Cermony

Ceremony
The protagonist of the story, Tayo, is struggling to keep balance in his life. He has difficulty maintaining a consciousness of what is dream and what is memory. He is torn by feelings of divided loyalty due to his mixed parentage and the loss of his "brother" and friends. In order to portray this sense of confusion between dream, myth, memory, and reality, the author combines prose and poetry throughout the book. Ceremony is not only a story about Native Americans; it is a Native American story.
The younger Native Americans are caught in a conflict between their Native values and traditions and those of The United States. Tayo's case in particular serves as a perfect example. Auntie, Tayo's "foster" mother, and all of Tayo's friends experience similar conflicts. The Auntie character demonstrates that the conflicts between Natives and non-Native peoples are not the only source of confusion nor are they the sole division between right and wrong. While some of Auntie's pro...