Hybridity In Ceremony, By Leslie Marmon Silko

Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko questions the ability to keep sane when caught between worlds and is not afraid to show its weakness, flaws, and imperfections while trying to survive in the “perfect world”. The novel uses hybridity to show that change is not a destructive thing, that it may come when is least expected but it can turn out to be a positive change if taken with an open mind. I argue that Tayo and Rocky were one soul in two different bodies, Tayo by been born of mix races and Rocky by having a hybrid mentality. “The Army recruiter looked closely at Tayo’s light brown skin and hazel eyes” (72), Tayo’s eyes excluded him from the Pueblo people and it exposed his mixed race leaving him vulnerable to feel invisible and not fit in …show more content…
Rocky sees the disadvantages of been an Indian in the “white world”, they get treated different and with less respect urging him to fit in even more. He made sure to fill his brain with “these books written by scientist who seem to know everything…” (76), and had little interest in his Indian traditions and values. Rocky was an A-student, football player, and signed up for the Army which was what brought him closer to the white people, to Tayo’s level, and to his own death. He was oblivious to the fact that they only got respect if their actions were beneficial to the American principles; “an old white woman rolled down her window and said, ‘God bless you, God bless you,’ but it was the uniform, not them she blessed” (41). Rocky represents the evolution of a new generation growing up in a community that doesn’t accept change very well, except his mother in her own ignorant way. Auntie was ashamed of her sister for bringing a half-breed child to the family that will caused them disgrace in the community but she was ignorant to her own child been the change of the family and community. “She valued Rocky’s growing understanding of the outside world, of the books, of everything of importance and power. He was becoming what she had always wanted: someone who could not only make sense of the outside world but become part of it” (76); now what those Tayo represents in Auntie’s …show more content…
That never changed after his death, Rocky was still there through Tayo’s recovery and discovery of himself. Every time Tayo felt alone or in a difficult situation, he will go back to remembering Rocky, just the tough of him made him feel better since he didn’t want to let go. “The wind made his sweat go cold. This was the time. But his fingers were numb, and he fumbled with the screwdriver as he tried to rub warmth back into his hands” (253). I argue that in this exact moment Rocky was present the reason why “his sweat go cold” making him rethink what he was about to do to Emo and have to live with for the rest of his life. Rocky was Tayo’s spiritual guide through his recovery. In addition, just like he didn’t want to let go of Rocky, I feel like he was the one holding the rain back, causing the drought. In my opinion, the rain represented Rocky so Tayo’s guilt of not been able to come back home with Rocky and blaming the rain for been the cause of his death, he wanted to leave the rain behind just like Rocky stayed behind. As stated in the novel, “Tayo hated this unending rain as if it were the jungle green rain and not the miles of marching or the Japanese grenade that was killing Rocky” (11). In Tayo’s mind the one responsible for killing Rocky was the rain and nothing else so he wished it away without knowing the consequences it will