an analysis of water as a symbol for the relief from suffering in rudolfo anayas novel bless me ulti Rudolfo anaya (born october 30, 1937) is an american author best known for his 1972 novel bless me, ultima, anaya is considered when he was a teenager, anaya suffered a diving accident while swimming with friends in an irrigation ditch and broke two verterbrae in his neck[8] at first rendered.