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Summary: Silkos view
Review: I honestly enjoyed reading this book, Ceremony, by Leslie marion Silko. I really got the perspective of being in a situation or an era without actually being there. The main character Tayo endured many hard times- the worst was fighting in worls war two, and then dealing with his menatl state of mind. What I was mainly getting from the story was how it seemed Tayo was alwasy on the outside of american culture, which seems could be Silkos story also. In my understand I think she wanted us the readers to step outside of our culture and get an idea or feeling of what it was like for them. this book was a bit hard to get at first but as I read on it began to pull me in, and actually help me see things the way they did.
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Summary: Speaking Out
Review: I can honestly say that I enjoyed this book very much, granted it was a bit difficult to understand in the beginning.Ceremony, by Leslie marion Silko deals with a half native american, half mexican young man named Tayo. He endured many hard times in his life, including being in worls war two, which in turn forced him to deal with his mental state of mind. what I mainly got from this book was that tayo was always on the outside of american culture, this also could be or is Silkos story. She wanted us to step outside of american culture and maybe see things in someones elses view or even life, as it was for them.I have to say she really does an exceptional job at it, even though the beginning frustrated me a little, she definately pulls you in, which makes you not want to put the book down, until you understand.
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Summary: Never Thought of it That Way
Review: This was an interesting and saddening book. Leslie Marmon Silko brings a new perspective to American society through her main character Tayo, a Mestizo (half Native American, half Mexican) World War II verteran. In her novel, Silko challenges the principles of both Caucasians and her own Native American people while describing Native American life in the 20th century.
At first glance I assumed that this would be another attack on todays Caucasians who are taking the heat for the past. However, after looking deeply into the novel, I realized that the novel is more of a critique of society rather than the people in it. Don't get me wrong, Silko gets a few good shots in on both Native Americans and Caucasians, but her overall message is delivered in a way that makes you question several things. This novel's boundaries lie exclusively in the reader's mind.
Rating:
Summary: Never Thought of it That Way
Review: This was an interesting and saddening book. Leslie Marmon Silko brings a new perspective to American society through her main character Tao, a Mestizo (half Native American, half Mexican) World War II verteran. In her novel, Silko challenges the principles of both Caucasians and her own Native American people while describing Native American life in the 20th century.
At first glance I assumed that this would be another attack on todays Caucasians who are taking the heat for the past. However, after looking deeply into the novel, I realized that the novel is more of a critique of society rather than the people in it. Don't get me wrong, Silko gets a few good shots in on both Native Americans and Caucasians, but her overall message is delivered in a way that makes you question several things. This novel's boundaries lie exclusively in the reader's mind.
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Summary: Good Book
Review: Ceremony by Lelsie Marmon Silko was a pretty good book. I have not read book about United States History from a Native Americans piont of view, and now that i have, i have a lot of sympathy for those people that lived during that time. When studying US history we typically look at the Americans stand piont i thought it was interesting to see if at another angle. Tayo was a very bold character and i really enjoyed seeing his situation progress, and liked watching his life unfold the it did. I thought the book made a lot of sense and although it had a dark, morbid tone at first it really came to be an uplifting sort of story. Silko did a great job describing life on an Indian reservation after WWII. Reading of Tayos both physical, and spiritual journey made for a great book, and i would recommend this story to any high school, or college english, or history class.
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Summary: American Heritage
Review: I thought that "Ceremony", written by Leslie Marmon Silko, was a very good book. It told a story of a Native American and the life he returned to after coming home from World War II. The topic of Native Americans and the life they lived in the reservations is not a very populat topic in American History because it always seems to be over shadowed by things deemed more important. Tayo, the main character in this story, has several flash backs from the war and he is very sick when he returns home. Because he is half white he gets a lot of greif from some of the pure Indians that live on the reservation. Some of the flash backs include parts of his child hood which depict a poor life style in which he lived in, even after he went to live with his aunt. His flashbacks are worrying the others on the reservation and all the doctors that he sees are not able to cure him. His grandmother eventually calls an old medicine man to help Tayo. I would recommend this book to most reading levels.
