Holding onto Culture In Leslie Marmon Silko’s novel, Ceremony, she depicts the life of Tayo, a half-white, half-Native American war veteran, as he struggles to heal from his scarring experiences and to come to terms with his jumbled sense of identity. Tayo, belonging to two different cultures and needing aid in mending his emotional wounds, seeks healing in traditional Native American methods. However, whites have tampered with the long unchanged rituals of the Indians. Silko’s Ceremony describes the conflicts between clashing cultures using the thoughts and interactions of characters, particularly those of mixed-race, and symbolism in order to show the paradox that the Native Americans must persevere to preserve their history while the white …show more content…
culture seeks to destroy it. The disagreement between cultures develops through the personalities of the novel’s characters and their resulting interactions with one another. The healer Betonie, for instance, is deeply rooted in Native American traditions; however, he tells Tayo how his methods must adapt to the interferences of the whites: “But after the white people came, elements in this world began to shift; and it became necessary to create new ceremonies. I have made change in the rituals. The people mistrust this greatly, but only this growth keeps the ceremonies strong” (Silko 116). Through Betonie’s stories of his mixed heritage, one can see the will of the Native Americans to keep their culture alive. Detrimental to the Indians, white society has the advantage, forcing change in Native American culture in order to survive and not to disappear. Likewise, Tayo’s thoughts convey a key cultural difference that causes much hatred between groups: “He laid there and hated them. Not for what they wanted to do to him, but for what they did to the earth with their machines, and to the animals with their packs of dogs and their guns” (189). As much as Native Americans strive to protect their culture, nature, a huge part of it, cannot be protected from the whites who destroy and replace nature at will. White culture lacks the same respect for the earth that Tayo and the others on the reservation possess. Because of the Indians reverence and deeply rooted traditions of nature, whites’ developments interfere significantly with the Native Americans’ values, making it even more difficult for them to maintain their ways. The values of the Indians are made clear through dialogue and Tayo’s thoughts, clearly showing the contrast of the cultures and their ideals. This contrast results in the discrimination of the minority by the majority, so Indians must scramble to uphold their traditions while under constant pressure of white influence. Silko creates mixed race characters that are physical embodiments of the conflicting cultures to demonstrate the dislike they harbor between them that leads to the destruction of the ancient Native American lifestyle.
Throughout the novel, Tayo is extremely confused about where he belongs and who he is due to his biracial background. His mother is Laguna Indian while his father is white. Beginning at Tayo’s birth, his mother’s family looks at him and his mother as a disgrace, leaving him convinced he does not belong, “‘I wonder sometimes,’ he said, ‘because my mother went with white men.’ He stopped there, unable to say more. The birth had betrayed his mother and brought shame to the family and to the people” (118). Tayo is left constantly questioning himself and his heritage as both the Native Americans and whites do not accept him fully. Evidently, each culture wishes to remain separate and dominant. Using the character of Tayo, Silko demonstrates that whites and Native Americans do not attempt to intertwine and combine completely different cultures, but the more powerful whites wish to destroy the Indians. The natives have no choice but to seek refuge from the constant attack on their heritage. The Night Swan is also of two cultures, and she provides Tayo with insight on the attitudes of others toward them, “‘Indians or Mexicans or whites--most people are afraid of change. They think that if their children have the same color of skin, the same color of eyes, that nothing is changing’” (Silko 92). While this outlines the reasoning behind people’s distrust of mixed race individuals, it also shows the logic behind whites drive to eradicate Native American culture and the Indian’s hatred of whites. Seeing a person of different race is a variation from the norm, a change. As Night Swan says, change causes people to be afraid, leading to the animosity one finds between the societies. Silko implies that the whites act upon this animosity and seek to hurt the opposing
side because, as the symbolic characters show, the cultures cannot coexist without one superimposing over the other. This leaves the smaller, less influential group to act defensively against the change pressured onto them, fighting to keep their culture and history together. Through the speaking and thoughts of the Indians, Silko conveys how the whites’ modernized culture clashes with the Laguna people’s values of life and nature. Whites’ actions consistently threaten the Native Americans’ own beliefs and leave them clinging to their pasts. Through adaptations in tradition and the symbolism that demonstrates the contrast in the two cultures, Silko depicts the efforts of the Native Americans to preserve their culture as it battles to overcome the stifling influence of white society.
Respect is shown to the laws and guidelines provided by their ancestors. Every morning Neena expresses to Ruby while she sits beneath the tree and connects to her spiritual ancestors, ‘Whitefellas call it meditation, but for us it’s remaking our spiritual connection to the country every day’. It is extremely important that there are people that are very close to their culture, so the tribe remembers their ways. Archie and Tjilpi are exceptional illustrations of...
