Paper Details

In her novel, Ceremony, Leslie Marmon Silko illustrates the many paradoxes of American culture, values, and history. While Tayo grapples with his own internal struggles, the struggles of America are revealed through Silko's writing. America's perception of and relationship with Native Americans are detailed through Tayo's experiences of biculturalism. America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, blatantly discriminates and devalues its true native citizens. Furthermore, America's ideal of bravery is tested. Not only are Native American soldiers dying for the country that seized their land, but one is led to rethink the traditional American ideal of bravery. The paradoxical nature of the American tradition of recording history is also evident within Ceremony as Silko introduces the Native American values attached to the importance of oral tradition. While history sustains Native American culture, Americans often either discredit or manipulate history to justify its actions. Thus, this Nativity captures the unique experience of non-linear storytelling to the degree that Silko advocates in Ceremony.