Tayo: “These Indians got treated the same as anyone: Wake Island, Iwo Jima. They got the same medals for bravery, the same flag over the coffin.”
Then on page 39:
Tayo: “The war was over, the uniform was gone. All of a sudden that man at the store waits on you last, makes you wait until all the white people bought what they wanted. And the white lady at the bus depot, she’s real careful now not to touch your hand when she counts out your change. You watch it slide across the counter at you, and you know.”
Here Tayo highlights how army uniforms effectively temporarily concealed some effects of racism and prejudice, but then how both quickly returned in full effect after the war. Are there other similar examples of this happening in history? How does this connect to the current disregard and/or reverence America has towards the welfare of its veterans in society? How were minorities taken advantage of during times of war, and how were they convinced to fight for a country who has wronged them so many times?
“And there was no more rain then. Everything dried up all the plants the corn the beans they all dried up and started blowing away in the wind.
The people and the animals were thirsty. They were starving.”
This refers back to the rain being neither good or evil. it just is. Everyone has a job, and it get’s way too hard, so we blame everything around us, only when its gone do we appreciate it. Will rain be used in a more positive connotation for Taco later?
In Silko’s Ceremony, Auntie is quite the complex character. She takes in Tayo when he is young, but raises him differently than her own son, who is of similar age. On page 60, we learn that “Auntie had always been careful that Rocky didn’t call Tayo ‘brother,’ and when other people mistakenly called them brothers, she was quick to correct the error.” Auntie’s relationship with Tayo, and her judgement of her own brother Josiah for the affair he has with a Mexican woman, go to show that she holds strong traditional beliefs that makes her brother and sister’s affairs shameful. It is clear that she holds other’s opinions highly, to the point that she may care more about how things look than how she treats and talks about her own family.
In addition to fiercely upholding native traditions, however, Auntie is a devout Christian. She uses this to separate herself from other natives, including her own family. On p. 71, Tayo wonders if she prefers to go to church alone to “show the people she was… not immoral or pagan like the rest of her family.” On p. 70, it is also stated that she had always wanted Rocky to be “someone who could not only make sense of the outside world but become part of it.”
What role does Auntie play in this story, and what is the significance of her conflicting feelings toward tradition, her family, and the outside world?
“There are some things we can’t cure like we used to, not since the white people came.”
This quote shows the impact of colonialism and the disruption of traditional healing practices. It helps shed light on the cultural and spiritual challenges faced by Native American communities.
In my personal opinion, this quote emphasizes the resilience and strength of indigenous cultures, while also shedding light on the historical and ongoing challenges they face. The importance of storytelling and traditional healing practices throughout this book can resonate with the broader struggle for cultural preservation and healing within Native American communities. I think it comes back to a common theme we’ve seen throughout this semester that the best thing we can do is remove ourselves from the situation. It seems that in every scenario the west plays this “savior or god complex” that we must step in to help, when in reality we always cause more harm than good.
But do you know what happened, so they don’t want me there any more. They told me I could look after the ranch out here. Like you.” Harley looked up quickly to see Tayo’s face “ you know what I mean Tayo. he said quickly you were really sick when you got back, and there isn’t a damn thing wrong with me.
Tayo nodded but was thinking about what happened while Harley was at the Montano herding sheep and wasn’t sure if he was right.
Excerpt page 21
It was too bad about the dog and those sheep,” said Tayo but Harley laughed, he shook his head and laughed very loudly.“ they weren’t worth anything anyway. So skinny and tough the coyotes had to kill half of them just to make one meal” he laughed again.
During this Conversation between Tayo and Harley they discuss their life after the war while Harley denies that he has problems while Tayo doubts that due to the incident In Montano and how Harley laughs about the death of most of the sheep and his dog. This conversation also shows how two different people are affected by the war while Tayo see’s the faces of his loved ones in the faces of the Japanese soldiers and regrets what he’s done. Harley on the other hand doesn’t feel anything and seems like his perception of life and death has completely changed and suffers from alcoholism after the war.
My question is what else does this conversation between these two show, and how will it relate to the rest of the book.
Whenever breaking down how the surrounding world functions Ku’oosh emphasizes utilizing precise wording that makes it possible to envision the side effects of an action. One example would be him describing the world as Fragile, which in and of itself can create a mosaic of various stimulants to build off of. Fragile things are most at risk of fracturing into varyingly sized pieces. Not only can you see a fragile item fracture in your mind, but you can tell the exact moment or event that sends it over the edge- possibly accompanied by a sharp cracking noise. Fragile items do not travel well, they’re often forced to remain in a singular space as a result and are highly dependent on a consistency of conditions to remain viable. Ku’oosh does believe that no word stands alone, having individual words that are active and present is more adequate in conveying a greater understanding of information. Precise and palpable words and strung them together allow for a deeper understanding of messages.
There is a harping in Ceremony in the power of words and how indescribable war is- When Tayo is talking about white warfare with Ku’oosh, Tayo explains that:
“In the old way of warfare, you couldn’t kill another human being in battle without knowing it, without seeing the result, because even a wounded deer that got up and ran again left great clots of lung blood or spilled guts on the ground. That way the hunter knew it would die. Human beings were no different. But the the old man would not have believed white warfare—killing across great distances without knowing who or how many had died. It was all too alien to comprehend, the mortars and big guns; and even if he could have taken the old man to see the target areas, even if he could have led him through the fallen jungle trees and muddy craters of torn Earth to show him the dead, the old man would not have believed anything so monstrous. Ku’oosh would have looked at the dismembered corpses and the atomic heat-flash outlines, where human bodies had evaporated, and the old man would have said something close and terrible had killed these people” (pg24-25).
The word fragile works so well at explaining the conditions of a situation because there are certainly examples that build upon the understanding and the connotations fragile items have to a deep level. The feeling of committing an atrocity and not knowing if you did or didn’t end another life. To be confided and inescapable feelings of a soldier in WW2. Do you think it is possible for Tayo to somehow convey the trauma he has undergone- is there any string of words he could build to allow Ku’oosh a deeper understanding of the tools and current understanding of the world given his life experiences?
On page 60, when Rocky and Tayo are talking to the Army recruiter about the possibility of joining up, Rocky says, “And My Brother. If we both sign up can we stay together?” This was very emotional for Tayo to hear because Rocky had never called him a brother before. I like the storytelling style that Silko uses because the story flashes to the past where we learn about Tayo being brought by his mother back to his family. Tayo and Rocky are to be raised as brothers in Josiah’s eyes while Auntie sees Tayo as some kind of pest to be excluded and raised differently. Rocky doesn’t want a brother and never acknowledges Tayo as such until much later in their lives where the interaction with the Army recruiter takes place. Through the flashback we learn about the sensitivities of Tayo and how he comes to accept his life of outcast while living with his Auntie. “Tayo and Auntie understood each other very well. Years later Tayo wondered if anyone, even old Grandma or Josiah, ever understood her as well as he did.” Could this be some long metaphor for colonial oppression, racism, or Stockholm syndrome, character development? Why does Tayo tolerate this lifestyle of being treated differently? Tayo knows he is different from his brother as he is half white and his Auntie knows it as well. Could this be Auntie lashing out at her sister for sleeping with a white man? It confuses and frustrates me to see sensitive little Tayo be treated differently by his own family.
“The word he chose to express “fragile” was filled with the intricacies of a continuing process and with strength inherent in spider webs woven across paths through sand and hills where, early in the morning, the sun becomes entangled in each filament of the web. It took a long time to explain fragility and intricacy because no word exists alone, and the reason for choosing each word had to be explained with a story about why it must be said this certain way. (32)”
The use of the word fragile is not just a descriptor but it is used as a vessel for conveying a deeper meaning about life. This quote highlights the complexity of language and the interconnectedness of all things that are woven together like a spider’s web that seems so fragile and delicate, yet when it captures an insect, that insect is doomed symbolizing resilience and strength. It encourages us to consider the deeper meaning behind words and the human stories woven together that shape our understanding of the world as the sun rises each day. Further each word is chosen with care and intention, rooted in stories and experiences. It describes the importance of storytelling and oral tradition in conveying and preserving cultural knowledge and history.
“It took only one person to tear away the delicate strands of the web, spilling the rays of sun into the sand, and the fragile world would be injured.(35)”
This quote’s imagery and poetic prose symbolize the importance of storytelling, culture, and language. As well as how delicate and ephemeral storytelling is if that story only lives as long as the person who told it. When it is disrupted, “these rays spill into the sand,” which leads to the loss of knowledge, spiritual connection, and enlightenment. With settler colonialism erasing indigenous cultures and language, this quote highlights how crucial storytelling and the use of language are to preserving cultural identity.
My question is, what do you think the meaning or description of “the delicate strings of the web” symbolizes? Additionally, how do these themes of interconnectedness, resilience, and fragility deepen our knowledge and understanding of storytelling and language?
When Tayo and Harley reunite, beginning at page 18, Tayo notices some changes in Harley’s behavior. For one, Harley seems to be drinking more frequently, “Tayo smiled because Harley didn’t use to like beer at all, and maybe this was something that was different about him now, after the war. He drank a lot of beer now” (Silko 18). However this wasn’t the only thing Tayo noticed about Harley. When describing the neglect of Harley’s family’s sheep that led to the death of many of the animals, he seemed indifferent:
“It was too bad about the dog and those sheep,” Tayo said. But Harley laughed; he shook his head and laughed very loudly. “They weren’t worth anything anyway. So skinny and tough the coyotes had to kill half of them just to make one meal.” He laughed again. Tayo felt something stir along his spine; there was something in Harley’s laugh he had never heard before. Somehow Harley didn’t seem to feel anything at all, and he masked it with smart talk and laughter. (Silko 21)
In these two instances, it seems the past years of Harley’s life led to a shift in both his physical behaviors and his mentality. Though Harley was a decorated “war hero”, there is no doubt that such violence takes a toll on a person, and it can be difficult to relearn how to conduct life upon return. Do you think colonial systems of violence perpetuate colonization of the mind in creating a sense of numbness? Is Harley numb? Or is he just masking his pain? This also reminded me of the introduction of poisonous Western products such as alcohol and pharmaceuticals to indigenous peoples, and the generations of harm it perpetuates. Is Harley a testament to the impacts of Westernization both in terms of warfare and culture? Did he have any other choice? Or does his numbness keep him going in some way?
I’m drawn to the use of PTSD, survivor’s guilt, and other mental health issues that Tayo is dealing with and how Silko has been weaving them into the story. One such example is:
“They all mourned Rocky that way, by slipping, lapsing into the plans he had for college and for his football career. It didn’t take Tayo long to see the accident of time and space: Rocky was the one who was alive, buying Grandma her heater with the round dial on the front; Rocky was there in the college game scores on the sports page of the Albuquerque Journal. It was him, Tayo, who had died, but somehow there had been a mistake with the corpses, and somehow his was still unburied” (Silko 25).
How does Silko’s portrayal of survivor’s guilt enhance the telling of this complex story? How might Rocky’s importance to both Tayo and the people on the reservation interact with the past/future events?
