Introduction
Mythology is an integral part of the protagonist Tayo's journey in
Ceremony. Although it is the Laguna people and their stories that form the
backbone of the novel, the myths that Leslie Marmon Silko uses are
archetypes found not only in Native American mythology, but in Judeo-
Christian tradition as well as other cultures. The universality of these
myths is the central theme to Ceremonyâ€"that by accepting these myths and
his role within them, Tayo is able to find fulfillment. More importantly,
Tayo has a relationship to his people that will be played out regardless of
whether he is aware of it, and it is only in recognizing his role that he
and his people come to a place of harmony. Two myths central to the story,
the creation myth and the myth of the prodigal son, help propel Tayo to the
point that balance in the Laguna community is restored.
ANALYSIS
The novel begins with a retelling of the Laguna creation myth in which
the Thought-Woman, the spider, thinks creation into existence. Equally
important to the creation itself is the naming of the things. Thought-
Woman names the created things as they appear, and created stories about
the creation. From the very beginning of the novel, then, the reader is
introduced to the idea that story and mythology are intertwined in
existence, and that there can be no existence outside of the story.
Indeed, Tayo's world is divided into those who live inside the
storyâ€"including Ku'oosh and Betonieâ€"and those who fight against the
storiesâ€"Rocky, Pink, Harley, for example. (Allen 118).
The nature of Thought-Woman as a spider is a useful metaphor to make
clear the importance of the story itself as creation. The spider weaves a
web that is complicated and interrelated. Pull on on...