Ceremony

After fighting in World War II and experiencing tremendous loss, Tayo returns home emotionally damaged. To heal his soul, Tayo must reconnect with his Native American heritage, understand his place in the world and the cycle of life and death, and learn to tell his story.
Symbols
Emo
Betonie
Tayo
Symbolizes negative effects of cultural appropriation on Native American culture
Gallup Ceremony
Represents the white man's quest for power and rationalization of destruction
Atomic Bomb
Symbolize the need for Tayo and Native American culture to adapt to survive
Josiah's Cattle
Laguna pueblo cultural purist; raised Tayo but is ashamed of him being half-wife
Auntie
Sadistic, alcoholic war vet; takes out his frustrationand trauma on white people and Tayo
Modern Navajo medicine man; believes cultural traditions must adapt to survice.
Mixed-race WWII soldier reconnects with his Native American culture to overcome trauma
Ceremony
Main Characters
Storytelling preserves tribal culture and heals Tayo's trauma
Storytelling
LESLIE MARMON SILKO BORN 1948
The advance of white American culture is a persistent reality
Tribes feel torn between modernizing and maintaining traditions.
Culture Clash
Asaptation
Themes
An acclaimed poet, essayist, and novelist, Silko explores the culture clash experienced by Native Americans in a white-dominated society. Honoring the oral traditions of her tribe, Ceremony blends poetry and traditional stories with modern prose, creating an entire new genre
Author
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