Question No.1: What do you think is the most important event in Tayo’s life in the first 100 pages of Ceremony?
Ceremony is a seminal work in the history of literature as it delves deep into the unchartered territory of racial identity and perception. Silko quintessentially portrays the protagonist of the novel, Tayo, and explores the challenges which he faces in life and describes his ordeals in the course of the story. After the traumatic experience of the devastating World War II, Tayo leads a problematic life. One of the stirring events he faces is that in his dream which can very well be called a nightmare. Tayo fails to distinguish between a memory from dreams and the reality of life. His uncle Josiah terrorizes him in his dreams and he messes it up with reality. He envisages of having killed his own uncle who was supposedly among the Japanese soldiers in the war. The twisted memory of this event disturbs him continually and scars him for life.
Question No.2: Does Tayo’s identity as a “half-breed” affect the way he reacts to the important event you have identified in Question No. 1?
This confusion of Tayo stems from his contradictions of racial identity. His uncle Josiah was a Native American and Tayo finds the physical characteristics of his uncle similar to those of the Japanese people. Thus, he stereotypes the racial identity and he fails to comprehend the ancient migratory patterns or the common ancestry. He feels very confused and comes to believe that he has turned partially crazy and needs to get treated. He ends up at the Veteran’s Hospital. He leaves the place with a better awareness of his own self. Thus, the author brings out the complications of his life and identity which make him find himself in such problematic condition. The novel, thus, delves deep into the psyche of the protagonist and brings out the essence of the traumatic effect of war on the mind of the individual and further complicates the situation by bringing in the intricacy of Tayo’s half-bred self.
Works Cited
Silko, Leslie Marmon. Ceremony. New York: Penguin Classics, 2006. Print.