On page 6 of “Ceremony,” there is a quote that states…”He could get no rest as long as the memories were tangled with the present, tangled up like colored threads from old Grandma’s wicker sewing basket when we was a child…He could feel like it inside his skull–the tension of little threads being pulled and how it was tangled things, things tied together, and as he tried to pull them apart and rewind them into their places, they snagged and tangled even more”.
This quote expresses aspects of Tayo’s mental condition throughout the beginning of the book. Where he is in a certain scenario and gets transported back to past traumatic memories. He struggles to differentiate what is happening versus what he is seeing in his head. Which sounds like what we know now as post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. Knowing Tayo’s cultural background as well as the time of this book. It is shown that what he is experiencing was not known to be PTSD at the time. My question is what would have been his culture’s response and suggested remedies to his condition? As well as, would they see Tayo as inadequate for struggling with those symptoms?
I was really struck by the poem about Reed Woman and Corn Woman (pp. 11-12). I initially thought it might have some sort of meaning about the importance of leisure and relaxation in life. However, as I continued reading, I came to find two major themes that connect to other points in the book. The first is the discussion of water and rain. Throughout much of the book so far, Silko has spent a lot of time describing either the overabundance or severe lack of water in Tayo’s world. I’m not super sure what the water represents yet but I imagine it might be some sort of commentary on the imbalance that Tayo feels in his life, both when he was at war and since returning. Do y’all have different interpretations about the significance of water and rain in the story?
The second major theme that I noticed in the poem that relates to other points in the novel is the sibling relationship. I wonder if the relationship between Corn Woman and Reed Woman is an allegory for the relationship between Tayo and Rocky. For example, Rocky is the family favorite who was always involved with sports and extracurriculars and had good grades (25). Meanwhile, Tayo was sort of cast off to the shadows to make room for Rocky, and less was expected of him (60-61). With these examples, I think that Rocky could represent Corn Woman, and Tayo represents Reed Woman. Further, Tayo “prayed the rain away,” which aligns with Reed Woman’s descent to the original place and the following drought. What do you guys think about this allegory? Are there any pieces I’m missing or a connection that feels strained?
In the beginning of the book Ceremony, Tayo has experiences that can be looked upon today as a soldier that returned from duty with PTSD. Tayo describes being “sick” and that the arm called it “battle fatigue,” though for Tayo the sickness comes in conjunction with memories and/or visuals of lost loved ones. Tayo’s bad dream is a good example of how violent the “sickness” could be on a person, and at the time this was occurring it was said by the “Army doctors…that the cause of battle fatigue was a mystery, even to them.” This mystery to the army doctors separated people like Tayo from basic social settings, like how they sent Tayo to a ranch for separation and to hopefully heal the sickness. The ranch did help Tayo in some aspects, during the donkey ride the good memory from his childhood seemed to help him relax, but not for long. There was not much time before Tayo believed that there was an “accident of time and space” and that “it was him, Tayo, who had died, but somehow there had been a mistake with the corpses, and somehow his was still unburied.” This quote shows how severe the sickness made the person feel towards themselves. Do PTSD struggles like Tayo’s experience widen the grasp on how those individuals see themselves? How will the struggles and illness bring a bigger meaning to this book? Will there be any conjunction with positive outcomes through the struggles at hand?
Throughout the beginning of the book, Silko mentions smoke as a way to convey certain emotions and feelings. In describing Tayo’s mindset after returning from the war, she states, “For a long time he had been white smoke. He did not realize that until he left the hospital, because white smoke had no consciousness of itself. It faded into the white world of their bed sheets and walls; it was sucked away by the words of doctors who tried to talk to the invisible scattered smoke. He had seen outlines of gray steel tables, outlines of the food they pushed into his mouth, which was only an outline too, like all the outlines he saw. They saw his outline but they did not realize it was hollow inside” (Silko, 13). In discussing his memories she states “The smoke had been dense; visions and memories of the past did not penetrate there, and he had drifted in colors of smoke, where there was no pain, only pale, pale gray of the north wall by his bed” (Silko, 14). What is this mentioning of smoke trying to say about Tayo and his understanding of himself? Can this symbolism be translated into today’s world, looking at the various social, political, and environmental issues we are facing collectively, or even just as a way to understand ourselves personally within society?
In America, the notion of “forgetting” has long been a prevalent thing to do for people. White folks in particular, have long loved to forget history, forget the struggles and pain of people of color in this country, the lynching, the gentrification, the suffering, the deaths, etc.
Stories additionally in my culture have been a way of keeping personal familial history and knowledge about our growth as a family, and things to beware of. Stories on the other hand for mass media have been a large means of education, especially to remind those who have “forgotten” or attempted to erase history (for example Killers of the Flower Moon).
Silko opens with the quote beautiful quote:
“Thought-Woman, the spider, named things and as she named them they appeared. She is sitting in her room thinking of a story now I’m telling you the story she is thinking.”
How (to you!) do stories serve as more than just entertainment, but as vital tools for survival and resilience in the face of adversity, as depicted in the provided text?Considering the passage’s assertion that “They aren’t just entertainment. Don’t be fooled. They are all we have, you see, all we have to fight off illness and death,” how do stories function as essential elements in preserving culture, identity, and memory?
Reflecting on the protagonist Tayo’s experiences, particularly in wartime, how do stories help individuals navigate trauma and make sense of their past, present, and future?
In what ways do stories play a role in preserving history and keeping it alive for future generations, as illustrated by the narratives shared within the text?
How does Tayo’s journey from a state of dissociation, described as “white smoke,” to a rediscovery of his identity and connection to his culture highlight the transformative power of storytelling in reclaiming one’s sense of self and purpose?
The quote “the dreams did not wait anymore for night; they came out anytime” (52) suggests a blurring of boundaries between the conscious and unconscious realms. In traditional contexts, dreams often hold significant cultural and spiritual significance, acting as conduits for messages from ancestors or the spiritual world. However, in Tayo’s experience, this separation between waking and dreaming states diminishes. Dreams become more immediate and pervasive, intruding upon his waking life. This suggests a collapse of boundaries between the physical and spiritual realms, highlighting the interconnectedness of all aspects of existence.
How does this blurring of boundaries between the conscious and unconscious realms reflect Tayo’s spiritual journey?
Around page 53 there is a story of when Tayo got drunk and stabbed Emo with a broken bottle. The narrator writes that there were many interpretations of that event and what led Tayo to do such a thing. Some say it was the alcohol, some say the war, some say a combination. But Tayo says, in his own words, “Its more than that. I can feel it. It’s been going on for a long time.”
What does Tayo mean by this? Do you think he is just crazy, or is he referring to something larger than himself, driving him to do things unfamiliar to himself.
Directly after this section, Silko inserts the second part of the poem about magic, in which the people are starving and suffering because they chose the magic of the trickster over their rituals and ceremonies. Why do you think Silko chose to place this poem here? Does it connect to Tayo’s feeling that something isn’t right? What significance does that poem about magic have in the story of Tayo and Rocky hunting the deer that comes later on?
On page 32 Silko writes “The word he chose to express “fragile” was filled with the intricacies of a continuing process, and with a strength inherent in spider webs woven across paths through sand hills where early in the morning the sun becomes entangled in each filament of web. It took a long time to explain the fragility and intricacy because no word exists alone, and the reason for choosing each word had to be explained with a story about why it must be said this certain way. That was the responsibility that went with being human, old Ku’oosh said, the story behind each word must be told so there could be no mistake in the meaning of what had been said; and this demanded great patience and love.”
Tayo is visiting the medicine man Ku’oosh, who discusses spider women and provides this metaphor of the web. What does the web mean in this case? What is the importance in highlighting how important wording is in storytelling? We are reading this in English so I have an understanding that I can’t grasp the specific wording they are referring to that is in the old dialect.
A quote from the reading that stuck out to me that I thought deserved further analysis comes from page 39 in the book, and it reads:
“Here they were, trying to bring back that old feeling, that feeling they belonged to America the way they felt during the war. They blamed themselves for losing the new feeling; they never talked about it, but they blamed themselves just like they blamed themselves for losing the land the white people took. They never thought to blame the white people for any of it; they wanted white people for their friends. They never saw that it was the white people who gave them that feeling and it was the white people who took it away again when the war was over.”
In this passage, Emo’s reaction to Tayo’s identification of internalized racism is exposed, and he provides a classic example of internalized racism, believing the point of view of the white racists. He blames himself and the other victims of racism for being its cause without recognizing the racism that leads whites to mistreat Native Americans, be it in the form of unfair land deals or the denial of equal access to respect and jobs after the war. As Tayo and the narrator evaluate Emo’s internalized racism, they show it to be almost as detrimental to Native Americans as is the racism of the whites.
This leads me to my questions: Are there other examples of times of conflict in America that led to differences being overlooked in favor of a unified citizenry? How can discrimination be justified if minorities are temporarily treated as equals in times of conflict? Is not talking about internalized racism part of the reason that it is perpetuated? Do you think internalized racism is an unintended consequence of America’s treatment of minorities, or was it always an intentional goal?
“It was summertime and Iktoa’ak’o’ya-Reed Woman was always taking a bath. She spent all day long sitting in the river splashing down the summer rain.But her sister Corn Woman worked hard all day sweating in the sun getting sore hands in the corn field. Corn Woman got tired of that she got angry she scolded her sister for bathing all day long.Iktoa’ak’o’ya-Reed Woman went away then she went back to the original place down below.And there was no more rain then. Everything dried up all the plants the corn the beans they all dried up and started blowing away in the wind.”
In this section Tayo is praying the rain away because peaks his trauma or anxiety as it is streaming down his face as it falls, he can’t escape it, and the flood waters from the are a concern of his. After his prayer, there is a long drought and the condenses of his prayer trouble him as there is nor water and little food for him and the animals. I wonder the significance of this part, is there something to be said about wishing differently from nature than what it is giving you?
During many instances throughout the beginning of this book, Tayo’s acquaintance Emo shows a lot of disdain for Tayo’s mixed ancestry, going as far to openly judge him for being half-white. On page 52, Emo drunkenly announces to his comrades in regards to Tayo entering the room, “There he is. He thinks he’s something alright. Because he’s part white. Don’t you, half-breed?” (Silko, 52) While it is obviously implied that Emo hates Tayo because Tayo is not a “real Indian” it is evident throughout the actions of Tayo, Emo, and even Rocky, that Tayo is more deeply connected to his Laguna Pueblo ancestry than the majority of the other young Indian soldiers that we have encountered in this book. To elaborate on this point, page 46 and 47 discusses the ways in which Rocky began to avoid the ancestral practices of his people in order to fit in as a successful, modern American in a society that glorifies whiteness (Silko, 46, 47). This desire to be embraced by white American society led to Rocky’s abandonment of his ancestral ways, even when Tayo, his “half-breed” Indian brother stayed true to his beliefs as a young man in school and later in life during WW2. Ultimately Rocky’s separation from his culture and adoption of white societal ideals led to his involvement in the U.S. army which resulted in his death while fighting against the Japanese alongside Tayo.
