Leslie Silko's Ceremony

Words: 620

Pages: 3

The novel Ceremony by Leslie Silko, follows a WWII veteran with what appears to be an “unstable sense of self”, into his pain and on his journey of healing. Along the way, it relates back to his past where he was abandoned by his mother and outcast by his Aunt. He comes home from war alone, without his cousin Rocky, and also find out his Uncle, who he was close to, has died. Using a psychoanalytic approach, focused on Freud’s concept of “trauma”, it can be gleaned that Tayo’s “unstable sense of self” was created by his traumatic childhood and his desire to be a part of a family.
The psychoanalytical theory is a way to “understand human behavior”, according to Lois Tyson (Tyson, 11). In looking at Freudian theories, she touches on repression,

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Summary Of Leslie Silko's Ceremony

Dancer who speaks about four aspects that are a part of every person's life: awareness, respect, purpose, and balance. In Leslie Silko’s Ceremony, the main character Tayo is unwell. Tayo is not very aware; he’s lost his purpose; his life is unbalanced; and, he’s lost respect for himself and his life. First, Tayo does not pay much attention to what is around him. He barely focuses on his surroundings, and what is going on, both inside of him and outside. He is becoming more aware though, as he…

Words 516 - Pages 3

Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony

“The only cure I know is a good ceremony, that’s what she said”. Leslie Marmon Silko, author of Ceremony, uses Tayo’s internal conflict to show the effect of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, is a mental health condition which can be triggered from experiencing or even seeing a horrifying event. When Tayo arrives home from war, he is faced with the trauma he has endured from the war and the death of his uncle Josiah and of his cousin Rocky whom had…

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Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony Analysis

Throughout many novels and films, authors have used the idea of ceremonies to show their character’s progression and healing be it from PTSD or loss of identity. Novels like ceremony and Films such as smoke signals, bury my heart at Wounded Knee as well as John Trundles poetry represent the Native American perspective on these issues. In the novel ceremony the author Leslie Marmon Silko uses the Indian ceremonies to show the progress of an Indian (Tayo) who has returned from the war with PTSD…

Words 1677 - Pages 7

Racial Stereotypes In Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony

The novel, Ceremony, written by Leslie Marmon Silko, illustrates the dreary livelihood of veteran Native American, named Tayo. Tayo’s childhood was marred with tendencies of denial as he was a vile offspring of Laura, a native woman, and an unknown Caucasian man. In spite of the constant mockery among the community, Laura steadily became unable to properly care for Tayo; which utterly caused “auntie” to wholly commence tending for Tayo. However, she entirely did not perceive Tayo as her son, as he…

Words 220 - Pages 1

The Significance Of Cattle In Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony

The portrayal of Josiah’s cattle in Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony is a metaphor for Tayo’s struggle with his Native identity and the powerful barriers created when plunged into a hostile, white society. The cattle in Ceremony, which symbolize Tayo’s racial identity and the hardships Native peoples have experienced at the hands of whites, are a metaphor for Tayo’s seemingly “missing” native identity. Early parts of the book establish that they are a mix of “white” cows and “native” cattle (which…

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Imagery In Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony

Leslie Marmon Silko, author of the nonfiction book Ceremony, uses imagery to show how numerous Native Americans worship and respect their heritage and beliefs though traditions that have been passed for over a long period of time. The Laguna Pueblo people have a Native America background and are located in central New Mexico. Three of the numerous traditions they uphold are the medicine/healing ceremony, the animal ceremony, and the cave ceremony. Numerous uses of medicine and healing ceremonies…

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Alcoholism In Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony

Alcoholism “Liquor was the medicine for the anger that made them hurt, for the pain of the loss, medicine for the tight bellies and choked up throats.” Leslie Marmon Silko, author of Ceremony, uses the repetition of alcoholism to show the struggles in Tayo. Tayo goes through various situations where alcohol does not solve his problems but only deepens them, and he needs to figure out what really controls him. When Tayo arrives back from the war he does not appear himself and he, like the rest of…

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Leslie Silko's Ceremony: World War II Veteran

writers for the readers to easily capture. Love is another universal theme that can be related to all people from different cultures. In every society, love plays a great role among community members as illustrated by these books. The novel Ceremony by Leslie Silko narrates a character named Tayo. Tayo is a World War II Veteran faced with the problem of finding himself. This Native American finds himself in a tussle to adjust to a world in which his own people fight amid the “whites” considered the…

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Comparing Hero's Journey And The Crossing Of The Return Thr

Return Threshold," parallels with Leslie Marmon Silko's novel Ceremony, as it serves to elucidate the protagonist Tayo’s reentry and reconciliation to the Laguna Pueblo culture, from which he was socially banished, and his struggle to reclaim his sense of place and identity. Initially, Tayo returns to his home with the cattle he had set out to retrieve, and after dealing with a confrontation with Emo, he gets a chance to speak to his Auntie and Grandma. In Ceremony, similar to how a “hero can return…

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Ceremony Lit Paper

1 Jennie Anisimov Professor Michelle Graham U.S. Multicultural Literature February 20, 2015 Ceremony : A Laguna Bond Between Man and Nature Since the existence of mankind, human beings told stories. Even before they could read or write, people shared stories about a great number of things. The topics ranged from the stars to brave hunters to stories of creation, but no matter what the subject, these stories were passed down from generation to generation and allowed human beings to make sense of the world around them…

Words 1622 - Pages 7