Ceremony (p.58-142)

1). P. 62-63 covers the theme of Christianity as a coercive force of assimilation. By what means does this occur and what feelings does it evoke?

The values and beliefs of Christianity permeated the "old sensitivity" of the Indian people which had been passed down over thousands of years and had created a shared conciousness amongst generations. But the infiltration of Christianity worked against this unity by enforcing an individualistic existance: "...it tried to crush the single clan name, encouraging each person to stand alone, because Jesus Christ would save only the individual soul; Jesus Christ was not like the Mother who loved and cared for them as her children, as her family" (63). The world as the Indians knew it suddenly shared an identity with white culture. This assimilation was blatantly enforced in the school system; there was a heavy sense of shame associated with the "deplorable ways of the Indian people" (63). This created a tension between Indian culture and the new world of the white people that tried to establish itself as the dominant/correct way of life.



2). We are also introduced to Josiah’s Mexican lover, the Flamenco dancer, Night Swan. What do we find out about her? What significance attaches to her character? What’s with all the blue? How does what she tells Tayo connect with elements that come up in other parts of the novel?

Night Swan is a Mexican woman of mixed descent and a retired Flamenco dancer with whom Josiah has an affair. In her youth she would dance and seduce men; now, she is a grandmother who ended up Cubero after the small town she lived in fell victim to a severe drought. She is a mysterious topic of interest in her community and ignites a blaze of gossip amongst the women who are threatened by her commanding sexuality. When Tayo delivers Josiah's message to Night Swan, the color blue is heavily described in both setting and in her clothing. This could potentially reflect the rain that Tayo has prayed for and the ceremonious way the color blue has been mentioned earlier in the book (i.e., the turqoise rings placed on the antlers of the hunted deer). When she explains to Tayo that it is people's fear of change that leads them to blame "the ones who look different" it harkens to the struggle with race that is prominent throughout the story, as well as the concept of change. The change that the people so greatly fear seems to be pointing to the changes that have lead to the drought and difficulties of Tayo's community. When she tells him that he will soon recognize and understand what is happening, it implies that even more change (and perhaps a journey) are on Tayo's horizon.



3). We get poetic installments of the Hummingbird tale on p. 42-45, 49-50, 65-66, 76, 97, 104-105, 140 (to this point) How might you relate this story to Tayo’s?

The most obvious correlation between the Hummingbird tale and Tayo's story is the absence of rain. In both stories, the drought is causing unrest and desperation; in Tayo's case, he feels that he prayed the rain away during his time in the war and in the Hummingbird tale, the "magic" that enraptures the community causes Nau'ts'ity'i to take away their rain/sustenance. Beyond this similarity, both stories are setting up a journey of sorts. The hummingbird and the fly must continually travel between worlds with gifts in order to convince mother to grant them rain and food. In this same vein, Tayo begins on a journey to heal himself and the community, as well as bring back the rain.