Knowledge Is Power

Knowledge is Power The novel, Bless Me, Ultima, follows the path of the hero's journey. In his life, Tony experiences each of the stages of the hero's journey. During the course of Tony's tale, he endures trials that put his character to the test, he overcomes adversity, and he conquers his doubts. In the end Tony emerges with a greater sense of wisdom and understanding. It is this wisdom and understanding that he will use in his adult life. Tony began his quest as a boy, in the end of it all he transpires into a man, not any ordinary man though, a "man of learning".

Every hero begins his expedition as a naïve individual; the days of innocence are lost when the character undergoes certain rights of passage. When Tony is young, he speaks the language most comfortable and natural to him. Many children speak their native tongue before embarking on their educational career.

Tony

Tony

Tony

This demonstrates that children are unaware of the world outside their front door. Before their first day of school, children usually live extremely sheltered lives. Tony experiences a shock when he encounters cruel children who make fun of him for his culturally different ways. Tony's first day of school is one of his rights of passage as well as being a trial. It is a right of passage for him because this occasion marks the day when he moves from his childhood into the realm of young adult; entering this new world means that he must learn to cope with the intolerance of others. Concurrently it is a trial because it is something he does not know how to manage. Neither my partner or myself have ever experienced such harsh judgments or ridicule, but we can certainly imagine the confusion and discomfort...