Bless Me, Ultima -Rudolfo Anaya

Bless my book recommendation

Bless me, Ultima, is a book about a young boy named Antonio and his spiritual journey with his mentor, Ultima.  A curandera. The book’s main conflict is self v.s self.  Tony struggles with his identity because he wants to please his mother and become a farmer priest; but he wants to fulfill his father’s dream of moving to California.  He struggles with being Latino and only being able to speak Spanish unlike most of his classmates; he struggles with his faith in a Christian God; furthermore, he struggles being fine with who he is and what he does.

I think the book is very well written.  It may very well be my favorite book from forward on.  I felt very connected to the characters, the scenery was beautiful.  The characters felt really realistic too.  A lot of times you read a book about kids in elementary/middle school and people say it’s unrealistic for them to be cursing or be vulgar but it really isn’t, so I always appreciate a little vulgarity in school settings, because again; it is realistic.  One thing I think I would have liked more though is character descriptions of the major side characters, just to know that I imagined the characters correctly.  I feel like the book could have been more distressing considering it’s banned.  I expected a lot more disturbing imagery and actual occult beliefs being presented and agreed with.  Just for the sake of the book earning the ban.

How does this influence or connect to identity? From the very start of this book the main character, Antonio, struggles with his identity. He is stuck between being a priest and being a “ranchero”. because he cannot do both. He struggles with his belief in God because he has seen the golden carp, a pagan god. He struggles because he lives in a heavily catholic community and to believe otherwise is to bring shame. Even though he struggles, he has a guide who helps him. Her name is Ultima, and despite the rude words she receives for her own identity, she never falters and teachers Antiono not to falter either. This book is good for people struggling with themselves and you should give it a read if you ever feel like that.

Detroit Become Human (DBH) is a game all about identity, so I figure- why not introduce you to it? The game takes place from the perspective of three people: Connor, an android for the investigative forces. Kara, an android for childcare. and Markus, an android for elder care.  Throughout the game you are tasked with making decisions as these characters, some are quick time events or QTE; however, most are not.  Every single choice you make in this game affects the outcome of it.  I would know, I accidentally speed-ran killing everyone because I kept making the wrong decisions. (I cried for an hour).  There’s almost a… point system of sorts in the game.  Some choices don’t matter as much; for example, as the article from SegmentNext points out in chapter one you’ll play as Connor.  Nothing will change the outcome of that chapter; however, for Kara in chapters 6 and 7, everything will be very important as Alice or Todd, the young girl she cares for and her father, can die.  Either way- as you traverse through this game, making more empathetic choices makes your droid more human.  Markus and Kara are both initially more empathetic because of their environments.  Markus cares for an old artist named Carl Manfred.  Carl always encourages Markus to feel and express emotion despite knowing that Markus should not feel those things.  He encourages expression and treats Markus as more than an android; he treats him like his son.  We see that Markus reciprocates these feelings as if you let Carl die, he is angry over it, devastated. Kara is a caregiver for a child and is innately able to express more compassion and empathy as such.  Through the game as you travel with her and Alice they become more of a mother and daughter as Kara tries her best to keep her alive and as she tries to keep Alice alive, she becomes more human than droid.  Connor is the hardest one to change as his job is to investigate crime scenes and act as more of a first responder, though his “owner” Hank very obviously would rather he act more humane.  But by the end of the game- so long as you never die as Connor, you are able to make him more human.  There are active struggles of identity in the game, even more so from Connors chapter because he wants to do right by his job and creators, but in the end (depending on your route) he can’t, but he also recognizes that androids deserve better.

Connor – Kara – Markus-

So what? This game is a wonderful thing, I think. When you look at it, it’s much like real life. Everything we do is important whether we realize it or not. Choosing to save ourselves or others, choosing where to go and when to go. Choosing how we treat others, or how we present ourselves. It’s all important and I think a game like DBH shows that very well.

https://clipchamp.com/watch/ZXGqbeLa38f

attached to this link is my video resume! it includes my current year, major, and minor. My leadership positions, skills, goals, and current experience!

What is the difference between digital and non-digital writing? It is not the same for everyone because some people prefer one for different reasons. I prefer traditional first because I like to write in bursts and put everything together differently, but- I like digital because I know my grammar isn’t the best, and- I can throw it into Grammarly when it’s done it. When writing just because- I will always take the traditional route first. I write in big chunks and then put them into a document wherever they fit. I will then put it in Grammarly for edits and share it wherever it is to be posted. But sometimes I write just to write and would like to keep it to myself hence writing on paper. I do journal entries, and letters on paper to keep them as private as possible. I’ll even rip these things up and throw them away later. I can’t do that with digital writing. Sure, I can delete a document but- once it’s posted, that’s it. It can be replicated and reproduced just like that. One thing I’ve noticed about myself when it comes to writing is that if I write digitally, I’m a lot less likely to pay attention to or notice grammatical errors than I would if I were writing on paper. I am also more expressive when writing on paper than if I were to write digitally. For instance- in a short story I wrote on my laptop- the most descriptive statement was, ‘I watch the reflection struggling as if it is pulling itself out of my body as I watch I can feel my bones shake and suddenly it’s no longer just a reflection and it’s scarier than it was before’. In something I wrote by hand- the most descriptive thing I wrote was, ‘I hiss at the burn left on my scalp, but I stay planted. My dearest melancholy, I know you don’t mean to hurt me. So, I stay. I stay until you remove the light of life from my eyes, I stay until you smother me with those red and blue hues you love oh so much.’ I feel like when I write by hand I think more before I write and try to make sure things connect in the way I want them to. Digital writing is beneficial in its own way. It’s easier to check grammar and makes consumption easier. I’d like to think it’s also more accessible for translation (if you, the author, allow it) and thus widely available through countries. In a wrap-up statement. I think traditional writing is a more thoughtful writing medium that should be used more often; however, digital writing has its perks.

What’s that got to do with my identity? It’s actually quite a tell of my personality type. I cannot hide my emotions well, but I also cannot describe them well and so I use creation to bridge that gap. I write when I feel forgotten, I write when I feel hurt, I write when I’m full of love. I write when I cannot contain my excitement. I draw all the time when I want to express something. How I do things has always been intwined heavily in who I am because it shows just who I really am.