"Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya

In the never ending struggle between good and evil, does good always come out victorious? This common "good against evil" archetype, or universal idea, is often addressed in fairy tales, novels, mythology, and other pieces of literary work. In his novel Bless Me, Ultima, Rudolfo Anaya pits the forces of good, led by the magical curandera Ultima, against a formidable, evil foe, the hateful Tenorio. The two common archetypes of the hero or heroine and …

…just as it is in mythology. In almost all literature that contains a war, or a clash between good and evil, good is the victor. In Bless Me, Ultima, Tenorio is the villain who achieves his hateful goal, but he cannot avoid his fate, the fate of death and loss. He dies from a bullet wound. Ultima also dies, but her heroic legend forever remains, touching the hearts of those who loved her the most.