I am still really enjoying the book and as it has progressed I have more understanding why Tayos’ Auntie kept that distance from Tayo. She revolves her life around keeping the family name intact. She thinks about every little detail that people might gossip about and then turns it on her so that people feel bad for her. For example how she would be quick to correct people when they called Tayo and Rocky brothers and made herself out to be a saint for taking in Tayo when she is not fulfilling his emotional needs as a mother (or mother figure) should do. When she does this she is making her family name seem better and not worse through the situation of Tayos’ mother fornicating with a non-Indian man. I think she does this because she feels that she has to clean up her sisters’ mess and since everyone in her family does not care she feels it is her job to make the family look good. The war changed the men and I think it took away their love for their culture except for Tayo. Like now all they want to do is drink and have sex with white women. I think that the drinking is to take away their pain they feel for loosing that sense of manliness that they felt when they were in uniform and getting any woman they want. I also think the drinking is to help them forget the shame they feel in the back of their heads for being Indian, I think that they want to be another race because theirs is associated as poor and lazy and crazy because of their unorthodox healing methods. I think Tayo is the only one who has pride for his heritage. With all Rocky had going for him he did not respect his culture like Tayo did I think he was ashamed of it too. Tayo feels that he should have been the one to die, he has no bright future and not much more to offer his family the way Rocky had. I think that him being still alive tears him up inside and makes him not want to be apart of a life Rocky should be thriving in. I think that is where a lot of his guilt stems from and that is something any human feels when a family member so close dies. I think we have or will want to take someone else’s place like Tayo does in Ceremony.
Quotes!!!!
“When Tayo saw he was getting started, he looked at the eyes again; he took off his jacket and covered the deer’s head.” (pg 50)- shows that Tayo respects his culture
Personification- “The sun was down, and the twilight chill sucked the last of the deer’s life away” (pg 51)
“’Reports note that since the Second World War a pattern of drinking and violence, not previously seen before, is emerging among Indian veterans” (pg 53)
Thursday, April 30, 2009
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The Auntie is pretty ridiculous. I don't like her she cares to much about how others view her. What do you think in the war made them lose their love for their culture?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Daniel about the aunt caring a little bit to much about what other people think. I mean family is family you might not always be proud of it but you still have to love one another it's family.
ReplyDeleteYou're post sort of centers around guilt after death. But isn't death a natural part of life? Don't all good things need to come to an end? People shouldn't mourn for the dead; they should celebrate the living. Never forget the dead, but don't feel bad because of them.
ReplyDeleteI don't like Auntie too much she sounds mean...the way she treated Tayo makes me sad...i agree too that she takes what other people think in to consideration way to much.... for example when Grandma wanted to call the medicine man she was worried was other people would think not if it would help Tayo or not....
ReplyDeleteWhy do you guys think Auntie cares so much? What part of society has made her that way?
ReplyDeleteAlso, you said that you are understanding Tayo much more, but do you like him as a character yet?
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post.
Who can tell me what Auntie is an Archetype of?
I appreciate your insights into the book.
Question: Does Tayo truly not have a future or has that idea been rammed down his throat all his life and that is what he believes?
Tasha...'like' is a relative term I think with reference to Tayo's character. Maybe understand would be better.
Ms. Champagne