Gender Issues and Ceremony

Introduction: In reviewing the notes I prepared, from the novel Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko, and the classroom discussion, I have discovered another aspect of the work that I would like to explore. This response focuses on the psychological aspect of Tayo’s character and the motivation for his behavior. In the novel, Silko explores the gender roles of four women and the significance to the development and actualization of Tayo’s character. These four …

…emotions (other than anger). It is with the help of Grandma and Ts’eh that he discovers himself and is ultimately able to overcome the trauma inflicted upon him by his birth mother and Auntie. He is able to accept his mixed ancestry in a changing world. Therefore, when Ts’eh finally leaves him, Tayo is able to go on living and remembering all that she has taught him. Bibliography Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko