Cultural, religious and linguistic conflicts in Bless Me, UltimaBless Me, Ultima, written by Rudolfo Anaya and published in 1972, has become one of the most most widely read as well as critically acclaimed novels in Chicano literature. It is the first in Anaya's trilogy of novels, followed by Heart of Aztlan (1976) and Tortuga (1979). This novel can be viewed from many angles and levels, as it interweaves issues or themes of psychological maturation, social change, identity crisis, and, most importantly, cultural conflict, all into the cohesive and interesting story of a young boy and his guide. Antonio Márez y Luna or Antonio is the young protagonist who, under the guidance of his curandera (traditional Native American healer) and mentor, Ultima faces various life situations in a positive way. The story begins when Antonio is about to turn seven, and to satisfy his curiosity and guide him, Antonio's parents ask Ultima to join the family. With Ultima's guidance, Antonio debates his beliefs regarding culture, religion, personal identity, and language internally and externally, and ultimately finds many answers. Themes of cultural, religious, and linguistic conflicts feature prominently in the novel as they reflect Chicano culture in rural New Mexico in the 1940s, as well as its confrontation with Catholicism and the English language. Thus, the focus will be on how Antonio becomes involved in various cultural, religious and linguistic conflicts, starting with the cultural conflict involving his parents, the religious conflict between his Catholic and indigenous cultures as well as the conflict between the language English and Spanish, and how with With the help of Ultima, Antonio finds a "common ground" or balanced perspective...... middle of paper ......The different cultural convections of her parents lead to cultural conflicts, which are managed by Ultima's wise advice to take best aspects of all cultures and form her own perspective. This advice from Ultima was also applicable during religious conflict. When Antonio questions the existence of the Catholic God due to his initiation into pagan gods, it is Ultima who guides him. Regarding the linguistic conflict, although Antonio had difficulties at the beginning, he managed to manage it optimally.Works CitedAnaya, Rudolfo. Bless me, Ultima. New York: Warner Books, 1999. Hostetler, Ann. “Anaya Rudolfo.” In Emmanuel Sampath Nelson (ed.). The GreenwoodEncyclopedia of Multiethnic American Literature: A - C. Westport, CT: GreenwoodPublishing Group, 2005. Kevane, Bridget A. Latino Literature in America. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group,2003.