Ceremony
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Section 4 Section 5 Section 6 Section 7 Section 8
Themes
All Themes The Interconnected World Native Americans in the Modern World Storytelling Ceremony, Tradition and Adaptation Cultural Dominance, Purity, and Hybridity
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Tayo Harley Rocky Emo Josiah Auntie (Thelma) Little Sister (Laura) Grandmother Ku’oosh Betonie Night Swan
Symbols
All Symbols Green Eyes Hybrid Spotted Cattle Bellies (Stomachs) The Atomic Bomb
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Ceremony

by

Leslie Marmon Silko
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Grandmother Character Analysis

Tayo’s grandmother. She believes firmly in the value of following old traditional ways, and teaches Tayo the old stories and rituals as a child. Unlike Auntie, Grandmother fully accepts Tayo as a member of the Laguna Pueblo community. The novel portrays Grandmother’s loving care of Tayo as a far better response to an otherwise scandalous situation. Grandmother also is the one who first sets Tayo on his quest for healing by connecting him to Ku’oosh.

Grandmother Quotes in Ceremony

The Ceremony quotes below are all either spoken by Grandmother or refer to Grandmother. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Interconnected World Theme Icon
).
Section 2 Quotes

“You know what people will say if we ask for a medicine man to help him. Someone will say it's not right. They'll say, 'Don't do it. He's not full blood anyway."'

Related Characters: Auntie (Thelma) (speaker), Tayo, Grandmother
Native Americans in the Modern World Theme Icon
Cultural Dominance, Purity, and Hybridity Theme Icon
Page Number: 30
Explanation and Analysis:
Section 8 Quotes

"I guess I must be getting old," she said, "because these goings-on around Laguna don't get me excited any more." She sighed, and laid her head back on the chair. "It seems like I already heard these stories before . . . only thing is, the names sound different."

Related Characters: Grandmother (speaker)
The Interconnected World Theme Icon
Storytelling Theme Icon
Ceremony, Tradition and Adaptation Theme Icon
Page Number: 242
Explanation and Analysis:
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Ceremony PDF

Grandmother Quotes in Ceremony

The Ceremony quotes below are all either spoken by Grandmother or refer to Grandmother. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Interconnected World Theme Icon
).
Section 2 Quotes

“You know what people will say if we ask for a medicine man to help him. Someone will say it's not right. They'll say, 'Don't do it. He's not full blood anyway."'

Related Characters: Auntie (Thelma) (speaker), Tayo, Grandmother
Native Americans in the Modern World Theme Icon
Cultural Dominance, Purity, and Hybridity Theme Icon
Page Number: 30
Explanation and Analysis:
Section 8 Quotes

"I guess I must be getting old," she said, "because these goings-on around Laguna don't get me excited any more." She sighed, and laid her head back on the chair. "It seems like I already heard these stories before . . . only thing is, the names sound different."

Related Characters: Grandmother (speaker)
The Interconnected World Theme Icon
Storytelling Theme Icon
Ceremony, Tradition and Adaptation Theme Icon
Page Number: 242
Explanation and Analysis:
Unlock with LitCharts A+
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