Although innocence may sometimes seem like a desirable state, the lack of innocence is most often about intelligence and maturity. In Rudolfo Anaya's novel Bless Me, Ultima, the main character, Antonio Mariz, loses his innocence due to experiences of the harsh reality of the world, which force him to face his beliefs despite his young age. Through his early encounters with death, his conflicts with faith, and his problems with his family and friends, Antonio quickly matures as he faces injustice and conflict. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay As a young child, Antonio is quickly stripped of his worldview when he witnesses the deaths of Lupito and Narciso . When Lupito is killed by the town's angry mob, Antonio faces injustice and violence. He quickly understands that the death was an act of suicide on Lupito's part while “he was shooting to attract fire [from the crowd]” (Anaya, 22 years old). Antonio must deal with the fact that, for some, death can be an easier path than living life. Before, he thought life was easy and rational, but the mob mentality that dominates Lupito's destiny shows him that often, there is no voice of reason among men. He quickly begins to question the humans' methods as they seem more cruel than expected. The death of Narciso, a close friend, is another blow to Antonio's precious childhood. Circumstanceally different, this death is caused by revenge rather than an act aimed at preserving justice (as is the case with Lupito). Antonio is shocked when he realizes that Narciso died “for doing good” (170). As a Catholic, Antonio was taught that killing another man is an unforgivable sin that would send an individual to hell. However, when Tenorio blindly kills Narciso out of rage against his daughter, Antonio must face the fact that God's laws are not always respected and that evil lurks in the shadows. Because of this, he begins to question why evil has taken precedence over good, leading to a religious impasse with his faith. This instance forces Antonio to grow and mature immensely, as he struggles to come to terms with the wrongdoings that escaped punishment and left Narciso to die at his hands. The shock of Tenorio's iniquity reintroduces him to the bloody tendencies of man, as he has already seen with Lupito. Stripped of his innocence at a young age, Antonio must already deal with the guilt, pain and grief that accompany cruel injustice. Another cause of Antonio's loss of innocence is his constant questioning of his own religion. The deaths of Lupito and Narciso lead him to doubt the reliability of God and his actions. When Lupito dies, Antonio cannot draw a fine line between who would be punished when he asks Ultima, "Will [Lupito] go to hell?" (25). In practice, Catholicism clearly defines the difference between good and evil, but in reality Antonio is unable to discern whether Lupito is at fault with his mental state, or whether the mob is out to kill a criminal, or even whether his father is to be in prison. the crowd. Antonio learns that what the Church has taught him has no responsibility until it takes the form of real experience. When he asks Narciso for forgiveness in a dream, God responds by saying only if “[Antonio] also asks me to forgive Tenorio,” the murderer (173). Antonio is completely perplexed and distraught as to why God would treat good the same as evil. In his search for answers, Antonio (247).