Ceremony

In Ceremony, Leslie Marmon Silko lays out the journey of the central character Tayo through the various aspects of his culture and traditions to realize the contrast between the white culture and the reservation Indians. Tayo, the main character in the play, is drastically affected by his experiences in World War II and has thus lost his touch with what reality constitutes and what his culture contains. His brother Rocky is a classic representation of assimilating into white culture. A wise Grandma overlooks Tayo’s journey and introduces old man Ku’oosh and Betonie who guide Tayo on his path to revelation and knowledge. Emo and his entourage serve to represent those “lovers of war” who drive Tayo sick, reminding him of the tortures inflicted on the Japanese. Their presence also makes Tayo realize the distinction between whites and Indians and how a uniform from war is only a temporary transition to acceptance that will eventually be discarded and Indians ignored and hated as it used to be before the war. In order to cure himself, Tayo is brought to Betonie who is also, like Tayo, a child of a white and an Indian, showing Tayo the path to personal enlightenment. During his ceremony, Tayo encounters Blue Swan and T’seh who serve as milestones in Tayo’s progress towards completing the ceremony.

The theme in Ceremony is the contrast between the white and Indian culture and how increasing assimilation has led to a loss of connection to Indian religious practices and a loss of connection to nature that serves to give a person the key to self-revelation and self-knowledge.

The whole novel uses imagery extensively. Starting with the shooting of the Japanese reminding Tayo of his uncle Josiah all the way to the mountains and forests through which Tayo journeys shows his maturity level and how much he understands who he is. The spiderweb like narrating style serves as a connection to all the parts of Tayo's life. In terms of symbols, the yellow pollen serves to represent a symbol of fertility and how the Tayo is recognizing the cycle of life that is inherent in the Indian culture. Another significant symbol in the novel is the cattle, a hybrid breed who Tayo has to find. In essence, these cattle are like Tayo, hybrids between the Indians and the whites, who Tayo has to understand and gather back to set them in the right direction, serving as an important aspect of his self-knowledge.

Quotes:
“…leaned close to the earth and sprinkled pinches of yellow pollen into four footprints.” - Tayo
"It seems like I already heard these stories before - only things is, the names sound different." - Grandma