forces of nature that surround it, he begins to understand the human journey and his destiny.Ultima teaches Antonio of this magical strength as she tries to help him understand the murder of Narciso. The townspeople do not seek justice because Narciso had been the town drunk and his life seemed worthless, Because Narciso was the town drunk, nobody cared much (177). Ultima explains that Narciso had died trying to help a friend and that was honorable. Once Narciso had been a respectable young man but hard times had fallen upon him after the death of his young wife. Narciso had turned to alcohol to ease the pain but had remained forever indebted to Ultima for trying to save his wife. Ultima uses the death of Narciso to teach Antonio the ways of his ancestors. She explains, The old peoplealways helped each other; through good or bad they stuck together, and the friendships that were formed in that desolate llano were bonds for life (179). It was through Ultima that Antonio discovers life is not what is always seems. Narciso had died trying to warn Ultima but few remembered anything good about him. Narciso had an inner goodness that had been hidden by his use of alcohol. Ultima taught Antonio to see the magic in Narciso, just as she had thought him to see the magic in the river and all that surrounded it. At the end of the novel as Ultima is dying, Antonio again understands that the tragic consequences of life can be overcome by the magical strength that resides in the human heart (237). On her deathbed, Ultima explains, the owl was my spirit, my bond to the time and harmony of the universe (260). Like the owl, Ultima is headed to a new place, a new time (260). She reassures Antonio that she will always be with him, when the wind is gentle and the owls sing in the hills (261). Upon Ultimas death, Antonio is no longer afraid of death. Birth, life, and death are all part of the universe and like Ultima; Antonio too must go thro...