Additionally, on page 56 Emo flaunts and revels in the destruction that he caused to Japanese soldiers during the war (Silko, 56). While Emo and many of his peers see these Japanese soldiers as a mortal enemy to the great American army, Tayo views the slaughter of Japanese soldiers as the murder of his own people, the human race. Tayo has been told his entire life that he does not belong to one group or another, therefore he does not view war as a great American win, but rather a tragedy of life that he struggles to recover from. The trauma Tayo experienced during and after the war was only somewhat mitigated once he met with a medicine man in an effort heal through his connection to his culture, further showing that Tayo’s connection to his Laguna Pueblo ancestry is more steadfast than the others are willing to see it. Emo and the other young Laguna Pueblo men have played directly into the role of American soldiers to be accepted by American society. However the end of the war left them with nothing as they are now separated from their indigenous culture and forgotten by white society. One of the Laguna Pueblo soldiers states on page 51, “We fought their war for them… But they’ve got everything. And we don’t got shit, do we?” (Silko, 51)
How do these interactions between Tayo and his peers portray the slow violence of war and nationalism on non-white cultures within America or on a global scale? How does this violence desensitize and disconnect people from their indigenous cultures and how can people reconnect with their heritage in a white-centric society that promotes a capitalist hierarchy and constant violence toward non-white communities?
Bonus question: There is a huge emphasis throughout the book on heavy alcohol consumption as a coping mechanism for post-war soldiers on the Laguna Pueblo reservation. How does the notion of an abusable commodity being used as a means to treat war related mental illnesses reflect an exploitive capitalist society that views poor and non-white people as expendable? (Maybe I didn’t word this question right but I feel like there is a major link here that needs to be examined so feel free to share your thoughts about this.)
When Tayo is in the veterans hospital, he talks of being being suffocated by white smoke and surrounded by a white world,
“For a long time he had been white smoke… It faded into the white world of their bed sheets and walls…” (page 13)
“Tayo felt weak, and the longer he walked the more his legs felt as though they might become invisible again; then the top part of his body would topple, and when his head was level with the ground he would be lost in smoke again…” (page 15)
“…he waited to die the way smoke dies…he fought to come to the surface, and he expected a rifle barrel to be shoved into his face when he opened his eyes. It was all worse than he had ever dreamed: to have drifted all those months in white smoke…” (page 15)
Tayo associates the color white with a very difficult time in his life tying it to his memories of his time in war, illness, feeling invisible, and death. Later on page 39, Tayo talks about his experiences with racism and how he yearns to feel a sense of belonging in a predominantly white society. Why does Silko talk about the color white the way she does in the scenes in the veterans hospital and the train station? What is the broader symbolism of the color white in Tayo’s construction of his identity and the world he lives in? How does it translate to others in his community?
On page 36, Silko writes about Tayo’s thoughts about death during his recovery and after his Auntie tried to help,
“If this didn’t work, then he knew he would die. He let himself go limp; he did not brace himself against the nausea. He didn’t care any more if it came; he didn’t care any more if he died.
He was sitting in the sun outside the screen door when they came driving into the yard. He had been looking at the apple tree by the woodshed, trying to see the tiny green fruits that would grow all summer until they became apples. He had been thinking about how easy it was to stay alive now that he didn’t care about being alive any more. The tiny apples hung on that way; they didn’t seem to fall, even in strong wind. He could eat regular food. He seldom vomited any more. Some nights he even slept all night without the dreams.”
This is a really interesting commentary on death and PTSD from Tayo, especially with the line “… they didn’t seem to fall, even in strong wind.” It’s both a feeling of acceptance and a demonstration of strength. That your body can hold on even when mentally, you don’t think you’re capable. It made me think back to the first poems of the thought woman, that “whatever she thinks about appears”, but that later “the only cure I know is a good ceremony, that’s what she said”. Perhaps Tayo hasn’t realized yet how important the ceremony is to his recovery, or does he know this deep down? Will his recovery lead him to regaining this sense of ceremony on his own, without the aid of his family, or will the monsters of PTSD continue to hold him back? Are the negative, intrusive thoughts post-war stronger than his will for life?
“He shivered because all the facts, all the reasons made no difference any more; he could hear Rocky’s words, and he could follow the logic of what Rocky said, but he could not feel anything except a swelling in his belly, a great swollen grief that was pushing into his throat”
Throughout the early readings of this text, it is important to identify the communication between the body and the mind. Especially when these connections are dealing with war and trauma. How can the relationship between war and its immediate effects on the physiology of the body generate a deeper sense of disaster and its ultimate cure?
“Jungle rain lay suspended in the air, choking their lungs as they marched; it soaked into their boots until the skin on their toes peeled away dead and wounds turned green”
How does the rhetorical tool of the imagery of pain help the reader develop deeper connections to the story? Must this tool be used in all storytelling to humanize the experience of an otherwise 2 dimensional text?
We know the idea of story telling and stories in general has a very important role in this novel, Silko is constantly switching from one story to the other, different time periods, different people, different locations. This adds a sort of holistic feel to understanding the bigger picture. My question centers around the significance of this writing style. Why do you think that Silko jumps around so much in her writing style? What are the intentions behind this style? How does it contribute to the overall message and themes of the novel as a whole? How does it strengthen the individual pieces of the story?
“Distances and days existed in themselves then; they all had a story. They were not barriers. If a person wanted to get to the moon, there was a way; it all depended on whether you knew the directions —exactly which way to go and what to do to get there; it depended on whether you knew the story of how others before you had gone”
This quote seemed very important to me because of it being one of the first instances of Silko, through the book, explaining the importance of stories. Stories and their interpretations run so much deeper than just the words being spoken. Here in this section I can see Silko Tayo’s strong belief in stories, especially the vision of him seeing Josiah in the face of a dead Japanese soldier. He sees this as a premonition and a warning sign, one that he’s told to ignore by his white teachers in the Indian boarding school or the white doctors at the Veterans hospital.
Are stories always clear cut lessons or on the other hand does this kind of trauma and PTSD that the character Tayo is going through make the lessons of his story difficult to process (for him as character, the reader, and particularly other people suffering from PTSD)?
“What She Said: The only cure / I know / is a good ceremony, / that’s what she said.” p. 3
“‘You were with the others,’ he said, ‘the ones who went to the white people’s war?’ Tayo nodded. ‘There is something they have sent me to ask you. Something maybe you need, now that you are home.’ Tayo was listening to the wind outside; late in the afternoon it would begin to die down. ‘You understand, don’t you? It is important to all of us. Not only for your sake, but for the sake of this fragile world.'” p. 33
“In the old way of warfare, you couldn’t kill another human being in battle without knowing it, without seeing the result… but the old man would not have believed white warfare- killing across great distances without knowing who or how many had died… even if he could have led him through the fallen jungle trees and muddy craters of torn earth and shown him the dead, the old man would not have believed anything so monstrous.” p. 33
“‘There are some things we can’t cure like we used to,’ he said, ‘not since the white people came. The others who had the Scalp Ceremony, some of them are not better either.’ He pulled the blue wool cap over his ears. ‘I’m afraid of what will happen to all of us if you and the others don’t get well,’ he said.” p. 35
“The old man only made him certain of something he had feared all along, something in the old stories. It took only one person to tear away the delicate strands of the web, spilling the rays of sun into the sand, and the fragile world would be injured. Once there had been a man who cursed the rain clouds, a man of monstrous dreams. Tayo screamed, and curled his body against the pain.” p. 35
I chose these quotes because they are reflective both of Tayo’s personal struggles/trauma and of the greater theme of colonization and its consequences. The Scalp Ceremony is necessary both for Tayo’s personal healing and for the healing of the world. These quotes, however, reflect Tayo and Ku’oosh’s fears that their ceremonies cannot remedy the effects of colonization like the white men’s wars, that they can’t keep up with the scale of the evils brought on by colonization. The last quote also reflects Tayo’s fear that this is not just the fault of colonization, but his own fault for cursing the rain. It shows the guilt he is experiencing as he grapples with incomprehensible trauma, both generational and from the war. Will ceremonies be the cure for Tayo’s suffering?
On page 13, we see the white smoke being referenced for the first time. At first glance I was unsure if another version of Tayo was narrating in this instance or if this was an insight into his mind, but the more I read it seemed like another version of Tayo. The text reads “For a long time he had been white smoke. He did not realize that until he left the hospital, because the white smile had no conscious of itself. It faded into the white world of their bed sheets and walls; it was sucked away by the doctors who tried to talk to the invisible scattered smoke. He had seen outlines of gray steel tables, outlines of the food they pushed into his mouth, which was an outline too, like all the outlines he saw. They saw his outline but did not realize it was hollow inside.” The first time I read this I thought of the white smoke being representative of his trauma an viewed this smoke a fugue state. But the more I read on I started to think about the white smoke being representative of white culture, or just whiteness. And this state that Tayo finds himself in, is his rejection, or partial rejection of this culture and the violences that come from it. My question is what do you think this white smoke represents, and what is the greater message that it sends to the reader? Is it representative of trauma? PTSD? White hegemony?
When Tayo is at the bar with Harley and Emo and hears them share stories about their time during the war where they were respected by White people for being in uniform and fighting for America. These stories prompt Tayo to tell his own, which shatters the illusion that his fellow native American veterans live under, one they indulge in when they drink and tell their stories to each other.
“He looked across at Emo, and he saw how much Emo hated him. Because he had spoiled it for them. They spent all their checks trying to get back the good times, and a skinny light-skinned bastard had ruined it. That’s what Emo was thinking. Here they were, trying to bring back that old feeling, the feeling they belong to America the way they felt during the war. They blame themselves for losing the new feeling; they never talked about it, but they blame themselves just like they blame themselves for losing the land the white people took. They never thought to blame white people for any of it; they wanted white people for their friends. They never saw that it was the white people who gave them that feeling and it was the white people who took it away again when the war was over.” p.37
Does this scene indicate that Tayo has a better understanding of the position of Native American veterans of World War II than his comrades in this bar scene? Does everyone sitting around the table know the same thing that Tayo does, that America will treat them as outsiders up until they begin serving its interests, only to revoke that feeling of belonging as soon as that service stops? Is Emo mad at Tayo because he ‘said the quiet part out loud’ or has he never seen the issue from this perspective before?
Pages 36 – 40 of Ceremony spend a lot of time on Tayo”s experience at Dixie Tavern and revealed a lot about Tayo and what his battle is with throughout this book. Tayo opens up about the experiences he had both in and out of the war. How things changed when you were not in a uniform and serving someone else’s purpose. However the part that stuck out to me the most was on page 36 after they walked into the bar. “Harley pushed a bottle of beer in front of him. Harley said something to Tayo and they all laughed. These good times were a courtesy of the U.S Government and the Second World War. Cash from disability checks earned with shrapnel in the neck at Wake Island or shell shock on Iwo Jima; rewards for surviving the Bataan Death March”. This quote tells the story of the U.S Government and how they still are today. They will take any and everyone and put them into places that they should not be. Expose them to things that no reasonable human can work past. They get their purpose served and their wars fought and then throw a little money in the way of those who lost more than money can ever replace. Especially if you are a part of a minority or underprivileged group. Do you think there is a way to reform the predatory recruiting practices of the U.S government on minority populations and if so, how? Would it be a change in administration or budget? Additionally, do you think that the military’s “diverse recruiting practices” are predatory but use the verbage inclusive to target specific populations that they know they can get away with mistreating?
