Bibliography
Course Hero. "Ceremony Study Guide." Course Hero. 1 June 2017. Web. 1 Oct. 2023. <https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Ceremony/>.
In text
(Course Hero)
Bibliography
Course Hero. (2017, June 1). Ceremony Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved October 1, 2023, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Ceremony/
In text
(Course Hero, 2017)
Bibliography
Course Hero. "Ceremony Study Guide." June 1, 2017. Accessed October 1, 2023. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Ceremony/.
Footnote
Course Hero, "Ceremony Study Guide," June 1, 2017, accessed October 1, 2023, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Ceremony/.
| Character | Description |
|---|---|
| Tayo | Tayo is a battle-wounded Native American soldier returning to his reservation after World War II. To overcome the trauma of his experiences, Tayo must learn to reconnect with his Native American culture by completing a new ceremony. Read More |
| Betonie | Betonie is a modern Navajo medicine man who believes cultural traditions must adapt in order to survive. Read More |
| Auntie | Auntie raised Tayo from the age of four, although she was always ashamed of him. Auntie believes in cultural purity and rigid adherence to traditions. Read More |
| Emo | A sadistic Laguna war veteran, Emo represents the destruction of Native American culture by white America. Read More |
| Ts'eh | Ts'eh is believed to be the embodiment of a Laguna goddess, completely connected to the natural world and a representation of Native American culture. Read More |
| Josiah | Tayo's Uncle Josiah believes society improves by mixing cultures. He started a romance with Night Swan and tried to breed a new type of drought-resistant cattle. Read More |
| Rocky | Rocky is Tayo's cousin, with whom he enlisted in the army. Rocky rejected his Native American culture and the protections it offered, which is perhaps why he was killed in the war. Read More |
| Descheeny | Descheeny is Betonie's grandfather, who married a mixed-race woman thought to be the embodiment of a goddess. |
| Floyd Lee | Floyd Lee is the rich white man who stole Josiah's cattle. |
| Gambler | In Laguna folklore, the Gambler stole the storm clouds, causing a long drought. |
| Grandmother | Grandmother lives with Auntie and helps care for Tayo after the war. She is one of the only family members to show Tayo affection. |
| Harley | Fellow Native American war veteran Harley is a friend to Tayo before falling under Emo's destructive spell. When he fails to bring Tayo to Emo, Emo tortures and kills him. |
| Helen Jean | Helen Jean leaves her reservation but struggles to find work in Gallup. She dresses like a white woman when prostituting herself. |
| Hunter | An important symbol in Laguna folklore, the Hunter is Ts'eh's brother. |
| Ku'oosh | The old medicine man, Ku'oosh, tries to use his old ceremonies on the wounded veterans but finds they have lost their significance in the modern world. |
| Lalo | Lalo is the bootlegger who introduces Josiah to his cousin Night Swan. |
| Laura | Laura is Tayo's mother and Auntie's younger sister, who died when Tayo was four years old. Laura left the reservation and ultimately became a prostitute for non-Native tourists; one of these interactions led to Tayo's birth, which brought deep shame upon the family. |
| Leroy | Leroy is a fellow Native American veteran who is an alcoholic. |
| Night Swan | One of Ceremony's strong mixed-race female characters, Night Swan is Josiah's girlfriend. She also has sex with Tayo and teaches him to value his unique culture. |
| Pinkie | Pinkie is Auntie's shepherd until he packs in his responsibilities to chase excitement in Gallup. |
| Robert | Robert is Auntie's husband and Tayo's uncle. He takes over all the farm work after Josiah dies, even though he doesn't enjoy the work. |
| Shush | Shush is thought to have been raised by bears until Betonie saved him and made him his helper. |
| Spider Woman | In Laguna folklore, Spider Woman is the creator. |
| Ulibarri | Ulibarri sells Josiah the cattle he will use to create a new breed. |
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