Essay on the Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko

In the novel The Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko, the author through the character of Batonie raises the argument that the stories and ceremonies have always been changing which is a significant aspect underlying the structure of the novel and the authors general political project. This claim is supported by the portrayal of the change in practices such as the one highlighted through Batonie as a traditional healer in addition to the fact that such changes signify a change in the overall system of the natives. Silkos purpose in highlighting the structural changes taking place in the story is to establish the importance of these changes and the manner in which they affect the native society in order to lay ground for better comprehension of the implication of the transformations on the political aspect of the native society. Silko adopts a descriptive tone through Batonie for the reader to come to terms with the details of the changes he wishes to point out. Lastly it would be neglectful to not to mention that Silkos writing of Ceremony breaks with typical indigenous folklore in that it switches from current times to the present of the stories. This is unique as typical folklore is streamlined from beginning to end with a clear message and agenda. In this reading, one may find themselves a tat bit confused in the start of the novel however this is only Silkos style. In doing this Silko can correlate life lessons while weaving it into a folklore narrative that not only copulates the audience but provides insight into the rhythm of the author. For instance Tayos story is told by use of this style in that you can see how Tayos life constantly seems to repeat or mimic older stories from the past. However this doesnt damper with the Tayos current progress but actually in a way reinforces the fact that the things happening are not new but have happened before but with different people. This typical indigenous folklore is confirmed by Grandma when she says. It seems like I already heard these stories before only thing is, the names sound different (Shmoop, pg. 17). One ought to find this reading refreshing from methodic lores told time and time again systematically. Though typical indigenous folklore is the most predominat style that Silko uses, we also see anather stylistic device of writing which is repetition. Repetition in the novel appears numerous times and is utilised in story tellimg as a means of helping one remeber the story without having to write it down. This helped to pass down cultural and ritual stories in a community down many generations. For instance, in the novel, we recall when Ts'eh admits to hearing voices at night to Tayo just as Betonies grandmother had told Betonie's grandfather. In conclusion the two main styles usilised by Silko are typical indigenous folklore and repetition which help to develop the novel in an intrestimg way.

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Work Cited

Shmoop Editorial Team. "Ceremony Writing Style." Shmoop. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.