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Summary: great story
Review: I thought that this book was interesting. The storyline held my attention throughout the entire book. Tayo's physical and spiritual journey helped him become a stronger person and regain his sanity and stability in the reservation after returning from World War II. I enjoyed reading this book because you never hear about what it was like on the reservations from an Indians point of view. I thought that Silko did an excellent job describing life on the reservations and how difficult it was for the Indians to adjust to life after the war.
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Summary: A Different View Brought Into Prespective
Review: While reading "The Ceremony" by Leslie Marion Silko, you are unable to deny the feeling of seeing the world through someone elses eyes. The main character in the book is part white and part Indian, this makes it a story that is cultured and diverse. Silko uses flashabck in her story to explain why characters in the novel behave the way they do, and this can cuase confusion, but in the end, you can understand why she used that literary element in her novel. Silko writing about the time after war and how it effected different cultures is an amazing way to show readers that there is a life outside your own, and it takes a great narrative for one to grasp that. I loved the book and I would recimmend it to anyone interested in a mind-altering experience.
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Summary: A Story that Tells the Other Side to a Story
Review: Ceremony is a narrative that can and does heal. The novel is the "ceremony" of the main character's-Tayo returning to a healthy mental state. In this novel we see the effects that war can have on people, especially soldiers. This novel for the first hundred pages is a little bit hard to follow. Tayo has many flashbacks of past events that he cannot seem to forget. These flashbacks come up when he is reminded of significant events, which have left marks. As the Ceremony progresses the flashbacks are not as frequent and the novel becomes easier to follow. There are many passages in the novel that have left a mark on me. One particular disturbing scene is when the life of the really poor was described. To me the horrible conditions portrayed did not bring back any flashbacks, but they did create upsetting and vivid mental pictures.
I really enjoyed the book. In my Intro to fiction class we argued about the author's goal in writing the novel and the perspective it's written in. I think that her goal was to show the Whites what life for the less fortunate that we have conquered is really like. In my opinion her message was conveyed very strongly. Reading this novel was an awakening for me. It made me face the harsh reality and the truth. Not only did I learn about the other cultures that are less fortunate and live in horrible conditions but I also learned about my own race and culture. I learned that the Whites now prosper from land that was taken from others. The Whites are powerful and superior, but at the expense of the others/natives. In my history classes, most of which are Eurocentric, I learn about history from the American point of view. Our actions are always justified and we do not learn how the other side really feels. What is life like from their perspective? We as Whites cannot truly understand unless we learn and see from the others' point of view. We cannot learn by assuming and making our own judgments about what their life must be like. The perspective in this novel has a much greater and a more touching effect. I always like knowing the truth and knowing both sides to a story. I therefore really like this story!
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Summary: Fight for ones culture
Review: Ceremony is a novel that depicts the struggle of people to fight in order to save their culture. Set in New Mexico, in and around Laguna Pueblo, immediately after WW II, the plot concerns a young Indian war veteran who has been traumatized by his experiences as a prisoner of the Japanese. Tayo, the central character, is illegitimate and half-white, raised by relatives, not accepted fully by everyone in the family. He has lost his brother, uncle, his cattle, and his life at home (due to reservations). His old friends are drinking themselves away in bars, and even he himself seems destined for an asylum. An asylum where he can blame others for his loses, drink away his fears, and possibly commit suicide? With the help of his new friends Betonie, and Ts'eh, Tayo realizes the lie that he has understood to be true about the "white man," can't be taken too far. He refuses to believe what people continue to tell him, and restores some balance back into his life to get himself on track. Tayo's journey is somewhat confusing yet shows a search for oneself through truth, honesty, and understanding. Ceremony is something everyone can read and appreciate. It is not a bash on the "white man," but merely a depiction of this concept from the perspective most people will not necessarily get to hear from. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to others. It is not hard, and in the long run leaves a lasting impression on reader's minds'.
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