When reading Ceremony it is hard to get a grasp of the story due to the fluctuation between what happened in the past and what is happening in the present. When piecing together Tayo’s story it is revealed that Tayo’s mother was an Indian woman and his father was a white man, making Tayo a “halfbreed.” It also becomes clear that Tayo’s mother and father abandoned him and he was raised with his cousin Rocky by his mother known as Auntie and Old Grandma. I think that Auntie’s character is very interesting. In the scene where Old Grandma wants a medicine man to help Tayo, Auntie replies, “ It will start all over again. All the gossip about Josiah and about Little Sister. Girls around here have babies by white men all the time now, and nobody says anything.” It becomes clear that Little Sister is Tayo’s mother and that her situation caused gossip. This depiction of Auntie shows how much she cares about what people think of her and her family. Another quote also shows that Josiah might have also caused gossip, “She [Auntie] remembers what that old fool Josiah had done; it wasn’t any different from Little Sister and that white man. But she never let them forget what she had endured, all because of what they had done.” Another quote about her character states, “When Rocky died he became unassailable forever in his frame on top of her bureau; his death gave her new advantages with the people: she had given so much. But advantages wear out; she needed a new struggle, another opportunity to show those who might gossip that she had still another unfortunate burden which proved that, above all else, she was a Christian Woman.”
My question is, do you also find Auntie’s character to be an interesting one? What do you think her overarching role is throughout the story? I feel as though her role is to show the complexities of relationships in the reservation and the fight between old and new ways. Auntie is afraid that people will gossip about her family no matter if her sister is sleeping with a white man (new way) or if her nephew is getting a visit from a traditional medicine man (old way).
When Tayo is in the hospital speaking to the doctor, he refers to himself as an invisible one.
“The new doctor asked him if he had ever been visible, and Tayo spoke to him softly and said that he was sorry but nobody was allowed to speak to an invisible one” (page 14).
I believe this scene portrays his lack of self-identity. He has dealt with so much trauma from war and also alienation throughout his life before war, that he feels as though he is not a visible person.
“He reached into his mouth and felt his own tongue; it was dry and dead, the carcass of a tiny rodent” (page 14).
This scene is really important because it shows how deeply Tayo struggles with verbal self-expression due to his trauma. He feels incapable of sharing his feelings or what he has been through because he was silenced for so long, forced to deal with the brutal realities of war without any physical or emotional support. Overall, I feel like this scene portrays the lack of support given to troops during World War II, and gives perspective into what it would feel like for a soldier having complex PTSD. What does the tongue mean symbolically throughout the book? Why is it mentioned multiple times, and how does it contribute to explaining his inner battle?
Throughout the beginning of the book, the centered sections are interjections of traditional stories. Then on pages 53-54, there is a centered section that retells the story of Tayo having a threesome. After that, the centered sections return to telling traditional stories. This is a large contrast. For what reason do you think the author presented these stories in the same way? What connections, if any, was she trying to draw between them?
When Tayo saw he was getting started, he looked at the eyes again; he took off his jacket and covered the deer’s head.
“Why did you do that?” asked Rocky, motioning at the jacket with the blade of his knife…Tayo didn’t say anything, because they both knew why. The people said you should do that before you gutted the deer. Out of respect. But Rocky was funny about those things.
After their first year in Albuquerque, Tayo saw how Rocky avoided the old-time ways. Old Grandma shook her head at him, but he called it superstition, and he opened his textbooks to show her. But Auntie never scolded him, and she never let Robert or Josiah talk to him either. She wanted him to be a success. She could see what white people wanted in an Indian, and she believed this way was his only chance. She saw it as her only chance too, after all the village gossip about their family. When Rocky was a success, no one would dare to say anything against them any more.(p 50-51)
This passage shows an interesting dynamic between Rocky, Tayo and the family. Why do you think Rocky shunned the old Indian ways of doing things, when he was raised that way and is a full blooded Native? Also, why do you think Auntie treats Tayo so poorly for not being a full blooded native, but is accepting of her own son shunning the old ways?
I feel like it is an expression of internalized racism that she is expressing.
In Leslie Silko’s Ceremony, Auntie embodies conflicting attitudes towards tradition, family, and the outside world. While she fiercely upholds native traditions, she also embraces Christianity as a means of distancing herself from her family and conforming to Western ideals. This tension between tradition and assimilation reflects broader themes of cultural identity and the impact of colonization on indigenous communities.
The quote “There are some things we can’t cure like we used to, not since the white people came” highlights the loss of traditional healing practices and the resilience of indigenous cultures in the face of colonialism. This quote underscores the challenges faced by Native American communities and their ongoing struggle for cultural preservation and healing.
In addition, Auntie’s role in the story raises questions about the complexities of navigating cultural identity in a post-colonial world and the impact of assimilation on indigenous communities. These themes intersect with broader narratives of indigenous activism and sustainability, as depicted in Homeland, emphasizing the importance of preserving indigenous knowledge and practices in addressing contemporary environmental and socio-economic challenges.
How does Auntie’s character in Ceremony reflect the tensions between tradition and assimilation faced by indigenous communities in a post-colonial world? How do the loss of traditional healing practices and the resilience of indigenous cultures, as depicted in Ceremony, intersect with broader narratives of indigenous activism and sustainability, as portrayed in Homeland? What lessons can be gleaned from these narratives in addressing contemporary challenges faced by indigenous communities?
In the opening parts of Ceremony, by Leslie Marmon Silko, shame emerges as a very prominent theme. For example, on page 63 it is said that Tayo’s mother might have been able to save herself and come back “If the girl had not been ashamed of herself. Shamed by what they taught her in school about the deplorable ways of the Indian people” (Silko 63). Then on page 64, Tayo talks about how he feels guilty because “Without him there would not have been so much shame and disgrace for the family” (Silko 64). There is even shame generated from relationships between Indians and Mexicans, as revealed through Josiah’s story with the Mexican woman he fell in love with and then left because of the sudden shame that erupted within him. Everywhere you look in Ceremony there is shame. Tayo, his mother, his aunt, and his uncle all feel deep shame in the novel. The one common thread is that all of their different experiences of shame lead back to race. This leads me to wonder if shame is still as prominent in contemporary indigenous communities. If so, how can Ceremony shed light on the ongoing struggles for cultural preservation, justice, and self-identity within indigenous communities?
“he believed then that touching the sky had to do with where you were standing and how the clouds were that day. he had believed that on certain nights, when the moon rose full and wide as a corner of the sky, a person standing on the high sandstone cliff of that mesa could reach the moon. distances and days existed in themselves then; they all had a story. they were not barriers. if a person wanted to get to the moon, there was a way; it all depended on whether you knew the directions– exactly which way to go and what to do to get there; it depended on whether you knew the story of how others before you had gone. he had believed in the stories for a long time, until the teachers at indian school taught him not to believe in that kind of “nonsense.” but they had been wrong. josiah had been there, in the jungle; he had come. tayo watched him die, and he had done nothing to save him”
This quote from “Ceremony” by Leslie Silko reflects on Tayo’s childhood beliefs and how they contrast with the teachings he received at the Indian school. In his childhood, Tayo believed in the possibility of reaching the sky or the moon, viewing them not as distant barriers but as tangible destinations with stories and paths that could be followed. This belief was rooted in his cultural heritage and the stories passed down to him from his ancestors. However, the teachers at the Indian school taught Tayo to dismiss such beliefs as “nonsense,” eroding his connection to his cultural identity and the traditional knowledge of his people. Despite this, Tayo later learns that his childhood beliefs were not entirely unfounded when he witnesses Josiah, his cousin, come to him in a moment of need, defying conventional notions of distance and possibility. The quote suggests themes of cultural identity, the clash between tradition and assimilation, and the importance of belief and storytelling in shaping one’s perception of reality. It also highlights the tension between Tayo’s indigenous worldview and the Western education that seeks to invalidate it, as well as the significance of reclaiming and honoring ancestral knowledge in the face of adversity and loss.
my question is, how do you think the theme of belief versus skepticism will play out in Tayo’s character development and his interactions with the real world around him? How will the loss of his youthful beliefs impact his perception of reality and his ability to navigate the challenges he faces, both internally and externally?
“Hey, I know you’re homesick. But Tayo, we’re supposed to be her. This is what we’re supposed to do.”
This quote on page 7 of the book comes during the time Tayo and Rocky were in the military fighting against the Japanese. This scene is a flashback for Tayo, as he recalls the moments he took a mans life and began seeing images of his uncle Josiah instead of the opposing soldiers. His brother, Rocky, who is in the same unit as him is attempting to calm him down about what all has transpired. I chose this quote because I think it gives insight into the types of personalities shown by the two characters, and will give clues as to what each believes, as well as how they perceive the world around them.
In the case of Tayo, despite being told these people are his enemies and that what he is doing is for his country, he cannot shake this feeling that he is taking a life. He begins to notice that the people that are lying in the mud have skin not that different from his, that they too are human beings. In the end, he struggles to take this soldiers life because he sees his uncle in the face of the stranger. His brother Rocky does not have this same viewpoint as Tayo. He was told that the Japanese soldiers were his enemy and he performed the duty that was assigned to him. Interestingly, the person that survived the war, at least physically was Tayo.
For a long time after Tayo’s return from war, he struggled with flashbacks. He is often described as being stuck in this white fog of a mental space, “He inhabited a gray winter fog on a distant elk mountain where hunters are lost indefinitely and their own bones mark the boundaries (14)”. Tayo feels trapped in this state for a very long time, struggling to function in his daily life. Slowly, the fog starts to dissolve and he gains clarity, “But the new doctor persisted; he came each day, and his questions dissolved the edges of fog, and his voice sounded louder every time he came (15)”. We see the persistent battle between Tayo and his mind throughout the novel, and as it takes great strength to maintain a grip on his mental state. The intentional reeling in of emotions and memories that are seemingly out of his control are critical in this pursuit.
Gandhi speaks on self-rule and self-sacrifice in respect to violence. He explains the power of soul-force, as opposed to brute force, which alone could be applied to the concept of war and violence in Ceremony. But more deeply, Gandhi emphasizes the need for self-rule and control over one’s mind. Is there perhaps a correlation between the sort of self control that it takes to achieve soul-force and the inner work required of Tayo to migrate out of this fog and disorienting mental space?
SD 3800 Voices in Sustainable Development 
On page 38 Silko writes:
Tayo: “These Indians got treated the same as anyone: Wake Island, Iwo Jima. They got the same medals for bravery, the same flag over the coffin.”
Then on page 39:
Tayo: “The war was over, the uniform was gone. All of a sudden that man at the store waits on you last, makes you wait until all the white people bought what they wanted. And the white lady at the bus depot, she’s real careful now not to touch your hand when she counts out your change. You watch it slide across the counter at you, and you know.”
