Leslie Marmon Silko Ceremony Analysis

Family Influence Perhaps the most important factor in a person’s development is his or her family. Family members can shape some one’s thoughts and can make it difficult for a person to fit in one’s environment. In the novel Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko, Tayo’s auntie is an antagonistic woman who is concerned about other people’s judgment toward her and her family. Her unfriendly behavior sprang from her low self-esteem and the anger she reproached because her sister’s unruly actions.
The most evident psychological problem Tayo’s Auntie is dealing with is her lack of self-esteem. This was brought upon by her siblings’ disappointing choices. Her siblings’ brought shame to the family and the main cause for such disgrace was Auntie’s sister’s
Her anger is especially targeting Tayo because was half white and he was born out of wedlock. She was embarrassed of Tayo which is why she attempted to keep a distance between Tayo and her son Rocky; “’They’re not brothers,’ she’d say, ‘that’s Laura’s boy. You know the one.’ She had a way of saying it, a tone of voice which bitterly told the story, and the disgrace she and the family suffered. The things Laura had done weren’t easily forgotten by the people, but she could maintain a distance between Rocky, who was her pride, and this other, unwanted child” (65). Auntie was trying to gain revenge against her sister by mistreating Tayo; he was not loved by his auntie, instead she showed him revulsion. Auntie’s anger and dislike toward Tayo was shown since the first day Tayo arrived to stay at her house; “He never knew what they said that night because the voices merged into a hum, like night insects around a lamp; but he thought he could hear Auntie raise her voice and the sound of pots and pans slamming together on the stove. And later he learned she did that whenever she was angry” (66). Auntie was angry that Tayo was going to stay with them because the whole village would be talking about Tayo’s mom and how she just left her half breed son with her family. Auntie blamed Tayo for his mother’s immoral actions but she in no way apprehended that it was not his fault his mother was a whore. Her anger toward her sister did not allow her to love Tayo like a son; she was determined to make his life difficult because he brought shame into her