Rudolfo Anaya created the captivating novel, "Bless Me, Ultima." As a young boy living in Guadalupe, New Mexico during the period of World War II, Antonio Marez struggles to find himself as an individual. New discoveries mystify Tony, and conflict makes the path unclear for his future. His father, Gabriel, and mother, Maria, intensify the argument regarding Antonio's future. Anaya develops his characters to show the responsibility and sacrifices for family made frequently in this culture and during this period of history. It is important to consider the significance of Gabriel Marez's character traits in this novel.
             Anaya exposes Gabriel's character traits to illustrate his prioritizing of responsibility and sacrifice for family. His personality is that of a round and dynamic character because throughout the course of the story, he develops and has to change his ways in order to stay close to the ones he loves. Gabriel had been a vaquero all his life and loves the freedom of the open air. When Maria tells him they have to move, however, his disconsolate mood encumbers his spirit, and his blatant comments show an inauspicious feeling towards the move. "The move lowered my father in the esteem of his compadres, the other vaqueros of the llano who clung tenaciously to their way of life and freedom. ...It hurt my father's pride" (2-3). Gabriel, who gave up his way of life as a vaquero, still clutches to his dream to move to California with his family. His sons, on the other hand, do not acquire the same vision, which breaks Gabriel's heart and leaves him nonplussed. "We don't want to go to California," Eugene said emphatically. " 'We just want to be on our own'... The same wandering blood in his veins was in his sons. The restlessness of his blood had destroyed his dream, defeated him" (72). Anaya illustrates the sacrifices and decisions Gabriel faces which reflect onto his...