I didn't feel that this reading was anything exceptionally extraordinary. I guess a lot of it was about Tayo's growth after the ceremony. I think that he is starting to accept his Native American roots more and is becoming a lot more at peace with nature and himself. “Feeling the instant of the dawn was an event which in a single moment gathered all things together.” (pg 182) He has definitely become more clear in his mind since the ceremony: the passages, his thoughts, and the flashbacks are becoming less and less jumbled (which I greatly appreciate).
As Geoff said, a major part of this section was about blaming and condemning white people for their actions in the past. "He knew then he had learned the lie by heart- the lie which they had wanted him to learn: only brown skinned people were thieves; white people didn't steal...If the white people ever looked beyond the lie, to see theirs was a nation built on stolen land, then they would never be able to understand...white thievery and injustice...the colored against the white." (191). I completely understand Tayo's anger, but these types of things are starting to get on my nerves. Yes, white people have messed up a lot in history, but is it right to blame everyone in a race for the actions of others? It's just like saying that all people from the middle east are terrorists. It's insulting. It's a generalization about an entire group of people based on the actions of a few.
One thing that I didn't really understand the point to was the section regarding the mysterious woman. How did she help inspire him to find the cattle (it said that later on), and why did he have random sex with a woman when he didn't even know her name?? Someone didn't take health class...
Over all, I appreciate Tayo's growth and the fact that it is making everything a lot more clear. However, I'm still waiting for the punchline. The entire story can't just be a social commentary on how the Americans ruined the lives of Native Americans, can it?
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Yea, I think it will pick up a little and Tayo will start living a real life. Also the mysterious women part, I think that could possibly be his future lover or maybe not.
ReplyDeleteI like that quote and I think that he is just trying to find his place in the world...like everyone else. yeah the random sex scenes have to stop. I think they show how hurt he is and he is just trying to fill his empty spots with loveless sex. (whoa that was weird)
ReplyDeleteThe Indian people should back off, if they're gonna blame people they should do it specifically.
ReplyDeleteI disagree. I think her writing is extraordinary! Plus, the stories were really good. I like your quotes and I agree. There is plenty of blame to go around and if they got over it (sounds harsh, but true) they could move on and better their lives. Jess, I like your theory, it makes sense.
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