In the poem “The White Judges” by Marilyn Dumont, the speaker is aware of how her and her Indigenous family are constantly being judged by white society. The poem juxtaposes the family with the encircling colonialists who wait to demean and assimilate the group. The family internalizes a sense of shame and guilt while being surrounded by the primarily white population. Consequently, the family faces the pressures of being judged for their cultural practices. Dumont’s use of prose and lyrical voice distinctly highlights the theme of being judged by white society. Her integration of figurative language enhances the Indigenous tradition and cultural practices throughout the poem. As well as her use of anaphora and musicality which amplifies the
The novel Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko follows a young man, Tayo through his journey beginning when he returns home to the Laguna Pueblo Reservation, from World War Two; and is very ill. During the narrative Silko introduces us to Tayo's life before the war, which gives insight to reasons of why Tayo is ill. Through out his illness Tayo goes through many ceremonies both literally and metaphorically to try to cure his ailment. One of the ceremonies that is performed, is lead by Old Ku'oosh, the medicine man, where he performs a cleansing ceremony for someone who has killed someone in battle, even though Tayo doesn't recall killing anyone. However, he adds that this ceremony, which he has been performing for many of the returning war soldiers, has not worked for all of them. He then recommends another medicine man with the tools to cure and perform ceremonies, for the old ceremonies, since the white man had arrived, have not been able to cure the new diseases. Along with the medicine man ceremonies he also goes to American "white" doctors, which also acts as some what of a cleansing for him. In his case vomiting is can also be used as a ceremony for Tayo because he uses it to cleanse his body of the poisons and evil, both physical illness and mental illness. The ceremonies that Tayo goes through whether traditional through a medicine man or contemporary like visits to the psychiatrist and stays in the hospital, all add to his recovery, either through physical or mental cleansing.
Cutchins, Dennis. " `So That the Nations May Become Genuine Indian': Nativism and Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony." Journal of American Culture 22.4 (1999) : 77-89.
The novel “Through Black Spruce”, written by Joseph Boyden, details life of Native Culture and the corruption within its society. Will Bird and his niece Annie Bird alter narrations every chapter telling their individual stories of their struggles to remain pure in Native culture. Both characters experience a detachment from their roots and must learn to rely on each other for the livelihood of their culture. All characters in the novel show negative effects of being impacted by the white culture, seen through the use of drugs and alcohol leading to isolation from the community. Through detailed analysis of both Will and Annie’s narrative, their connections to their Native roots seem to be vanishing and the need to integrate the traditional
He chastises Tayo for his mixed heritage, something that stems from jealousy at Tayo’s white half. A veteran of world war two, Emo thrived in the war, an environment of constant destruction ended by an atomic bomb. He is victim to the whims of white warfare, which Tayo defines as “killing across great distances without knowing who or how many had died”(33). This way of white warfare is not compatible with the traditional ways of warfare and is said to make natives sick. In Emo’s contact with the white world he fully embraces the position of power he receives from participating in white warfare. When he and the other vets talk about the war, he relishes in the teeth he collected from high-ranking japanese officers. Tayo can see how killing affects Emo. “...Emo grew from each killing. Emo fed off each man he killed, and the higher the rank of the dead man, the higher it made Emo”(56). In reality what Emo gains is being in approximation to social power, but never fully obtaining a better social status. This reality which Emo chooses to ignore through his alcoholism, another white creation, exposes a vulnerability. Emo believes all value lies in the white world so, natives must take from the material world in order to own something of value. However he can never truly be of the white world. In a drunken rant he says “You know, us Indians deserve something
In Ceremony, change is associated with life, while unproductivity is accompanying with death. Tayo, the cattle, and the traditional Native American ceremonies all have to adapt to new circumstances if they 're going to survive and carry on. According to the Night Swan, “people who resist change because they 're afraid of new things are fools." These “fools” express their ignorance in their prejudice against interracial relationships and people of mixed ethnicity, which is something Tayo struggles with throughout the
Tayo and his cousin Rocky grew up together practically as brothers and attended a school where they were taught by whites. Curiously, it was Rocky who denounced the Native American traditions and wanted to leave the community and to “win in the white outside world” (Silko 47). Traditions such as covering the head of the deer after hunting, was something that Tayo believed in and followed, along with other Native American traditions that Rocky, a full-blooded Native American, declared as superstition. Tayo, being half white, could have just as easily as Rocky worked toward a place in the city with white men, but because of his mixed identity, Tayo always thought of himself as an outsider. He felt even less at home with the white men, because he grew up around Native American culture and
