of their torches.
  8. accusation
    an assertion that someone is guilty of a fault or offense
    He did not have a chance to finish his accusation because my father reached out and grabbed him by the collar.
  9. vigilante
    a person who takes the law into his or her own hands
    Why are farmers out playing vigilantes when they should be home, sitting before a warm fire, playing cards, counting the rich harvest, eh? I
  10. smolder
    burn slowly and without a flame
    The fire from the torches was dying, and in fact some of the men had already dropped their smoldering torches to the ground.
  11. talon
    a sharp hooked claw especially on a bird of prey
    It hurled itself on Tenorio, and the sharp talons gouged out one eye from the face of the evil man.
  12. gouge
    force with the thumb
    It hurled itself on Tenorio, and the sharp talons gouged out one eye from the face of the evil man.
  13. shirk
    avoid one's assigned duties
    The next time, and God grant there isn’t a next time, I will not shirk my duty to her.
  14. procession
    the action of a group moving ahead in regular formation
    She watched intently the funeral procession that came up the street towards the church.
  15. pliant
    capable of being bent or flexed or twisted without breaking
    It was a basket woven from pliant cottonwood branches, so that as the weight of the body inside shifted the coffin seemed to groan.
  16. perdition
    the place or state in which one suffers eternal punishment
    He would have to bury his daughter in unholy ground, and without the saving grace of the mass her soul was doomed to perdition.
  17. tumultuous
    characterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination
    We reached the tumultuous playground and I told Samuel that I had to see Miss Maestas.
  18. erode
    become ground down or deteriorate
    The pleasant autumn days were all too quickly eroded by the winds of time.
  19. decapitate
    cut the head off of
    “There ain’t no such thing as virgin birth,” Florence said looking down at the decapitated doll.
  20. hysteria
    state of violent mental agitation
    He kept slipping and getting up, and slipping and getting up, and all the while the audience had gone wild with laughter and hysteria.
  21. din
    a loud, harsh, or strident noise
    “Andthesecondwisemanbroughtmyrrh!” Red shouted above the din.
  22. revel
    take delight in
    I had seen and reveled in the beauty of the golden carp!
  23. disillusioned
    freed from false ideas
    I followed Narciso mechanically, weak and disillusioned I tramped after him into the dark twilight of the storm.
  24. hoarse
    deep and harsh sounding as if from shouting or illness
    “Muchacho,” his hoarse voice whispered, “I need confession—I am dying—”
  25. contrition
    sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation
    I had to pray an Act of Contrition for his departing soul, like I prayed for Lupito.
  26. compel
    force somebody to do something
    She begged me to be still, but the fever compelled me to repeat my awful tale over and over.
  27. delirium
    a usually brief state of excitement and mental confusion
    I persisted in my delirium, you must punish Tenorio for killing Narciso!
  28. stagnant
    not circulating or flowing
    The wind ceased its lapping of stagnant water against the shores of the lake, and there was quiet.
  29. epidemic
    a widespread outbreak of an infectious disease
    The diphtheria epidemic that had destroyed so many things in Las Pasturas had claimed her.
  30. unperturbed
    free from emotional agitation or nervous tension
    “Just this side of Anton Chico,” Leon said unperturbed, “we hit a slick spot, solid ice, and we went down the ditch—”
  31. audible
    heard or perceptible by the ear
    “We waited a long time in the cold,” Leon was barely audible
  32. disquietude
    feelings of anxiety that make you tense and irritable
    In the morning my father’s disquietude was proven.
  33. reincarnation
    embodiment in a new form
    I found the courage to shout back, and I crossed my thumb over my first finger and held it up to ward off his evil, for I truly thought he was the reincarnation of the devil.
  34. absolution
    the act of being formally forgiven
    He returned to the tree where he committed his mortal sin to find some absolution for his crime.
  35. appreciative
    feeling or expressive of gratitude
    I had been close to Ultima since she came to stay with us, but I was never closer or more appreciative of her good than those weeks when I was sick and she cared for me.
Created on Fri Jun 13 02:11:43 EDT 2014 (updated Thu Aug 30 09:39:55 EDT 2018)

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