An Essay by Renee D Mattila

April 29, 2004

Every story must have a setting but not every story has a detailed setting. In Leslie Marmon Silko’s novel Ceremony, the reader encounters a graphically detailed setting. The detailed landscape of the United States and the Philippines supports the idea that humankind and the land are connected. Both settings also call forth different emotional responses in the reader and set the tone for the novel. In the novel Ceremony the setting is integrally linked to the development of both atmosphere and theme.

Abrams’ A Glossary of Literary Terms defines setting in literature as “the general locale, historical time, and social circumstances in which its action occurs” (Abrams, 284) The general locations in the novel Ceremony are the United States and Japan. The historical time is the period following the Second World War. The social circumstances include racial tension and the difficulty many veterans face when trying to reintegrate into society. Specific scenes within the novel focus on more specific locations and issues. In Ceremony the landscape of the region surrounding the Laguna Pueblo reservation is prominent in the setting. The imagery of the landscape is instrumental in developing both the atmosphere and the theme of the novel.

The novel develops atmosphere through the vivid imagery of the setting. In the jungles of the Philippines the setting is dark and humid. The detailed images of the rainy jungle environment create an atmosphere of illness and death. “The jungle breathed an eternal green that fevered men until they dripped sweat the way rubbery jungle leaves dripped monsoon rain” (Silko, 11).
The feverish setting reflects Tayo’s illness. Tayo feels as though the jungle rain is smothering and choking him. Greenness and rain become symbols of death and decay. Tayo’s mental state deteriorates while bodies lay rotting (7). The powerful imagery of the jungle creates an atmosphere of death and despair. Images of floodwater carrying rotting debris, sewage, and dead animals, precede Rocky’s death (12). While in the Jungle Tayo also begins to realise that all things are connected. He sees differences and similarities between the jungle and the Laguna Pueblo Reservation. In the Jungle, rain represents death, while in the desert like setting of Laguna, rain represents life. Tayo thinks his cursing of the rain in the jungle causes the drought at home. In Ceremony the action and the setting are unified. The environment is connected to Tayo’s illness and Rocky’s death.

Silko drowns the readers in the lethal wetness of the jungle and revives them on the Laguna Pueblo reservation. While the jungle comes to represent death and illness, the images of the Laguna Pueblo reservation create an atmosphere of vitality and support the idea that all things, humankind and the land, are interconnected. After visiting the medicine man Betonie, Tayo begins to see life instead of death. Betonie helps Tayo appreciate the connection between living creatures and the land. The setting gradually moves away from its focus on death and drought. Eventually Tayo can see the flow of life everywhere. “As far as he could see, in all directions, the world was alive” ( 221). Tayo can sense the energy of life in all things, and sees it in the plants and the animals. The setting is filled with images of this life energy. A yellow spotted snake is a symbol of life and hope. Flowers full of pollen, willow trees and clear water contribute to the atmosphere of vitality and balance (221). Tayo’s closest connection to the land comes when he settles with Ts’eh in a cave near his family’s ranch. They rely on the land to survive and exist in balance with their environment. Tayo learns about plants and animals. Ts’eh shows him a plant that “contains the color of the sky after a summer rainstorm" (224) Other plants may be connected to light or hope or love. The cattle grazing in the tall yellow grass are a contrast to the bony mule from earlier scenes. Images such as those contribute to the sense of renewal that Tayo begins to feel. As Tayo heals and feels renewed the setting comes alive and is renewed. He sees the patterns in the stars and in the rains. Tayo’s meeting with Ku’oosh and the elders, reveal the significance of the fine details. The elders listen to Tayo’s story and ask about location, time of day and direction of movement (257). While sitting among these men, Tayo also recognises the significance of the fine details. He realises that the construction of the Kiva was planned to favour the position of the sun in late autumn. The emphasis on the fine details is a reminder to pay attention to the setting in Ceremony. As mentioned earlier, in the novel Ceremony, the action and the setting are unified.

In Ceremony, Leslie Marmon Silko effectively uses setting to develop both atmosphere and theme. This novel possesses a vividly detailed setting, which is rich in visual imagery. The atmosphere and theme arise from the fine details of the setting. The unification of setting and action intensify this effect. Leslie Marmon Silko masterfully weaves together her tale of affliction and renewal. She offers an insightful view into the experiences of some of the Laguna Pueblo people while emphasizes a universal connection between all things. Through specific events and locations, Silko presents the Native American experience as the human experience.

Works Cited

Abrams, MH. A Glossary of Literary Terms. 7th Ed. USA: Harcourt Brace. 1999

Silko, Leslie Marmon. Ceremony. USA: Penguin Books. 1986