Student Question
What is the importance of setting in "Ceremony," and what does it influence specifically?
Quick answer:
Setting in "Ceremony" is crucial as it shapes Tayo's character and identity. His experiences on the Laguna Pueblo reservation and the trauma from leaving it influence his worldview, emphasizing interconnectedness. This interconnectedness affects his actions, such as his inability to separate locations, impacting his decisions during the war. The settings also play a role in his spiritual healing journey, highlighting their significance in his transformation and recovery.
Setting is quite important in "Ceremony," and it influences a number of things. In a broad sense, it influences Tayo's entire character—even his identity. He is who he is because he's from the Laguna Pueblo reservation, and he becomes who he becomes due to the trauma he encounters when he leaves it. His inability to keep the locations separate make him unable to kill the Japanese soldier he encounters. This relates to his people's world view; all is interconnected (including these apparently distant and distinct settings). Tayo's return to the reservation, and his visit to the medicine men, are essential steps in his healing, and so setting, or rather, changes in setting, become part of a larger spiritual journey for him.
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