The Issue Of Political Violence In ‘beloved’ By Toni Morrison

Our identity shapes our lives and is what drives us to make choices in our daily lives. This may sound strange, but it makes perfect sense once you start to think about the idea. This idea is not limited to Ceremony. The story of Tayo, an 18-year-old war veteran, is told in Leslie Marmon Silko’s novel Ceremony. The novel’s characters are all revealed to the readers. Tayo, who is traumatized by war, feels lost upon his return home. His auntie is not able to help him and he is mentally unstable. All of this, plus the flashbacks we see every day, really shows the impact it has on identity. These societal expectations shape characters’ identities and continue to influence their actions based on that identity.

Tayo, who is the protagonist in the story, can be difficult to identify because of his ancestral background. Tayo is the son of Laguna Pueblo’s mother and white father. Both cultures consider him a “disgrace”. He is not wanted by the whites, nor are his Native American aunties. This all changed during World War II. “The first morning in Oakland, Rocky and he walked down the street with Rocky. A big Chrysler stopped at the curb and an old white lady rolled down the windows and said, God bless, God bless you.” However, Tayo’s experiences with white people changes drastically once he joins the military. His upbringing has not made him fooled. Tayo doesn’t believe his friends are part of a larger story. The uniform was no more. That man at a store is now waiting for you. He makes you wait till all the white people have bought their items. The bus depot white lady is extremely careful to not touch your fingers when she counts out your change. And you can see the change slide across the counter towards you. It’s so damned! Tayo felt like he was lost again after the war ended and he took off his uniform. The store clerk “waits patiently” for Tayo. The man must help all white people before he helps them. However, he could have been waited upon if his uniform had been on. He is treated like peons without his uniform. He was treated well while he fought for America. This was all forgotten when he left the service. His service was over. The whites only gave him credit for his willingness and ability to eat for America’s cause. Society expects that white men are preferred over native Americans. Tayo isn’t really a native American, so his identity is distorted. This is what contributes to his mental illness and the actions of the novel. Tayo’s mom Laura, is the only one who can see her in flashbacks. Her shameful portrayal of native Americans by whites is a source of shame. She is ashamed about her race and embarrassed by her culture. Therefore, she attempted to appear white by drinking and sleeping in white men. Tayo, who was born this way, brought shame upon herself. Helen Jean is the second character to experience something like this. She reached for her pink compact from her purse and looked into the mirror. Her hair was shortened and curled tightly. It was necessary to wash it, but it wasn’t too long or straight.” The characters also altered their appearances to make them more acceptable to white society. Native American girls have always kept their hair straight and long. Their cutting their hair shows that they are cutting off all ties to their culture. “It might’ve been possible if she hadn’t been embarrassed of herself. These people encouraged her to leave her home, despite her being ashamed of the horrible ways that Indian people behave. She was surprised to see how, despite her Indian heritage, the white men smiled at the Indian girl as she walked to school from Albuquerque. She smiled and waved; as she walked past houses, she saw her reflection. Her hair, makeup, and dress were exactly the same as the home-ec teacher. Laura was thrilled to see privileged men paying attention to what she did. She didn’t want that to go, so she tried to make a different identity. However, she was embarrassed by not fitting in with the expectations of the white society, and she is now disgraced at the society she left behind.

After Laura proves she isn’t able to care for him, Tayo’s Aunt raises him. Auntie’s role is to ensure that Tayo doesn’t remind Laura of her mistakes. She wants Tayo understand that he’s shameful. “She made sure Rocky did the same for Tayo. This was to keep them apart. She would not let Tayo leave her room or go outside. She wanted Tayo to feel safe enough to go outside and play in a different room. Auntie disparages Laura for “weakening,” but it’s actually Auntie that’s ruining family relationships by failing to acknowledge Tayo and Laura. She wants her reputation to be clean. Auntie believes her identity is defined by others, so she must ensure she meets the expectations of her society.

The novel’s characters all suffer from identity issues at times. Some characters stand out. The characters of this novel have to strive to be the best they can. They often pay a high price for the actions they take in order to get there. Because of the common theme of racism, culture, and privileged influences, many of these complex and varied characters will never be able to meet society’s expectations.