AmiriScrutchin

ThenovelBless,MeUltimarevolvedmainlyaroundgrowingup,knowledge,and
religion.Irelatedtogrowingup,andhowknowledgeimpactspeople.Overthecourseofthe
book,Tonyrealizesthatwhilegrowingup,thingschange,andhestartslosingmoreandmore
innocence.Thisbookusesinnocenceasignorance.Tonyisinnocentbecauseheis
ignoranttothethingshappeningandalloftheevilintheworld.Hehediscoversthetruth,he
alsogrowsup.ThiswhyIbelievethatpeopleoftenwanttorelivetheirchildhood.Theywant
togobacktothedayswhentheydidntworryaboutthings,whentheyhadfun.Oncethey
discoverknowledge,stressensues,butthisbookdepictsknowledgeasasin.Thatyearning
toknowthingsaboutlifeanddeathandtheworldaroundusisbad.Howcanthatbe?Iseek
knowledgeandseeignoranceasabadthing.Ifeellikepeopletobadthingstothemselves
andothersbecausetheydontknowanybetter.Peopleactcertainwaysbecauseofhowthey
wereraised.Oftentheyareignoranttothewaysofothersandautomaticallyassumethatthey
arethebest.
Thatiswhyknowledgeisapartofgrowingup.Weashumansareconstantlyadapting
tocertainsituationsbasedonpastexperiences.Webroadenourmindsinordertolearnskills
neededforthefuturewhethertheyaretaughtorobserved.Thisiswhyweaskidsarecurious.
Thisiswhyweaskamillionquestionsandcomeupwithcreativeanswers.ThisiswhyTony
seeksknowledgethroughoutthebook.Knowledgeandthethirstforknowledgeallowsusto
reacheachotheremotionally,andtheteachingofknowledgeallowsustounderstandeach
other.TonyfeelsclosetoUltima,Cico,Florence,andhisfatherbecausetheyallteachTony
manythings.Knowledgemightseembadbecauseitgivesthebearerpower.Powerthat
allowsanyonetobeanything.Peopletrytosuppressthatpower.Thatswhyslaveswerent
allowedtolearn.Peopleknewthatignorancemadeupthechainsofbondage.Ithinkthats
whatthebooktriedtosymbolize.Tonyseeksknowledge,andwhenthechurchchallenges

thatquestandstatesthatknowledgeissin,Tonydistanceshimselffromthechurch.Hegrows
strongerandalthoughhelostmanypeopleandtreasuresalongtheway,hehasgained
somethingmorepowerful.