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Ceremony

Introduction

Silko's repute was established straight away when critical response of her novel Ceremony in 1977 was not only encouraging but came out in big magazine that is no little achievement in for the foremost Native American female novelist in the late 1970s (Chavkin, p.77). Critical acclamation has been even further admiring in view of the fact that the novel has become necessary reading across the country. One aspect of the novel predominantly applauded was the accomplishment with which the novel challenges the reader to unite cultural frameworks.

Summary

Rocky and Tayo join the Army since Rocky wishes to join and also for the reason that they both want to travel. Though, both of them did not plan on crossing the jungle in Philippine and the death that takes place there. Tayo is not able to bring himself to kill Japanese soldiers since they all bear a resemblance to his uncle Josiah (Nelson, p.168). Rocky is murdered and as it rains hard continuously, Tayo curses it and pleads for it to end.

Then, back at New Mexico, Tayo witnesses the outcome of his curse. The territory is dried out and waterless, and not anything is growing. Tayo is as pale and unwell as the territory. He continues to vomit and is not able to eat. Tayo's family decides that he needs a healing ceremony, so the tribal healer, Ku'oosh, is called in to heal him (Fitz, p.153). His ceremony, however, does not cure Tayo's sickness. Ku'oosh, knowing that Tayo requires a special ceremony, sends him to a medicine man named Betonie. Betonie heals with elements from existing culture, like telephone books and old magazines, in addition with native ceremonies. He explains Tayo's sickness to him. It is the witchery that is making Tayo sick, and it has the entire Native American population in its grip. The purpose of witchery is to prevent growth, and to grow is to survive. Betonie explains to Tayo that a new ceremony is needed and that he is a part of something much larger than his own sickness. The Navajo medicine man makes a sand painting for Tayo to sit in to reorient him. When the ceremony is over, Betonie remarks that it is not yet complete. There are a pattern of stars, some speckled cattle, a mountain, and a lady whom Tayo has yet to encounter.

The speckled cattle are of Mexican origin, designed for the hard survival of northern New Mexico. Uncle Josiah bought them earlier than he died, but when they were set loose to graze, they started south and kept moving, and neither Tayo nor Josiah can find them (Allen, p.31). Tayo realizes that part of his ceremony is to find these cattle. He starts his search at the place where they last saw the cattle and before long meets a lady who lives in a nearby residence. He ends up eating dinner and spending the night there. Afterwards they make love. Tayo already had an experience like this one when, before ...