Here Tayo highlights how army uniforms effectively temporarily concealed some effects of racism and prejudice, but then how both quickly returned in full effect after the war. Are there other similar examples of this happening in history? How does this connect to the current disregard and/or reverence America has towards the welfare of its veterans in society? How were minorities taken advantage of during times of war, and how were they convinced to fight for a country who has wronged them so many times?
^ Alena Dastur
29/30 :
“And there was no more rain then. Everything dried up all the plants the corn the beans they all dried up and started blowing away in the wind.
The people and the animals were thirsty. They were starving.”
This refers back to the rain being neither good or evil. it just is. Everyone has a job, and it get’s way too hard, so we blame everything around us, only when its gone do we appreciate it. Will rain be used in a more positive connotation for Taco later?
Lmaooo for Taco
In Silko’s Ceremony, Auntie is quite the complex character. She takes in Tayo when he is young, but raises him differently than her own son, who is of similar age. On page 60, we learn that “Auntie had always been careful that Rocky didn’t call Tayo ‘brother,’ and when other people mistakenly called them brothers, she was quick to correct the error.” Auntie’s relationship with Tayo, and her judgement of her own brother Josiah for the affair he has with a Mexican woman, go to show that she holds strong traditional beliefs that makes her brother and sister’s affairs shameful. It is clear that she holds other’s opinions highly, to the point that she may care more about how things look than how she treats and talks about her own family.
In addition to fiercely upholding native traditions, however, Auntie is a devout Christian. She uses this to separate herself from other natives, including her own family. On p. 71, Tayo wonders if she prefers to go to church alone to “show the people she was… not immoral or pagan like the rest of her family.” On p. 70, it is also stated that she had always wanted Rocky to be “someone who could not only make sense of the outside world but become part of it.”
What role does Auntie play in this story, and what is the significance of her conflicting feelings toward tradition, her family, and the outside world?
oopsie this was Opal
“There are some things we can’t cure like we used to, not since the white people came.”
This quote shows the impact of colonialism and the disruption of traditional healing practices. It helps shed light on the cultural and spiritual challenges faced by Native American communities.
In my personal opinion, this quote emphasizes the resilience and strength of indigenous cultures, while also shedding light on the historical and ongoing challenges they face. The importance of storytelling and traditional healing practices throughout this book can resonate with the broader struggle for cultural preservation and healing within Native American communities. I think it comes back to a common theme we’ve seen throughout this semester that the best thing we can do is remove ourselves from the situation. It seems that in every scenario the west plays this “savior or god complex” that we must step in to help, when in reality we always cause more harm than good.
Grady Vardeman
Pages 20-21 Aex smith
Excerpts page 20
But do you know what happened, so they don’t want me there any more. They told me I could look after the ranch out here. Like you.” Harley looked up quickly to see Tayo’s face “ you know what I mean Tayo. he said quickly you were really sick when you got back, and there isn’t a damn thing wrong with me.
Tayo nodded but was thinking about what happened while Harley was at the Montano herding sheep and wasn’t sure if he was right.
Excerpt page 21
It was too bad about the dog and those sheep,” said Tayo but Harley laughed, he shook his head and laughed very loudly.“ they weren’t worth anything anyway. So skinny and tough the coyotes had to kill half of them just to make one meal” he laughed again.
During this Conversation between Tayo and Harley they discuss their life after the war while Harley denies that he has problems while Tayo doubts that due to the incident In Montano and how Harley laughs about the death of most of the sheep and his dog. This conversation also shows how two different people are affected by the war while Tayo see’s the faces of his loved ones in the faces of the Japanese soldiers and regrets what he’s done. Harley on the other hand doesn’t feel anything and seems like his perception of life and death has completely changed and suffers from alcoholism after the war.
My question is what else does this conversation between these two show, and how will it relate to the rest of the book.
Kobe Early 3/20
Whenever breaking down how the surrounding world functions Ku’oosh emphasizes utilizing precise wording that makes it possible to envision the side effects of an action. One example would be him describing the world as Fragile, which in and of itself can create a mosaic of various stimulants to build off of. Fragile things are most at risk of fracturing into varyingly sized pieces. Not only can you see a fragile item fracture in your mind, but you can tell the exact moment or event that sends it over the edge- possibly accompanied by a sharp cracking noise. Fragile items do not travel well, they’re often forced to remain in a singular space as a result and are highly dependent on a consistency of conditions to remain viable. Ku’oosh does believe that no word stands alone, having individual words that are active and present is more adequate in conveying a greater understanding of information. Precise and palpable words and strung them together allow for a deeper understanding of messages.
There is a harping in Ceremony in the power of words and how indescribable war is- When Tayo is talking about white warfare with Ku’oosh, Tayo explains that:
“In the old way of warfare, you couldn’t kill another human being in battle without knowing it, without seeing the result, because even a wounded deer that got up and ran again left great clots of lung blood or spilled guts on the ground. That way the
hunter knew it would die. Human beings were no different. But the
the old man would not have believed white warfare—killing across great
distances without knowing who or how many had died. It was all too
alien to comprehend, the mortars and big guns; and even if he could
have taken the old man to see the target areas, even if he could have
led him through the fallen jungle trees and muddy craters of torn
Earth to show him the dead, the old man would not have believed
anything so monstrous. Ku’oosh would have looked at the
dismembered corpses and the atomic heat-flash outlines, where
human bodies had evaporated, and the old man would have said
something close and terrible had killed these people” (pg24-25).
The word fragile works so well at explaining the conditions of a situation because there are certainly examples that build upon the understanding and the connotations fragile items have to a deep level. The feeling of committing an atrocity and not knowing if you did or didn’t end another life. To be confided and inescapable feelings of a soldier in WW2. Do you think it is possible for Tayo to somehow convey the trauma he has undergone- is there any string of words he could build to allow Ku’oosh a deeper understanding of the tools and current understanding of the world given his life experiences?
Kadin Bertucci
On page 60, when Rocky and Tayo are talking to the Army recruiter about the possibility of joining up, Rocky says, “And My Brother. If we both sign up can we stay together?” This was very emotional for Tayo to hear because Rocky had never called him a brother before. I like the storytelling style that Silko uses because the story flashes to the past where we learn about Tayo being brought by his mother back to his family. Tayo and Rocky are to be raised as brothers in Josiah’s eyes while Auntie sees Tayo as some kind of pest to be excluded and raised differently. Rocky doesn’t want a brother and never acknowledges Tayo as such until much later in their lives where the interaction with the Army recruiter takes place. Through the flashback we learn about the sensitivities of Tayo and how he comes to accept his life of outcast while living with his Auntie. “Tayo and Auntie understood each other very well. Years later Tayo wondered if anyone, even old Grandma or Josiah, ever understood her as well as he did.” Could this be some long metaphor for colonial oppression, racism, or Stockholm syndrome, character development? Why does Tayo tolerate this lifestyle of being treated differently? Tayo knows he is different from his brother as he is half white and his Auntie knows it as well. Could this be Auntie lashing out at her sister for sleeping with a white man? It confuses and frustrates me to see sensitive little Tayo be treated differently by his own family.
“The word he chose to express “fragile” was filled with the intricacies of a continuing process and with strength inherent in spider webs woven across paths through sand and hills where, early in the morning, the sun becomes entangled in each filament of the web. It took a long time to explain fragility and intricacy because no word exists alone, and the reason for choosing each word had to be explained with a story about why it must be said this certain way. (32)”
The use of the word fragile is not just a descriptor but it is used as a vessel for conveying a deeper meaning about life. This quote highlights the complexity of language and the interconnectedness of all things that are woven together like a spider’s web that seems so fragile and delicate, yet when it captures an insect, that insect is doomed symbolizing resilience and strength. It encourages us to consider the deeper meaning behind words and the human stories woven together that shape our understanding of the world as the sun rises each day. Further each word is chosen with care and intention, rooted in stories and experiences. It describes the importance of storytelling and oral tradition in conveying and preserving cultural knowledge and history.
“It took only one person to tear away the delicate strands of the web, spilling the rays of sun into the sand, and the fragile world would be injured.(35)”
This quote’s imagery and poetic prose symbolize the importance of storytelling, culture, and language. As well as how delicate and ephemeral storytelling is if that story only lives as long as the person who told it. When it is disrupted, “these rays spill into the sand,” which leads to the loss of knowledge, spiritual connection, and enlightenment. With settler colonialism erasing indigenous cultures and language, this quote highlights how crucial storytelling and the use of language are to preserving cultural identity.
My question is, what do you think the meaning or description of “the delicate strings of the web” symbolizes? Additionally, how do these themes of interconnectedness, resilience, and fragility deepen our knowledge and understanding of storytelling and language?
Margaux LePine
Ellen Kraai
When Tayo and Harley reunite, beginning at page 18, Tayo notices some changes in Harley’s behavior. For one, Harley seems to be drinking more frequently, “Tayo smiled because Harley didn’t use to like beer at all, and maybe this was something that was different about him now, after the war. He drank a lot of beer now” (Silko 18). However this wasn’t the only thing Tayo noticed about Harley. When describing the neglect of Harley’s family’s sheep that led to the death of many of the animals, he seemed indifferent:
“It was too bad about the dog and those sheep,” Tayo said. But Harley laughed; he shook his head and laughed very loudly. “They weren’t worth anything anyway. So skinny and tough the coyotes had to kill half of them just to make one meal.” He laughed again. Tayo felt something stir along his spine; there was something in Harley’s laugh he had never heard before. Somehow Harley didn’t seem to feel anything at all, and he masked it with smart talk and laughter. (Silko 21)
In these two instances, it seems the past years of Harley’s life led to a shift in both his physical behaviors and his mentality. Though Harley was a decorated “war hero”, there is no doubt that such violence takes a toll on a person, and it can be difficult to relearn how to conduct life upon return. Do you think colonial systems of violence perpetuate colonization of the mind in creating a sense of numbness? Is Harley numb? Or is he just masking his pain? This also reminded me of the introduction of poisonous Western products such as alcohol and pharmaceuticals to indigenous peoples, and the generations of harm it perpetuates. Is Harley a testament to the impacts of Westernization both in terms of warfare and culture? Did he have any other choice? Or does his numbness keep him going in some way?
I’m drawn to the use of PTSD, survivor’s guilt, and other mental health issues that Tayo is dealing with and how Silko has been weaving them into the story. One such example is:
“They all mourned Rocky that way, by slipping, lapsing into the plans he had for college and for his football career. It didn’t take Tayo long to see the accident of time and space: Rocky was the one who was alive, buying Grandma her heater with the round dial on the front; Rocky was there in the college game scores on the sports page of the Albuquerque Journal. It was him, Tayo, who had died, but somehow there had been a mistake with the corpses, and somehow his was still unburied” (Silko 25).
How does Silko’s portrayal of survivor’s guilt enhance the telling of this complex story? How might Rocky’s importance to both Tayo and the people on the reservation interact with the past/future events?
Karissa Scott
On page 6 of “Ceremony,” there is a quote that states…”He could get no rest as long as the memories were tangled with the present, tangled up like colored threads from old Grandma’s wicker sewing basket when we was a child…He could feel like it inside his skull–the tension of little threads being pulled and how it was tangled things, things tied together, and as he tried to pull them apart and rewind them into their places, they snagged and tangled even more”.
