Anaya invented the legend of the golden carp by drawing on Aztec myths. What elements of Aztec or other Indigenous mythology can you identify in the legend?

Compare and contrast the different types of magic presented in the novel. What is the source of Ultima’s magic? What about Narciso’s and the Trementina sisters’?

How does the novel incorporate magical realism? Find three examples of magical realism in the novel and discuss their thematic significance.