How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Line)
Quote #4
"The little runt actually threw me, he threw me?" (3.385-386)
For all the talk in Bless Me, Ultima of supernatural power and discovering answers to the grand questions in life, sometimes a major step towards growing up comes when you just happen to knock down a kid who is way bigger than you.
Quote #5
For the first time, I would be away from the protection of my mother. (6.5-6)
You know this story well enough to know that this is line hits on a recurring theme in the novel: before a boy can truly start coming of age, he has to leave his poor mom behind. He can't rely on her to protect him from the world anymore. As Antonio says, it's sad, but it's also exciting. And oh so necessary.
Quote #6
The pain and sadness seemed to spread to my soul, and I felt for the first time what the grown-ups call, la tristera de la vida. (6.281-282)
Antonio experiences what could be roughly translated to melancholy, but the emotion here isn't the point. The point is that he recognizes it as an emotion only the adults have a name for. In essence, Antonio has started to feel and respond like an adult. It's not a happy thing, but it's a step in his journey.