This quote expresses aspects of Tayo’s mental condition throughout the beginning of the book. Where he is in a certain scenario and gets transported back to past traumatic memories. He struggles to differentiate what is happening versus what he is seeing in his head. Which sounds like what we know now as post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. Knowing Tayo’s cultural background as well as the time of this book. It is shown that what he is experiencing was not known to be PTSD at the time. My question is what would have been his culture’s response and suggested remedies to his condition? As well as, would they see Tayo as inadequate for struggling with those symptoms?
Anne Elise Russell
I was really struck by the poem about Reed Woman and Corn Woman (pp. 11-12). I initially thought it might have some sort of meaning about the importance of leisure and relaxation in life. However, as I continued reading, I came to find two major themes that connect to other points in the book. The first is the discussion of water and rain. Throughout much of the book so far, Silko has spent a lot of time describing either the overabundance or severe lack of water in Tayo’s world. I’m not super sure what the water represents yet but I imagine it might be some sort of commentary on the imbalance that Tayo feels in his life, both when he was at war and since returning. Do y’all have different interpretations about the significance of water and rain in the story?
The second major theme that I noticed in the poem that relates to other points in the novel is the sibling relationship. I wonder if the relationship between Corn Woman and Reed Woman is an allegory for the relationship between Tayo and Rocky. For example, Rocky is the family favorite who was always involved with sports and extracurriculars and had good grades (25). Meanwhile, Tayo was sort of cast off to the shadows to make room for Rocky, and less was expected of him (60-61). With these examples, I think that Rocky could represent Corn Woman, and Tayo represents Reed Woman. Further, Tayo “prayed the rain away,” which aligns with Reed Woman’s descent to the original place and the following drought. What do you guys think about this allegory? Are there any pieces I’m missing or a connection that feels strained?
Sam Platt
In the beginning of the book Ceremony, Tayo has experiences that can be looked upon today as a soldier that returned from duty with PTSD. Tayo describes being “sick” and that the arm called it “battle fatigue,” though for Tayo the sickness comes in conjunction with memories and/or visuals of lost loved ones. Tayo’s bad dream is a good example of how violent the “sickness” could be on a person, and at the time this was occurring it was said by the “Army doctors…that the cause of battle fatigue was a mystery, even to them.” This mystery to the army doctors separated people like Tayo from basic social settings, like how they sent Tayo to a ranch for separation and to hopefully heal the sickness. The ranch did help Tayo in some aspects, during the donkey ride the good memory from his childhood seemed to help him relax, but not for long. There was not much time before Tayo believed that there was an “accident of time and space” and that “it was him, Tayo, who had died, but somehow there had been a mistake with the corpses, and somehow his was still unburied.” This quote shows how severe the sickness made the person feel towards themselves. Do PTSD struggles like Tayo’s experience widen the grasp on how those individuals see themselves? How will the struggles and illness bring a bigger meaning to this book? Will there be any conjunction with positive outcomes through the struggles at hand?
Ginger Perro
Throughout the beginning of the book, Silko mentions smoke as a way to convey certain emotions and feelings. In describing Tayo’s mindset after returning from the war, she states, “For a long time he had been white smoke. He did not realize that until he left the hospital, because white smoke had no consciousness of itself. It faded into the white world of their bed sheets and walls; it was sucked away by the words of doctors who tried to talk to the invisible scattered smoke. He had seen outlines of gray steel tables, outlines of the food they pushed into his mouth, which was only an outline too, like all the outlines he saw. They saw his outline but they did not realize it was hollow inside” (Silko, 13). In discussing his memories she states “The smoke had been dense; visions and memories of the past did not penetrate there, and he had drifted in colors of smoke, where there was no pain, only pale, pale gray of the north wall by his bed” (Silko, 14). What is this mentioning of smoke trying to say about Tayo and his understanding of himself? Can this symbolism be translated into today’s world, looking at the various social, political, and environmental issues we are facing collectively, or even just as a way to understand ourselves personally within society?
Kendall Wilson
In America, the notion of “forgetting” has long been a prevalent thing to do for people. White folks in particular, have long loved to forget history, forget the struggles and pain of people of color in this country, the lynching, the gentrification, the suffering, the deaths, etc.
Stories additionally in my culture have been a way of keeping personal familial history and knowledge about our growth as a family, and things to beware of. Stories on the other hand for mass media have been a large means of education, especially to remind those who have “forgotten” or attempted to erase history (for example Killers of the Flower Moon).
Silko opens with the quote beautiful quote:
“Thought-Woman, the spider, named things and as she named them
they appeared.
She is sitting in her room thinking of a story now
I’m telling you the story she is thinking.”
How (to you!) do stories serve as more than just entertainment, but as vital tools for survival and resilience in the face of adversity, as depicted in the provided text?Considering the passage’s assertion that “They aren’t just entertainment. Don’t be fooled. They are all we have, you see, all we have to fight off illness and death,” how do stories function as essential elements in preserving culture, identity, and memory?
Reflecting on the protagonist Tayo’s experiences, particularly in wartime, how do stories help individuals navigate trauma and make sense of their past, present, and future?
In what ways do stories play a role in preserving history and keeping it alive for future generations, as illustrated by the narratives shared within the text?
How does Tayo’s journey from a state of dissociation, described as “white smoke,” to a rediscovery of his identity and connection to his culture highlight the transformative power of storytelling in reclaiming one’s sense of self and purpose?
Abby Henderson
The quote “the dreams did not wait anymore for night; they came out anytime” (52) suggests a blurring of boundaries between the conscious and unconscious realms. In traditional contexts, dreams often hold significant cultural and spiritual significance, acting as conduits for messages from ancestors or the spiritual world. However, in Tayo’s experience, this separation between waking and dreaming states diminishes. Dreams become more immediate and pervasive, intruding upon his waking life. This suggests a collapse of boundaries between the physical and spiritual realms, highlighting the interconnectedness of all aspects of existence.
How does this blurring of boundaries between the conscious and unconscious realms reflect Tayo’s spiritual journey?
Malcolm Vaughn
Around page 53 there is a story of when Tayo got drunk and stabbed Emo with a broken bottle. The narrator writes that there were many interpretations of that event and what led Tayo to do such a thing. Some say it was the alcohol, some say the war, some say a combination. But Tayo says, in his own words, “Its more than that. I can feel it. It’s been going on for a long time.”
What does Tayo mean by this? Do you think he is just crazy, or is he referring to something larger than himself, driving him to do things unfamiliar to himself.
Directly after this section, Silko inserts the second part of the poem about magic, in which the people are starving and suffering because they chose the magic of the trickster over their rituals and ceremonies. Why do you think Silko chose to place this poem here? Does it connect to Tayo’s feeling that something isn’t right? What significance does that poem about magic have in the story of Tayo and Rocky hunting the deer that comes later on?
On page 32 Silko writes “The word he chose to express “fragile” was filled with the intricacies of a continuing process, and with a strength inherent in spider webs woven across paths through sand hills where early in the morning the sun becomes entangled in each filament of web. It took a long time to explain the fragility and intricacy because no word exists alone, and the reason for choosing each word had to be explained with a story about why it must be said this certain way. That was the responsibility that went with being human, old Ku’oosh said, the story behind each word must be told so there could be no mistake in the meaning of what had been said; and this demanded great patience and love.”
Tayo is visiting the medicine man Ku’oosh, who discusses spider women and provides this metaphor of the web. What does the web mean in this case? What is the importance in highlighting how important wording is in storytelling? We are reading this in English so I have an understanding that I can’t grasp the specific wording they are referring to that is in the old dialect.
Ella Harris
A quote from the reading that stuck out to me that I thought deserved further analysis comes from page 39 in the book, and it reads:
“Here they were, trying to bring back that old feeling, that feeling they belonged to America the way they felt during the war. They blamed themselves for losing the new feeling; they never talked about it, but they blamed themselves just like they blamed themselves for losing the land the white people took. They never thought to blame the white people for any of it; they wanted white people for their friends. They never saw that it was the white people who gave them that feeling and it was the white people who took it away again when the war was over.”
In this passage, Emo’s reaction to Tayo’s identification of internalized racism is exposed, and he provides a classic example of internalized racism, believing the point of view of the white racists. He blames himself and the other victims of racism for being its cause without recognizing the racism that leads whites to mistreat Native Americans, be it in the form of unfair land deals or the denial of equal access to respect and jobs after the war. As Tayo and the narrator evaluate Emo’s internalized racism, they show it to be almost as detrimental to Native Americans as is the racism of the whites.
This leads me to my questions: Are there other examples of times of conflict in America that led to differences being overlooked in favor of a unified citizenry? How can discrimination be justified if minorities are temporarily treated as equals in times of conflict? Is not talking about internalized racism part of the reason that it is perpetuated? Do you think internalized racism is an unintended consequence of America’s treatment of minorities, or was it always an intentional goal?
-Carter Sullivan
Mary Quinn Fullwood
“It was summertime and Iktoa’ak’o’ya-Reed Woman was always taking a bath. She spent all day long sitting in the river splashing down the summer rain.But her sister Corn Woman worked hard all day sweating in the sun getting sore hands in the corn field. Corn Woman got tired of that she got angry she scolded her sister for bathing all day long.Iktoa’ak’o’ya-Reed Woman went away then she went back to the original place down below.And there was no more rain then. Everything dried up all the plants the corn the beans they all dried up and started blowing away in the wind.”
In this section Tayo is praying the rain away because peaks his trauma or anxiety as it is streaming down his face as it falls, he can’t escape it, and the flood waters from the are a concern of his. After his prayer, there is a long drought and the condenses of his prayer trouble him as there is nor water and little food for him and the animals. I wonder the significance of this part, is there something to be said about wishing differently from nature than what it is giving you?
Carlye Durham
3/21/2024
During many instances throughout the beginning of this book, Tayo’s acquaintance Emo shows a lot of disdain for Tayo’s mixed ancestry, going as far to openly judge him for being half-white. On page 52, Emo drunkenly announces to his comrades in regards to Tayo entering the room, “There he is. He thinks he’s something alright. Because he’s part white. Don’t you, half-breed?” (Silko, 52) While it is obviously implied that Emo hates Tayo because Tayo is not a “real Indian” it is evident throughout the actions of Tayo, Emo, and even Rocky, that Tayo is more deeply connected to his Laguna Pueblo ancestry than the majority of the other young Indian soldiers that we have encountered in this book. To elaborate on this point, page 46 and 47 discusses the ways in which Rocky began to avoid the ancestral practices of his people in order to fit in as a successful, modern American in a society that glorifies whiteness (Silko, 46, 47). This desire to be embraced by white American society led to Rocky’s abandonment of his ancestral ways, even when Tayo, his “half-breed” Indian brother stayed true to his beliefs as a young man in school and later in life during WW2. Ultimately Rocky’s separation from his culture and adoption of white societal ideals led to his involvement in the U.S. army which resulted in his death while fighting against the Japanese alongside Tayo.
