So, I finished Bless Me, Ultima tonight. Personally, I thought the middle part of the book was best. There were several parts of the last eight chapters that stood out to me while I was reading. Florence's death, and the events leading up to it interested me. At this point I still wasn't sure what Tony's believes were. He had already gotten his first communion, but hadn't recieved the overpowering understanding he had hoped for. He was excited to show Florence the golden carp because he wanted his friend to have something to believe in. And obviously, the power of Ultima was still a looming presence in his life. It isn't until later when he says, "Would they smile when they learned I doubted the God of my forefathers, the God of the Lunas, and knew I praised the beauty of the golden carp?" that the reader realizes the extent of his love for the carp, and his suspicion for God.
Also notable from that event is the fact that Florence's was the third death Tony's had to witness thusfar. A possible explaination for why the book revolves around the number three so much could be because of the Holy Trinity in the Catholic church. Just a thought.
Another interesting happening is the conversation where Tony asks his father's opinion on evil. He's looking for an answer besides the one found at church, shown when he tells his father "But I would like to know your answer." This is when he begins thinking about how generations change over time, and maybe he isn't getting the answers he's looking for through religion because it's become too old to answer him.
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