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Ceremony (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Contemporary American Fiction) Review

"Ceremony " is one of those books which will put many people off at the outset because of its disjointed and fragmented nature. But, in looking back at the whole revealed story, I think this was a very appropriate and effective way of drawing the reader in gradually to an alien world(alien, at least to those of us who are not members of Native American cultures.) The hero, Tayo, seems at first so childlike and vulnerable that you wonder how a story of any significance could revolve around his character.

Tayo is representative of much more than just an individual battle-fatigued WWII veteran consumed by nausea and nightmares. The horror of an unnameable something dogs his steps, always just beyond his range of perception. In fighting in the white man's war, Tayo has confronted the essence of something known in Pueblo stories as the Destroyer. He has been spiritually wounded and sickened by this encounter, and must try to find salvation through the old native wisdom.

In his quest to restore himself, Tayo meets several figures who are potently charged with the spirituality of the old beliefs. These persons figure as real characters in the story, but also function on a symbolic level as representations of supernatural entities which mediate between humans and the destructive side of nature. A strange old medicine man, Betonie, and a young woman, Ts'eh are two allies who point the way for Tayo to break free from his delusional state.

Other Indian war veterans have also been contaminated by the destroyer, but unlike Tayo, they have capitulated to the darkness and madness. Tayo begins to grasp the significance of the struggle between white people and Native Americans as being a part of the struggle against the supernatural witchcraft of the Destroyer.

As this vision of the true nature of the evil infecting the modern world becomes clear, the structure of the novel begins to tighten up. The story no longer jumps around in time and space and between characters, but becomes focused on Tayo, who takes on more the appearance and actions of a true protagonist, in that he seeks to initiate action which will bring about the defeat of the destroyer.

The book started out in such a simple, plaintive manner that I was almost ready to abandon it in the first few pages, thinking that it didn't promise much in the way of complexity or gumption. This view was soundly defeated as I progressed, with each little section or vignette providing another bit of information, building onto and expanding comprehension of a multi-layered tale.

The old stories(handed down from "time immemorial")of the Pueblos are the backbone of "Ceremony". The human characters and events loosely parallel these stories, as they deal with trying to regain something that was stolen by malevolent spiritual powers. The coming confrontation between human agencies is also the confrontation between the nurturing and generative aspects of nature and the destroyer, the dark side of nature.

The book was a revelation to me in a powerful way of the manner in which Native Americans regard those who stole their land. A testimony to the competency of the author is that she was able to make me feel, for the duration of the story, the total validity of that view. Looking back after having finished the book, I can't say that I completely agree, although I still believe there is a great deal of validity to it. I won't try to argue the pros and cons here of points of view. I only say that she was very effective in presenting her view in a very favorable light, as far as I was concerned.

One aspect of the book that I especially enjoyed was the author's attention to detail in describing natural settings as well as the homely details of daily existence in the lives of Native Americans. There was a richness of description here that made the story quite vivid on a literal level. There was a great use of color, which was an overlay of symbolism, as well. The blues, whites, reds, yellows, and browns seemed to be intimately related to the ceremonial sand-paintings which depict those struggles and transitions of nature which are at the heart of the book.

Critic Frank Kermode, who was writing about a different subject, used words which I think could be applied to Silko's book: It is "concerned less with psychological realism than with supernaturally sanctioned reality under human appearances."

Ceremony (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Contemporary American Fiction) Overview

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. One Navajo family, on a New Mexico reservation, struggles to survive in a world no longer theirs in the years just before and after World War II.

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Customer Reviews

Relatively good read - JD -
I've read this book twice. The first time I read it, I didn't like it a whole lot. I was required to read it again for a class and I enjoyed much, much more the second time. The book is well written. I found it interesting how the structure of the book pretty much reflects Tayo's changing mental state, as it gets less and less eratic throughout the novel. However, one major problem I have with this novel is that Silko seems far too heavy-handed in her attempt to represent the native culture as the answer to all of Tayo's problems. There are a lot of cliche references about white culture and Silko doesn't seem to feel that it has anything to offer Tayo or any of the other characters in the novel. I felt that that this was a bit too cliche and heavy-handed for a writer of Silko's caliber.

Ceremony - Janet Marx Groe -
I just finished Ceremony and would highly recommend it to anyone. It is by far one of the best, if not THE best, contemporary Native American novels I've read.

Magical Realism in New Mexico - David J. Robertson - Philadelphia, PA
Right up front, I've got to say that Ceremony is one of the best novels I've ever read. I don't read much fiction any more--especially contemporary fiction--because I'm so often disappointed by novels. But Ceremony is extraordinary. I had the novel on my bookshelves for a long time (I don't even know where I got it, it's been so long), and I finally picked it up for vacation reading because it's a slender paperback and easy to carry. Ceremony is not your typical "beach read." It's demanding, but confidently and beautifully written, and rewarding.

The novel recounts the story of Tayo, a young Native American, who was held prisoner by the Japanese in the Philippines during World War II, and the horrors of captivity that almost crushed his will to survive. His return to the Laguna Pueblo Reservation west of Albuquerque only increases his feelings of estrangement and alienation. While other returning soldiers find easy refuge in alcohol and senseless violence, Tayo searches for another kind of comfort and resolution.

Tayo's quest leads him back to the Indian past and its traditions, to beliefs about witchcraft and evil, and to the ancient stories of his people. The search itself becomes a ritual, a curative ceremony that defeats Tayo's most virulent affliction: despair.

The novel is set in the Laguna Pueblo Reservation and in Gallup, New Mexico. Silko includes beautiful, memorable descriptions of the Southwestern landscape and its effect on her characters. It's not "nature writing," but parts come damn close.

A Must Read - L. K. Brown - NJ
Beautifully written novel focusing on Southwest Native American history and culture and psychological/cultural conflicts with larger Anglo-American society. Author helps reader to get inside the minds of the various characters and to appreciate the positive aspects of Native American culture.

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Friday, August 20, 2010