The Theme Of Identity In Tayo's Ceremony

Growing up is a hard thing to do. One has to figure out the world for themselves, and more importantly their place in it. One may often feel like they are exactly where they are supposed to be, while many others are feeling lost or confused or like they have no specific direction. As if growing up isn’t hard enough to do already, imagine trying to do so while being caught between two seemingly oppositional cultures, with little idea of whom oneself may actually be. Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko illustrates its protagonist Tayo’s conflict in declaring his own identity between the seemingly oppositional cultures of his Native American and white ancestries. Through Tayo’s struggle in defining himself, he challenges the belief systems of both …show more content…
The white teachers in the schools illustrate both the liberation from the poverty of the reservations through education, but also the damaging imperialism that has impoverished the Native Americans and kept them there from the beginning. These teachers convince the Native American children that their cherished stories, through which the majority of their cultural heritage is learned, are nothing more than a bunch of superstitious nonsense. Tayo explains, “in school the science teacher had explained what superstition was, and then held the science textbook up for the class to see the true source of explanations” (94). The result of such ridicule is not only the restraint of the children, now being controlled by the ideas of the teachers and the authoritatively harmful culture they represent, but also the fragmentation of relationships within the native communities at home, threatening both the children and their families. This type of education centered on whites and their beliefs leaves the Native American children feeling lost and confused about who they are as a culture and the things their people are telling them to believe. The fragmentation of identity through education by white society demonstrates how easily belief systems of one group can influence another, and it is because …show more content…
Silko degrades the relationship between the seemingly oppositional Native American and white cultures by advocating for Tayo to accept both of his heritages in order to define his identity and heal it from its very fragile state. He recognizes that “his cure would be found only in something greater and inclusive of everything” (125-126), and thus begins to identify himself as a Native American living in white society. By establishing himself as being part of both worlds, Tayo goes against all norms and thus becomes the objective voice of his community. He is the one able to bring these two worlds together. He states, “I’m half-breed. I’ll be the first to say it. I’ll speak for both sides” (42), and it is through him that the Native American society is viewed as struggling to remain distant and unaffected by the white