Ceremony

Given what you have read so far (esp. the Pueblo stories, the Hopi film, and Silko essays), what connections can you draw between the first few pages (the poems) of Ceremony and these materials?

The Poem Ceremony is tightly connected to Silko's essays and the Pueblo stories. The poem is explaining the importance of stories. In Silko's essays, she relays the same message, that stories are the core of everything; without them, they have nothing. The Pueblo stories that we read are an example of this. These stories explain where they came from, why things are, and basically every aspect of their lives. They tie the Pueblos and their history together. For them, they are more than entertainment, which was a point worth making many times for Silko. They are spiritual, historical, and a necessary part of life.

Carefully re-read the pages that involve the old medicine man, Ku’oosh, p. 31-34. Explain the significance of how Ku’oosh speaks, chooses words, and of his point about the fragility of the world.

Ku'oosh's words are used to explain the fragility of the world. While talking to Tayo, he has a story behind each word, which not only explains his point, but illustrates it. Each word, he explains, is connected to another; they each rely on a history and meaning. The fragility of everything is explained by his words, and the way in which he presents them is an embodiment of that. By relating the the reason for each word, it connects everything in an unmistakable truth.