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I watched her carefully and imitated her walk, and when I did I found that I was no longer lost in the enormous landscape of hills and sky. I was a very important part of the teeming life of the llano and the river.
In this quotation from Chapter 4, Antonio describes Ultima’s way of walking along the llano as she gathers medicinal herbs. By imitating Ultima’s movements, he no longer feels like a visitor to the llano, but a part of its ecosystem. By learning the cultural practices of the llano, Antonio begins to identify with it, shaping how he understands himself. Earlier in the novel, Antonio is intimidated by the river because of the spiritual presence he feels there. By following Ultima’s lead, he loses his fear and gains new self-insight.
It is the blood of the Lunas to be quiet, for only a quiet man can learn the secrets of the earth that are necessary for planting—They are quiet like the moon—And it is the blood of the Márez to be wild, like the ocean from which they take their name, and the spaces of the llano that have become their home.
This quotation comes from Chapter 4, as Antonio describes the differences between the two sides of his family. The environments they are from and their respective family histories shape not only how they live, but how they carry themselves and relate to the wider world. The Lunas are quiet not out of personal preference but because they have been raised in a family that values silence because of its necessity for farming. The Márez are not wild because they are undisciplined but because life on the llano demands it. Their individual identities as people are shaped by their environments and cultures.
When the other children saw my lunch they laughed and pointed again. Even the high school girl laughed. They showed me their sandwiches which were made of bread. Again I did not feel well.
This quotation comes from Chapter 6, as Antonio struggles through his first day of school. In addition to all the new things he must learn, he discovers cultural tension between Spanish-speaking students like himself and their English-speaking classmates. The English-speaking students find essential elements of Antonio’s Chicano culture, like his language and food, as worthy of ridicule. They make no effort to understand Antonio or where he comes from. Although Antonio ultimately finds companions at school, the cultural divide is never truly mended.
The waters are one, Antonio. I looked into her bright, clear eyes and understood her truth. You have been seeing only parts, she finished, and not looking beyond into the great cycle that binds us all.
Ultima makes this proclamation to Antonio in his dream at the end of Chapter 11. Throughout this dream, Antonio hears his mother and father argue about whether Antonio is more Márez or Luna, and which of their cultures has more truth to it. Within the dream, Ultima stops the argument by declaring that both currents run through Antonio, and they connect to each other in the greater scheme of things. She encourages Antonio to see beyond the limited view of the world that following Márez or Luna culture alone would entail and see instead the necessity of both.
Ay, every generation, every man is a part of his past. He cannot escape it, but he may reform the old materials, make something new.
Gabriel gives this advice to Antonio in Chapter 22, as they drive together to El Puerto. As Gabriel reflects on his life, he offers Antonio good advice for how to face the cultural divides he lives with. Here, Gabriel explains that even though everyone is shaped by their culture of origin, they are not bound to repeat it mindlessly. Instead, he encourages Antonio to use both Luna and Márez culture to construct an authentic self that is true to both.
