With new technologies come new methods of destruction, as is clearly indicated by the atomic bomb explosion that startles Old Grandma. However, much of Silko's novel is designed to call attention to the tragic underside of 20th-century scientific, technological, and economic advancement. Modernity and Its DrawbacksĪs depicted in flashbacks throughout Ceremony, Tayo's cousin Rocky professes his belief that Native American customs can be abandoned in favor of the forces of modernity: technology, science, and education, principles that can guide everything from the fate of civilization to the everyday procedures for raising cattle. Rich in personification, symbolism, and mysticism, the poems that appear throughout Ceremony transport the reader into the realm of folklore, and thus offering a narrative counterpoint to the forward-moving world of science and technology that has in many ways wronged Tayo and his family.

But part of Silko's narrative mission is to immerse the reader in the world of tradition that a figure like Ts'eh embodies. For Tayo, re-connecting with traditions such as sand painting, storytelling, and nature myths is a central part of the healing process this connection is facilitated by a variety of characters ( Old Ku'oosh, Betonie, Ts'eh) who are themselves immersed in older ways of life. Native American tradition plays a prominent role in Ceremony, but also occupies an unusual or uneasy position in the narrative.

Ceremony book silko