Additionally, on page 56 Emo flaunts and revels in the destruction that he caused to Japanese soldiers during the war (Silko, 56). While Emo and many of his peers see these Japanese soldiers as a mortal enemy to the great American army, Tayo views the slaughter of Japanese soldiers as the murder of his own people, the human race. Tayo has been told his entire life that he does not belong to one group or another, therefore he does not view war as a great American win, but rather a tragedy of life that he struggles to recover from. The trauma Tayo experienced during and after the war was only somewhat mitigated once he met with a medicine man in an effort heal through his connection to his culture, further showing that Tayo’s connection to his Laguna Pueblo ancestry is more steadfast than the others are willing to see it. Emo and the other young Laguna Pueblo men have played directly into the role of American soldiers to be accepted by American society. However the end of the war left them with nothing as they are now separated from their indigenous culture and forgotten by white society. One of the Laguna Pueblo soldiers states on page 51, “We fought their war for them… But they’ve got everything. And we don’t got shit, do we?” (Silko, 51)
How do these interactions between Tayo and his peers portray the slow violence of war and nationalism on non-white cultures within America or on a global scale? How does this violence desensitize and disconnect people from their indigenous cultures and how can people reconnect with their heritage in a white-centric society that promotes a capitalist hierarchy and constant violence toward non-white communities?
Bonus question: There is a huge emphasis throughout the book on heavy alcohol consumption as a coping mechanism for post-war soldiers on the Laguna Pueblo reservation. How does the notion of an abusable commodity being used as a means to treat war related mental illnesses reflect an exploitive capitalist society that views poor and non-white people as expendable? (Maybe I didn’t word this question right but I feel like there is a major link here that needs to be examined so feel free to share your thoughts about this.)
When Tayo is in the veterans hospital, he talks of being being suffocated by white smoke and surrounded by a white world,
“For a long time he had been white smoke… It faded into the white world of their bed sheets and walls…” (page 13)
“Tayo felt weak, and the longer he walked the more his legs felt as though they might become invisible again; then the top part of his body would topple, and when his head was level with the ground he would be lost in smoke again…” (page 15)
“…he waited to die the way smoke dies…he fought to come to the surface, and he expected a rifle barrel to be shoved into his face when he opened his eyes. It was all worse than he had ever dreamed: to have drifted all those months in white smoke…” (page 15)
Tayo associates the color white with a very difficult time in his life tying it to his memories of his time in war, illness, feeling invisible, and death. Later on page 39, Tayo talks about his experiences with racism and how he yearns to feel a sense of belonging in a predominantly white society. Why does Silko talk about the color white the way she does in the scenes in the veterans hospital and the train station? What is the broader symbolism of the color white in Tayo’s construction of his identity and the world he lives in? How does it translate to others in his community?
Samia Pegram
Sophie Griengl-Schott
On page 36, Silko writes about Tayo’s thoughts about death during his recovery and after his Auntie tried to help,
“If this didn’t work, then he knew he would die. He let himself go limp; he did not brace himself against the nausea. He didn’t care any more if it came; he didn’t care any more if he died.
He was sitting in the sun outside the screen door when they came driving into the yard. He had been looking at the apple tree by the woodshed, trying to see the tiny green fruits that would grow all summer until they became apples. He had been thinking about how easy it was to stay alive now that he didn’t care about being alive any more. The tiny apples hung on that way; they didn’t seem to fall, even in strong wind. He could eat regular food. He seldom vomited any more. Some nights he even slept all night without the dreams.”
This is a really interesting commentary on death and PTSD from Tayo, especially with the line “… they didn’t seem to fall, even in strong wind.” It’s both a feeling of acceptance and a demonstration of strength. That your body can hold on even when mentally, you don’t think you’re capable. It made me think back to the first poems of the thought woman, that “whatever she thinks about appears”, but that later “the only cure I know is a good ceremony, that’s what she said”. Perhaps Tayo hasn’t realized yet how important the ceremony is to his recovery, or does he know this deep down? Will his recovery lead him to regaining this sense of ceremony on his own, without the aid of his family, or will the monsters of PTSD continue to hold him back? Are the negative, intrusive thoughts post-war stronger than his will for life?
Madeline Ryan
“He shivered because all the facts, all the reasons made no difference any more; he could hear Rocky’s words, and he could follow the logic of what Rocky said, but he could not feel anything except a swelling in his belly, a great swollen grief that was pushing into his throat”
Throughout the early readings of this text, it is important to identify the communication between the body and the mind. Especially when these connections are dealing with war and trauma. How can the relationship between war and its immediate effects on the physiology of the body generate a deeper sense of disaster and its ultimate cure?
“Jungle rain lay suspended in the air, choking their lungs as they marched; it soaked into their boots until the skin on their toes peeled away dead and wounds turned green”
How does the rhetorical tool of the imagery of pain help the reader develop deeper connections to the story? Must this tool be used in all storytelling to humanize the experience of an otherwise 2 dimensional text?
Joe Davis Weekly Question
We know the idea of story telling and stories in general has a very important role in this novel, Silko is constantly switching from one story to the other, different time periods, different people, different locations. This adds a sort of holistic feel to understanding the bigger picture. My question centers around the significance of this writing style. Why do you think that Silko jumps around so much in her writing style? What are the intentions behind this style? How does it contribute to the overall message and themes of the novel as a whole? How does it strengthen the individual pieces of the story?
“Distances and days existed in themselves then; they all had a story. They were not barriers. If a person wanted to get to the moon, there was a way; it all depended on whether you knew the directions —exactly which way to go and what to do to get there; it depended on whether you knew the story of how others before you had gone”
This quote seemed very important to me because of it being one of the first instances of Silko, through the book, explaining the importance of stories. Stories and their interpretations run so much deeper than just the words being spoken. Here in this section I can see Silko Tayo’s strong belief in stories, especially the vision of him seeing Josiah in the face of a dead Japanese soldier. He sees this as a premonition and a warning sign, one that he’s told to ignore by his white teachers in the Indian boarding school or the white doctors at the Veterans hospital.
Are stories always clear cut lessons or on the other hand does this kind of trauma and PTSD that the character Tayo is going through make the lessons of his story difficult to process (for him as character, the reader, and particularly other people suffering from PTSD)?
^Carlos Carmona
“What She Said: The only cure / I know / is a good ceremony, / that’s what she said.” p. 3
“‘You were with the others,’ he said, ‘the ones who went to the white people’s war?’ Tayo nodded. ‘There is something they have sent me to ask you. Something maybe you need, now that you are home.’ Tayo was listening to the wind outside; late in the afternoon it would begin to die down. ‘You understand, don’t you? It is important to all of us. Not only for your sake, but for the sake of this fragile world.'” p. 33
“In the old way of warfare, you couldn’t kill another human being in battle without knowing it, without seeing the result… but the old man would not have believed white warfare- killing across great distances without knowing who or how many had died… even if he could have led him through the fallen jungle trees and muddy craters of torn earth and shown him the dead, the old man would not have believed anything so monstrous.” p. 33
“‘There are some things we can’t cure like we used to,’ he said, ‘not since the white people came. The others who had the Scalp Ceremony, some of them are not better either.’ He pulled the blue wool cap over his ears. ‘I’m afraid of what will happen to all of us if you and the others don’t get well,’ he said.” p. 35
“The old man only made him certain of something he had feared all along, something in the old stories. It took only one person to tear away the delicate strands of the web, spilling the rays of sun into the sand, and the fragile world would be injured. Once there had been a man who cursed the rain clouds, a man of monstrous dreams. Tayo screamed, and curled his body against the pain.” p. 35
I chose these quotes because they are reflective both of Tayo’s personal struggles/trauma and of the greater theme of colonization and its consequences. The Scalp Ceremony is necessary both for Tayo’s personal healing and for the healing of the world. These quotes, however, reflect Tayo and Ku’oosh’s fears that their ceremonies cannot remedy the effects of colonization like the white men’s wars, that they can’t keep up with the scale of the evils brought on by colonization. The last quote also reflects Tayo’s fear that this is not just the fault of colonization, but his own fault for cursing the rain. It shows the guilt he is experiencing as he grapples with incomprehensible trauma, both generational and from the war. Will ceremonies be the cure for Tayo’s suffering?
Faye Guarino
On page 13, we see the white smoke being referenced for the first time. At first glance I was unsure if another version of Tayo was narrating in this instance or if this was an insight into his mind, but the more I read it seemed like another version of Tayo. The text reads “For a long time he had been white smoke. He did not realize that until he left the hospital, because the white smile had no conscious of itself. It faded into the white world of their bed sheets and walls; it was sucked away by the doctors who tried to talk to the invisible scattered smoke. He had seen outlines of gray steel tables, outlines of the food they pushed into his mouth, which was an outline too, like all the outlines he saw. They saw his outline but did not realize it was hollow inside.” The first time I read this I thought of the white smoke being representative of his trauma an viewed this smoke a fugue state. But the more I read on I started to think about the white smoke being representative of white culture, or just whiteness. And this state that Tayo finds himself in, is his rejection, or partial rejection of this culture and the violences that come from it. My question is what do you think this white smoke represents, and what is the greater message that it sends to the reader? Is it representative of trauma? PTSD? White hegemony?
Ren Pommarane
When Tayo is at the bar with Harley and Emo and hears them share stories about their time during the war where they were respected by White people for being in uniform and fighting for America. These stories prompt Tayo to tell his own, which shatters the illusion that his fellow native American veterans live under, one they indulge in when they drink and tell their stories to each other.
“He looked across at Emo, and he saw how much Emo hated him. Because he had spoiled it for them. They spent all their checks trying to get back the good times, and a skinny light-skinned bastard had ruined it. That’s what Emo was thinking. Here they were, trying to bring back that old feeling, the feeling they belong to America the way they felt during the war. They blame themselves for losing the new feeling; they never talked about it, but they blame themselves just like they blame themselves for losing the land the white people took. They never thought to blame white people for any of it; they wanted white people for their friends. They never saw that it was the white people who gave them that feeling and it was the white people who took it away again when the war was over.” p.37
Does this scene indicate that Tayo has a better understanding of the position of Native American veterans of World War II than his comrades in this bar scene? Does everyone sitting around the table know the same thing that Tayo does, that America will treat them as outsiders up until they begin serving its interests, only to revoke that feeling of belonging as soon as that service stops? Is Emo mad at Tayo because he ‘said the quiet part out loud’ or has he never seen the issue from this perspective before?
^Jason Schlachtun
Caitlin Langley
Pages 36 – 40 of Ceremony spend a lot of time on Tayo”s experience at Dixie Tavern and revealed a lot about Tayo and what his battle is with throughout this book. Tayo opens up about the experiences he had both in and out of the war. How things changed when you were not in a uniform and serving someone else’s purpose. However the part that stuck out to me the most was on page 36 after they walked into the bar. “Harley pushed a bottle of beer in front of him. Harley said something to Tayo and they all laughed. These good times were a courtesy of the U.S Government and the Second World War. Cash from disability checks earned with shrapnel in the neck at Wake Island or shell shock on Iwo Jima; rewards for surviving the Bataan Death March”.
