tonys concerns

Antonio’s witnessing of Lupito’s death is a major crossroads for him as a character. It is his first experience with death, and Antonio is seriously traumatized, both by Lupito’s violent end and by the presence of his father among the shooting men. When he runs home, he repeats the Act of Contrition over and over again, even though he doesn’t know what it means. Antonio’s use of a religious prayer in quest for comfort demonstrates his desires to use religion to explain and fix the problems he observes in life. Ultimately, Antonio does not receive any comfort from the use of this prayer. He only recites it as a result of his mother’s Catholic upbringing, not because he has chosen his faith. Instead, Antonio is comforted when he hears the hooting of Ultima’s owl; in fact, it is only after he hears the owl that he is able to think rationally and make his way home. This instance highlights the conflict between Catholicism and paganism as Antonio begins on the search for his own faith.