Cico, Ultima and Narciso are the three characters that can
be argued to have the strongest impact on Antonio's
views.
Cico tells Antonio the story of the Golden Carp and
takes Antonio to see it. This experience of nature and the idea of a God of nature both
help to shape and to confuse Antonio's spiritual
outlook.
“If
the golden carp was a god, who was the man on the cross? The Virgin? Was my mother
praying to the wrong
God?”
Ultimately, Antonio's
confusion leads to an enriched perspective and a broader view than he began
with.
Like Cico, Ultima exemplifies a connection to nature
and a humility before nature. She does not instruct Antonio as to what he should
believe, but rather helps to show Antonio what is available to believe, what is
possible, and how to see the world differently.
She becomes a mentor to Tony, helping him to
interpret his dreams and negotiate the dangerous terrain of his quest for self
knowledge.
Narciso does not
directly speak much with Antonio, but serves as an example of bravery and other positive
values. Narciso shows Antonio also that reputation is often not founded in reality, as
Narciso turns out to be a noble man despite his reputation as being a weak-willed
drunkard.
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