Change is one of the tallest hurdles we all must face growing up. We all must watch our relatives die or grow old, our pets do the same, change school or employment, and take responsibility for our own lives one way or another. Change is what shapes our personalities, it molds us as we journey through life, for some people, change is what breaks us. Watching everything you once knew as your reality wither away into nothing but memory and photographs is tough, and the most difficult part is continuing on with your life. In the novel Ceremony, author Leslie Silko explores how change impacted the entirety of Native American people, and the continual battle to keep up with an evolving world while still holding onto their past. Through Silko’s
The destructive nature of cultural collision is symbolized when Emily’s lover, Rose, kills herself because of “how fuckin’ hard it is to be an Indian in this country” (Highway 97). The suicide of Rose, which happened when Rose “went head-on” into a “big 18-wheeler...like a fly splat against a windshield” shows the brutality of cultural collision (Highway 97). The rape of Zhaboonigan is an indicator of the violence inflicted on Natives (especially Native women), and functions as a metaphor for the “intrusive, destructive impact of one society on another” (Nothof 2). Cultural collision results in a fragmented society, where the subdued struggle with their identity as a result of the violent colonization of the dominant
“What You Pawn I Will Redeem,” by Sherman Alexie gives readers a look at the life of homeless, easygoing, middle aged Native American, Jackson Jackson. The story, which is set in Seattle, describes the conditions that Jackson finds himself in. Alexie’s choice of motifs emphasizes the significance of cultural and historical references. With these concepts in mind, the reader is taken through a journey of self-realization. “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” narrates the internal struggle Jackson feels trying to figure out his personal identity as a Native American. The story chronicles situations that illustrate the common stereotypes about Natives. Through Jackson’s humble personality, the reader can grasp his true feeling towards White people, which
The central conflict of Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony is Tayo's struggle to gain psychological wholeness in the face of various traumatic experiences, ranging from a troubled childhood to cultural marginalization and combat experiences during World War II. Throughout the novel, the key to Tayo's psychological recovery is his rediscovery of Native American cultural practices.
The colonization of civilizations has changed the world’s history forever. From the French, Spaniard, and down to the English, have changed cultures, traditions, religions, and livelihoods of other societies. The Native Americans, for example, were one of the many civilizations that were conquered by the English. The result was their ways of life based on nature changed into the more “civilized” ways of the colonists of the English people. Many Native Americans have lost their old ways and were pulled into the new “civilized” ways. Today only a small amount of Native American nations or tribes exist in remote areas surviving following their traditions. In the book Ceremony, a story of a man named Tayo, did not know himself and the world around him but in the end found out and opened his eyes to the truth. However the Ceremony’s main message is related not only to one man but also to everything and everyone in the world. It is a book with the message that the realization of oneself will open the eyes to see what is truth and false which will consequently turn to freedom.
...ess the beauty of such unique ceremony.” As he told the very story with deep tones, he would raise his hand clutching a green blade. He said the oldest native gave it to him and that in the exchange the blade gave off light. In return the captain gave his most personal affect, his fathers pocket watch. His time with the natives he said was the best time of his life. The captain believed that the Indians were untainted beings; he said he could feel a connection between the people and believed that their power was routed by a natural energy, native to the land. But the Captain's stories were hard to take in full, the man had a thirst and he drank regularly. No matter how much he drank the captain only needed three hours of sleep to right him. He would wake up perkier than a horny pig and scold us till we joined him. With the captain gone. God to save us…
When two cultures meet, there is usually a disagreeable point. Either one tries to dominate the other, or both struggle for acceptance. This is shown by Eulalie’s behaviour in the presence of her in-laws and the reaction of Ato’s family upon knowing of his bride. Eulalie’s disgust at the ways and manners her fiancé’s family relate with her points out the theme of clashing cultures. Eulalie considers many of Ato’s family customs backwards and is disdainful of many of them. She also makes ignorant statements about the African women and culture. She states that all palm trees are the same, and she declares that knowing the difference does not really matter. The woman’s nonchalant act of smoking and excessive drinking displeases Ato’s family and even Ato himself. Ato’s family, on the other hand, displays the prejudice of thinking of African-Americans inferior because they are descendants of slaves. They think it is strange for Eulalie to have no tribe or surname, likening her to a “tree without roots.” When they hear that Eulalie is an African by descendant, the women in the house start weepi...