This quote tells the story of the U.S Government and how they still are today. They will take any and everyone and put them into places that they should not be. Expose them to things that no reasonable human can work past. They get their purpose served and their wars fought and then throw a little money in the way of those who lost more than money can ever replace. Especially if you are a part of a minority or underprivileged group. Do you think there is a way to reform the predatory recruiting practices of the U.S government on minority populations and if so, how? Would it be a change in administration or budget? Additionally, do you think that the military’s “diverse recruiting practices” are predatory but use the verbage inclusive to target specific populations that they know they can get away with mistreating?
Winifred Rhea-Unruh
When reading Ceremony it is hard to get a grasp of the story due to the fluctuation between what happened in the past and what is happening in the present. When piecing together Tayo’s story it is revealed that Tayo’s mother was an Indian woman and his father was a white man, making Tayo a “halfbreed.” It also becomes clear that Tayo’s mother and father abandoned him and he was raised with his cousin Rocky by his mother known as Auntie and Old Grandma. I think that Auntie’s character is very interesting. In the scene where Old Grandma wants a medicine man to help Tayo, Auntie replies, “ It will start all over again. All the gossip about Josiah and about Little Sister. Girls around here have babies by white men all the time now, and nobody says anything.” It becomes clear that Little Sister is Tayo’s mother and that her situation caused gossip. This depiction of Auntie shows how much she cares about what people think of her and her family. Another quote also shows that Josiah might have also caused gossip, “She [Auntie] remembers what that old fool Josiah had done; it wasn’t any different from Little Sister and that white man. But she never let them forget what she had endured, all because of what they had done.” Another quote about her character states, “When Rocky died he became unassailable forever in his frame on top of her bureau; his death gave her new advantages with the people: she had given so much. But advantages wear out; she needed a new struggle, another opportunity to show those who might gossip that she had still another unfortunate burden which proved that, above all else, she was a Christian Woman.”
My question is, do you also find Auntie’s character to be an interesting one? What do you think her overarching role is throughout the story? I feel as though her role is to show the complexities of relationships in the reservation and the fight between old and new ways. Auntie is afraid that people will gossip about her family no matter if her sister is sleeping with a white man (new way) or if her nephew is getting a visit from a traditional medicine man (old way).
When Tayo is in the hospital speaking to the doctor, he refers to himself as an invisible one.
“The new doctor asked him if he had ever been visible, and Tayo spoke to him softly and said that he was sorry but nobody was allowed to speak to an invisible one” (page 14).
I believe this scene portrays his lack of self-identity. He has dealt with so much trauma from war and also alienation throughout his life before war, that he feels as though he is not a visible person.
“He reached into his mouth and felt his own tongue; it was dry and dead, the carcass of a tiny rodent” (page 14).
This scene is really important because it shows how deeply Tayo struggles with verbal self-expression due to his trauma. He feels incapable of sharing his feelings or what he has been through because he was silenced for so long, forced to deal with the brutal realities of war without any physical or emotional support. Overall, I feel like this scene portrays the lack of support given to troops during World War II, and gives perspective into what it would feel like for a soldier having complex PTSD. What does the tongue mean symbolically throughout the book? Why is it mentioned multiple times, and how does it contribute to explaining his inner battle?
-Alissa Odom
Throughout the beginning of the book, the centered sections are interjections of traditional stories. Then on pages 53-54, there is a centered section that retells the story of Tayo having a threesome. After that, the centered sections return to telling traditional stories. This is a large contrast. For what reason do you think the author presented these stories in the same way? What connections, if any, was she trying to draw between them?
Shea Adair
Heather Fraser
When Tayo saw he was getting started, he looked at the eyes again; he took off his jacket and covered the deer’s head.
“Why did you do that?” asked Rocky, motioning at the jacket with the blade of his knife…Tayo didn’t say anything, because they both knew why. The people said you should do that before you gutted the deer. Out of respect. But Rocky was funny about those things.
After their first year in Albuquerque, Tayo saw how Rocky avoided the old-time ways. Old Grandma shook her head at him, but he called it superstition, and he opened his textbooks to show her. But Auntie never scolded him, and she never let Robert or Josiah talk to him either. She wanted him to be a success. She could see what white people wanted in an Indian, and she believed this way was his only chance. She saw it as her only chance too, after all the village gossip about their family. When Rocky was a success, no one would dare to say anything against them any more.(p 50-51)
This passage shows an interesting dynamic between Rocky, Tayo and the family. Why do you think Rocky shunned the old Indian ways of doing things, when he was raised that way and is a full blooded Native? Also, why do you think Auntie treats Tayo so poorly for not being a full blooded native, but is accepting of her own son shunning the old ways?
I feel like it is an expression of internalized racism that she is expressing.
Elizabeth Cassam
In Leslie Silko’s Ceremony, Auntie embodies conflicting attitudes towards tradition, family, and the outside world. While she fiercely upholds native traditions, she also embraces Christianity as a means of distancing herself from her family and conforming to Western ideals. This tension between tradition and assimilation reflects broader themes of cultural identity and the impact of colonization on indigenous communities.
The quote “There are some things we can’t cure like we used to, not since the white people came” highlights the loss of traditional healing practices and the resilience of indigenous cultures in the face of colonialism. This quote underscores the challenges faced by Native American communities and their ongoing struggle for cultural preservation and healing.
In addition, Auntie’s role in the story raises questions about the complexities of navigating cultural identity in a post-colonial world and the impact of assimilation on indigenous communities. These themes intersect with broader narratives of indigenous activism and sustainability, as depicted in Homeland, emphasizing the importance of preserving indigenous knowledge and practices in addressing contemporary environmental and socio-economic challenges.
How does Auntie’s character in Ceremony reflect the tensions between tradition and assimilation faced by indigenous communities in a post-colonial world? How do the loss of traditional healing practices and the resilience of indigenous cultures, as depicted in Ceremony, intersect with broader narratives of indigenous activism and sustainability, as portrayed in Homeland? What lessons can be gleaned from these narratives in addressing contemporary challenges faced by indigenous communities?
Nicole Travers
In the opening parts of Ceremony, by Leslie Marmon Silko, shame emerges as a very prominent theme. For example, on page 63 it is said that Tayo’s mother might have been able to save herself and come back “If the girl had not been ashamed of herself. Shamed by what they taught her in school about the deplorable ways of the Indian people” (Silko 63). Then on page 64, Tayo talks about how he feels guilty because “Without him there would not have been so much shame and disgrace for the family” (Silko 64). There is even shame generated from relationships between Indians and Mexicans, as revealed through Josiah’s story with the Mexican woman he fell in love with and then left because of the sudden shame that erupted within him. Everywhere you look in Ceremony there is shame. Tayo, his mother, his aunt, and his uncle all feel deep shame in the novel. The one common thread is that all of their different experiences of shame lead back to race. This leads me to wonder if shame is still as prominent in contemporary indigenous communities. If so, how can Ceremony shed light on the ongoing struggles for cultural preservation, justice, and self-identity within indigenous communities?
Colby Kitts
pg. 17-18
“he believed then that touching the sky had to do with where you were standing and how the clouds were that day. he had believed that on certain nights, when the moon rose full and wide as a corner of the sky, a person standing on the high sandstone cliff of that mesa could reach the moon. distances and days existed in themselves then; they all had a story. they were not barriers. if a person wanted to get to the moon, there was a way; it all depended on whether you knew the directions– exactly which way to go and what to do to get there; it depended on whether you knew the story of how others before you had gone. he had believed in the stories for a long time, until the teachers at indian school taught him not to believe in that kind of “nonsense.” but they had been wrong. josiah had been there, in the jungle; he had come. tayo watched him die, and he had done nothing to save him”
This quote from “Ceremony” by Leslie Silko reflects on Tayo’s childhood beliefs and how they contrast with the teachings he received at the Indian school. In his childhood, Tayo believed in the possibility of reaching the sky or the moon, viewing them not as distant barriers but as tangible destinations with stories and paths that could be followed. This belief was rooted in his cultural heritage and the stories passed down to him from his ancestors. However, the teachers at the Indian school taught Tayo to dismiss such beliefs as “nonsense,” eroding his connection to his cultural identity and the traditional knowledge of his people. Despite this, Tayo later learns that his childhood beliefs were not entirely unfounded when he witnesses Josiah, his cousin, come to him in a moment of need, defying conventional notions of distance and possibility. The quote suggests themes of cultural identity, the clash between tradition and assimilation, and the importance of belief and storytelling in shaping one’s perception of reality. It also highlights the tension between Tayo’s indigenous worldview and the Western education that seeks to invalidate it, as well as the significance of reclaiming and honoring ancestral knowledge in the face of adversity and loss.
my question is, how do you think the theme of belief versus skepticism will play out in Tayo’s character development and his interactions with the real world around him? How will the loss of his youthful beliefs impact his perception of reality and his ability to navigate the challenges he faces, both internally and externally?
Kendall Wade
pg. 7
“Hey, I know you’re homesick. But Tayo, we’re supposed to be her. This is what we’re supposed to do.”
This quote on page 7 of the book comes during the time Tayo and Rocky were in the military fighting against the Japanese. This scene is a flashback for Tayo, as he recalls the moments he took a mans life and began seeing images of his uncle Josiah instead of the opposing soldiers. His brother, Rocky, who is in the same unit as him is attempting to calm him down about what all has transpired. I chose this quote because I think it gives insight into the types of personalities shown by the two characters, and will give clues as to what each believes, as well as how they perceive the world around them.
In the case of Tayo, despite being told these people are his enemies and that what he is doing is for his country, he cannot shake this feeling that he is taking a life. He begins to notice that the people that are lying in the mud have skin not that different from his, that they too are human beings. In the end, he struggles to take this soldiers life because he sees his uncle in the face of the stranger. His brother Rocky does not have this same viewpoint as Tayo. He was told that the Japanese soldiers were his enemy and he performed the duty that was assigned to him. Interestingly, the person that survived the war, at least physically was Tayo.
For a long time after Tayo’s return from war, he struggled with flashbacks. He is often described as being stuck in this white fog of a mental space, “He inhabited a gray winter fog on a distant elk mountain where hunters are lost indefinitely and their own bones mark the boundaries (14)”. Tayo feels trapped in this state for a very long time, struggling to function in his daily life. Slowly, the fog starts to dissolve and he gains clarity, “But the new doctor persisted; he came each day, and his questions dissolved the edges of fog, and his voice sounded louder every time he came (15)”. We see the persistent battle between Tayo and his mind throughout the novel, and as it takes great strength to maintain a grip on his mental state. The intentional reeling in of emotions and memories that are seemingly out of his control are critical in this pursuit.
Gandhi speaks on self-rule and self-sacrifice in respect to violence. He explains the power of soul-force, as opposed to brute force, which alone could be applied to the concept of war and violence in Ceremony. But more deeply, Gandhi emphasizes the need for self-rule and control over one’s mind. Is there perhaps a correlation between the sort of self control that it takes to achieve soul-force and the inner work required of Tayo to migrate out of this fog and disorienting mental space?
Sam Cullen^^