Deanna Pe’s Reviews > Ceremony > Status Update

After the ceremony that had helped transform Tayo, he is finally cured and is able to have dreams that hold clear significance rather than muddled thoughts and memories. He can trust his dreams to show him signs instead of fearing them for the pain they bring. His dreams and reality have finally cleared the confusion because he has learned to accept their connection instead of trying to separate them in vain.

The topic of ceremonies is becoming more emphasized. These ceremonies and Betonie who speaks of them show an important message about shifting cultures and traditions. One thinks that ceremonies must be done the same way, but, "The ceremonies have always been changing...things which don't shift and grow are dead things. More than ever now, growth is necessary." This quote holds the essence of ceremony in this book.

Silko combines the use of prose and poetry to convey Tayo's story. This blend represents the coming of two cultures that is found in Tayo as he is of both western and Native American background. The poems complement the essence of Native American storytelling with the Western narrative tradition and supports the importance of storytelling in Ceremony and the meaning behind its application in the book itself.

In reading Ceremony, I am drawn to the metaphors and imagery that Silko uses to describe Tayo's experience with PTSD. I noticed how he likened himself to white smoke when he had been in the Veteran's Hospital since he had been "invisible, unconscious, and unable to communicate." Stories also hold a great importance as expressed in Indian stories that he still believes despite others because they're rooted in truth.