Leslie Marmon Silkos Ceremony Essay -- Literary Analysis, Psychology

The central conflict of Leslie Marmon Silkos observation is Tayos struggle to gain psychological wholeness in the face of respective(a) traumatic experiences, ranging from a troubled childhood to heathen marginalization and fall upon experiences during World War II. Throughout the novel, the key to Tayos psychological recovery is his rediscovery of natural American cultural practices.Most of the crucial turning points in the novel occur when Tayo listens to, takes part in, or learns more about indispensable American cultural traditions. He progresses towards recovery when he visits medicine men, returns to traditional springer and practices, or develops an intimate relationship with someone like Tseh who lives according to traditional ways. As he develops an increased understanding of native cultural practices and rite ceremonies he finds psychological peace, which he quickly loses whenever he seeks other sources of healing-whether he seeks them in the glories of war, the pl easures of alcohol, or the medical practices of the army psychiatric hospital.The novels opening numbers describes the Incredible powers that language, stories, and rituals have in Native American cultures ceremonies are the unless cure for human and cultural ailments, and stories and language have the power to bring on worlds As the novel progresses, it demonstrates this power by showing how rituals are more effective than anything else in helping Tayo heal.Moreover, Tayos struggle to return to indigenous cultural traditions parallels Silkos own struggle as a writer who wants to integrate Native American traditions into the structure of her novel. Instead of simply following the literary conventions apply by other American and European writers, Silko develops new li... ...ve Americans fit into the broader mosaic of American history. In particular, Silko s novel rewrites American history so that Native Americans like Tayo are no longer pushed into the margins and ignored. She shows that they have contributed to and deal to contribute to American history by providing the land on which it happens, by fighting for America in international conflicts, and by contributing to Americas scotch development.Even more classicly, however, she shows that Native American cultural traditions also offer up an alternative, and in Silkos opinion, superior view of what Americas future could look like if it leave behind chose to be more spiritually sensitive, multi-culturally respectful, and environmentally responsible. In this sense, Ceremony adds an important and potentially healing voice to the on-going debate of what it means to be an American.