Ceremony

Summary

Tayo is a man who has just returned from World War II, down with post traumatic stress disorder. His cousin and friend, Rocky was killed in the war, one of the reasons he feels guilty throughout the novel. His aunt, who is still partially grieving, blames Tayo. Tayo then travels the path to recovery, overcoming many adversities, such as racism and peer pressure. Although there are many failed attempts at helping him recover, one medicine man, Betonie, who is also half Indian, eventually succeeds in bringing Tayo to recovery by using a combination of Native and Western techniques. Laced between the larger plot are many small short stories of the Pueblo culture, all of which can be linked to part of the novel as a whole.

Basics

This novel was written by Leslie Marmon Silko, who is part Indian herself. It takes place on a Pueblo reservation for the most part. There are slight mentions of other cities and places (such as the mountains), and it is set during a period after World War II. There also a few mentions of California (where the hospital was), and Mexico (in many tales and flashbacks).

Significant Characters

Tayo: A half-white, half-native World War II veteran who has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder at the beginning of the novel and is on the road to recovery. With the help of medicine men and women, especially Betonie, he starts to recover, and later discovers his true self.

Auntie: Tayo's aunt, who is ashamed of being related to the mixed-blood Tayo. She gossips quite a lot, and may be a little childish at times. She is grieving over the loss of her son, Rocky, and has no hope for Tayo's recovery, although she makes many attempts to cure him. Although Auntie never shows her soft side, it does exist.

Betonie- A medicine man who helped Tayo to overcome his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Like Tayo, he is of mixed blood, and is only half Indian. Thus, he can relate to Tayo in many ways, and is able to use a fusion of western and Native ways to help Tayo recover.

Narrative Voice

Silko uses strong imagery (such as colors and cardinal directions) to voice her characters' inner thoughts. Although it is written in third person, it is done through Tayo's point of view, following his every step. The tone is rather somber, often flashing back to the wartime, as well as to the calm before the war. The Pueblo stories that are told are also thought provoking in nature, and are not biased in any way. Symbolism in Silko's novel include colors and cardinal directions, both of which represent different ideas (such as white representing death and witchcraft). Another symbol used to propel the voice of the novel is the constant puking of Tayo. Regurgitating represents the stories coming out of Tayo's stomach (storytelling), as well as the disgust for society.

Quotes:

"It seems like I already heard these stories before... only thing is, the names sound different" (242).

This quote may be simple, but it can be quite useful in many ways. Grandma's insight on Tayo's situation is correct. On the surface level, it can be interpreted that the things that Tayo had just gone through in many ways reflected the Native stories that had been passed on for generations. On a deeper level, though, it represents the fact that history repeats itself over and over again, and while the human race seems to have learned its lesson, it is doubtful that it really has.

"Jungle rain had no beginning or end; it grew like foliage from the sky, branching and arching to the earth, sometimes in solid thickets entangling the islands, and other times, in tendrils of blue mist curling out of the coastal clouds" (10).

The jungle in Tayo's case was a prison, one which was impossible to fight his way out of. Somehow though, he did, but Rocky didn't. This quote can be used to explain the reason behind Tayo's Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, as well as the entrapment of Tayo's mind in a foreign place. Although there were some aspects of the jungle that were positive (such as the exploration), for the most part, it was quite negative.

Theme:

It is important to overcome cultural barriers, such as racism, to accept people for who they are so that society can advance and become integrated.

Much of the hatred and disgust that Tayo receives is due to his mixed heritage, and throughout the entire novel, it is shown that Tayo acts and thinks in a more Pueblo way than does his so-called friends who are only Pueblo. Also, Auntie sends them to an American school to get integrated, but treats Tayo like dirt because he is half white, showing the irony of the situation. Also, through his interactions with Betonie, it is shown that there are many problems with racism in today's culture, but integration is key, and not completely impossible.