"The Magic of Words": the writer as curandero in the works of Rudolfo A. Anaya

Abstract

Rudolfo A. Anaya argues in his first four novels, Bless Me, Ultima; Heart Of Aztlan; Tortuga; and Alburquerque [sic] that a writer can be a curandero, or a healer in the Mexican-American community. A curandero is the Mexican-American folk healer who heals physical, spiritual, and mental illnesses through the use of herbal remedies, prayer, and faith. Anaya suggests that by learning about the traditions and history of their ancestors, his readers are able to find a fulfillment in their lives. His novels provide protagonists as examples of such a transformation. After the introductory first chapter, the second chapter defines and explains curanderismo, discussing the influences which affected the development of curanderismo and the three different forms in which it is practiced. The third chapter focuses on Anaya's first novel, Bless Me, Ultima, in which he describes the curandera, Ultima, and her magical powers. This chapter also deals with the growth of the young protagonist, Antonio, and the suggestion that he will become a writer with a deep understanding of people and his surroundings. The fourth chapter deals primarily with the slow progression of the writer, Ben Chavez, in Anaya's three novels Heart of Aztlan, Tortuga, and Alburquerque [sic]. Each of these novels provides evidence of the importance of traditions for a person to fully develop into a writer. Through these four novels, Anaya proposes that the curandero and the local landscape provide an important source for the protagonists in their search for self-identity. All of his protagonists have a mentor, a curandero, who helps in their search for truth and provides the knowledge needed to succeed. Without these healers, society would risk the loss of its beneficial connection with nature.