Ceremony is a novel written by Leslie Marmon Silko. It deals with the gender
roles of three women are significant to the development of a character namedd
Tayo who is half-white and half-Indian. These three women are Tayo's birth
mother, Auntie, and Old Grandma. His mother left him when he was four years old
and that began his sense of emptiness and abandonment. She could not bear to
raise a child that brought the reservation shame by her mistake. Summary: Auntie
raised Tayo and was the mother figure he lacked. She had no problem accepting to
take him, but only to "conceal the shame of her younger sister".
Auntie was always hesitant toward Tayo as he was not her real son and was also a
half-breed. For Tayo, this only added to his feeling of displacement and
emptiness. She would give her affection and attention to her real son Rocky, but
would let Tayo just sit there alone. After the war Auntie nursed him because he
was all she had left after Rocky got killed. He would wake up crying after
dreaming about how much Josiah had loved him and always hugged him when he was a
littlt child . Now he realized that there was no place left for him and he would
never find peace. Auntie may have been a mother figure to him, but to Tayo she
was just someone who looked after him. Old Grandma, unlike Auntie, does accept
Tayo and wants what is best for him. When Auntie rejected the idea of a medicine
doctor because he's not "full blood", Old Grandma got angry and said
that he was her grandson and why should she care what they say anyway. She has
been around for many years and doesn't worry about what other people will say
about Tayo or about their family. The significance of Montano to the novel,
Ceremony is very powerful and vital to the recovery of Tayo. She lives up in the
rim rock and is in touch with the earth and her surroundings in every way. Being
torn between the white world and the Indian world is what leaves Tayo feeling
invisible and hollow inside. Montano helps him to become more in touch with his
Indian side and to feel the strength and power from the earth. She teaches him
the importance of certain plants, flowers, and ceremonies and how they are
significant to Indian culture and survival. Tayo falls in love with her, and
through his love, he begins to feel alive again. He realizes that he does have a
place and that he is not invisible to everyone and to his surroundings. When he
is not with her, instead of the nightmares, she fills his dreams. He woke up one
night and thought about the overpowering love he felt for her. He shed
"tears filled his eyes and the ache in his throat ran deep into his
chest." Tayo no longer feels like a walking shadow, but finally a real
person with feelings and emotions. It is through Montano that he discovers
himself and ultimately is able to deal with being a half-breed in a changing
world. When she finally leaves him, he is able to go on living and remembering
all that she taught him. Conclusion: I really enjoyed this story. It was a great
portrayal of how family might mistreat you just because you are a little
different than them. Sometimes people can’t deal with the fact that a family
member is only half of the race that they are. I would definitely recommend this
book to others, especially to anyone who feels that they are secluded and have
no friends just because they are bi-racial.