Ceremony tells the story of a young man named Tayo who starts out sick and isolated and is healed when he learns to reestablish connections with his community. These connections are forged through traditional Laguna customs such as storytelling and ceremonial rituals, which teach Tayo about Laguna culture, history and philosophy. By participating in a Native American medicinal ceremony and hearing the stories, Tayo learns that if he wants to be healed, he can't think of himself as an individual. Just as the veterans' sickness is a communal problem, their healing is also a communal process. The community portrayed in Ceremony is the Laguna Pueblo people, but the novel proposes a sense of community among Native Americans generally.
Questions About Community/Tradition and Customs
- Which of the characters are most representative of the Laguna Pueblo community or the Native American community at large?
- Which characters reject the Laguna community? Why do they reject it?
- What are some of the major differences between the Laguna community and the outside world of white America?
- Is Tayo critical of the Laguna community in any way, or does he embrace everything the community elders believe?
Chew on This
The interconnectedness and collective identity of the Laguna Pueblo community makes it superior to white culture. The Laguna Pueblo custom of regarding obstacles and triumphs as shared by the entire community is a more effective way of dealing with modern problems than the white attitude of focusing on the individual.
The Laguna Pueblo tradition of storytelling doesn't just create a shared culture for the members of the community. It also expands the idea of the community to include previous generations and the natural world.