Despair, guilt, desperation, these emotions are prevalent in the novel Ceremony as it concentrates on reintegrating into society after trauma. Tayo, the main character, has complications with trying to live a normal life due to serving in World War II. Silko focuses on the social and psychological difficulties involving that Tayo faces with his family and community as he attempts integrating into a normal life after the war, through the use of imagery, foreshadowing, and symbolism.
Ceremony, opens up with poems regarding Native American mythology, these poems are occasionally brought up throughout the novel. The story starts with Tayo after the war and delves into Tayo’s memories of the war. Tayo then continues going to depth about the guilt he feels with the deaths of his cousin Rocky, who died in the war, and his uncle Josiah, who died while Tayo left him to go to the war. Tayo’s …show more content…
The first example is in one of the first poems, when one of the lines says “and there was no more rain then,” (Silko, 12), it foreshadows the drought that happens when Tayo returns from the war. This relates to Tayo’s psychological troubles because back in the pacific, he had cursed the rain, and now that there’s a drought, he feels that he is to blame for it. Additionally, symbolism has a significant role in conveying the difficulties that Tayo has to address. One of the first symbols in the novel is the belly, it is first in the opening poem, when it says,” He rubbed his belly. I keep them here [he said],”, this is referring to how there is evil in the stomach. This symbol is prominent during the scenes where Tayo throws up because it could symbolize the evil that Tayo is trying to get out of him, showing how he feels that there’s evil inside of him, making it hard for him to adjust to
Ceremony, opens up with poems regarding Native American mythology, these poems are occasionally brought up throughout the novel. The story starts with Tayo after the war and delves into Tayo’s memories of the war. Tayo then continues going to depth about the guilt he feels with the deaths of his cousin Rocky, who died in the war, and his uncle Josiah, who died while Tayo left him to go to the war. Tayo’s …show more content…
The first example is in one of the first poems, when one of the lines says “and there was no more rain then,” (Silko, 12), it foreshadows the drought that happens when Tayo returns from the war. This relates to Tayo’s psychological troubles because back in the pacific, he had cursed the rain, and now that there’s a drought, he feels that he is to blame for it. Additionally, symbolism has a significant role in conveying the difficulties that Tayo has to address. One of the first symbols in the novel is the belly, it is first in the opening poem, when it says,” He rubbed his belly. I keep them here [he said],”, this is referring to how there is evil in the stomach. This symbol is prominent during the scenes where Tayo throws up because it could symbolize the evil that Tayo is trying to get out of him, showing how he feels that there’s evil inside of him, making it hard for him to adjust to