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Night Swan
Green Eyes
Tayo has green eyes, a physical symbol of his mixed heritage. Born from a Pueblo Native American mother and a white father, Tayo’s green eyes show that he is a “half-breed” that doesn’t belong…
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Hybrid Spotted Cattle
Uncle Josiah buys spotted cattle that come from Mexican breeds crossed with the prestigious Hereford breed of northern America. These cattle are meant to be stronger, tougher, and smarter than any pure-bred cattle, making them…
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Bellies (Stomachs)
One of the poems at the beginning of Ceremony explains that stories are kept in the stomach, setting up a framework in which characters’ stomachs are the site of cultural identity and history. Tayo…
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The Atomic Bomb
As Ceremony focuses on a WWII veteran, the threat of atomic warfare looms large over the novel. Silko ties the atomic bomb to “white culture,” and sees the bomb as a kind of logical and…
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