Responses to Course Material

          The highlight of the last few weeks has been reading Ceremony, by Leslie Marmon Silko. Over Thanksgiving break, reading the novel was very challenging. The syntax was one that I had not encountered before, being different in the aspect of the organization and writing style utilized by Silko to portray the narrative in a very disjointed format, conveying a sense of continuity and at the same time hinting at the underlying conflict that developed throughout the novel. During my individual reading, I was only able to analyze the motives and desires of the characters at the superficial level, preventing me from connecting their role to the larger theme of the novel. The incorporation of a long poem that spanned the length of the novel was very interesting as it allowed the reader to see the narrative in light of an old Native American narrative.

          Once we started discussing the novel in class, especially the first day when Ms. Holmes described the deities and their interactions and inter-relations, I started to develop a firmer grasp on the novel. By acquiring the views of my class, I was able to see the characters and the novel as a whole through a different literary lens that delved deeper than the superficial level to the symbolic level, analyzing each instance in the novel extensively. Moreover, breaking into groups and discussing each section separately allowed me to enhance my understanding of the novel and bring points to the table that necessitated further discussion.

          Lastly, I feel that the forums augmented my understanding of the novel by offering a new perspective through the eyes of learned individuals in the field of literature. I was responsible for reading Nelson's and Costa's piece, which demonstrated the overall importance of the novel as well as analysis of a particular theme of the novel, respectively. Upon reading their commentaries, I was able to understand and apply their reasoning to the class discussions and offer a nuanced perspective on a few of the various themes of the novel.