Reactionary Essay: "Ceremony"

In the novel "Ceremony", the author Leslie Marmon Silko depicts a central theme that states in order for someone to truly understand themselves they need to understand their culture. They need to understand where their ancestors come from and the aspects that make them whole. The concept of understanding yourself becomes especially important in Native American societies, where there is a lot of outside pressure to assimilate into white man's society. By being able to …

…someone to understand themselves they need to first understand their culture. This theme is also seen in today's society. People all over the world are running away from their culture. Iraqi immigrants in America are hiding the fact that they are Iraqi by dressing contemporary. During World War II, Jewish people would lie and say they were Christian. It isn't until they embrace their culture and learn about their culture that they feel whole again.