Adrian Llamas

AP Literature
Period 4
Oct. 9th 2018

In the novels​ Ceremony​ by Leslie Marmon Silko and ​A Child Called It ​by Dave Pelzer the
pattern that occurs throughout both books that have significance in what the authors are attempting to get
to the readers are identical. This pattern is the constant challenge of losing faith in something. In both
books the authors bring about the idea of losing faith due to actions or events taking place around the
main characters. The authors want the reader to recognize that with all the challenges being thrown at
these characters there is still faith that is held in the characters and no matter what obstacles are ahead
there will be always faith within them.This pattern grows in significance when being related to culture
because daily actions and decisions tend to be based on cultural beliefs and morals that have shaped
people as a child.
In Ceremony Tayo is the main character and is faced with realizations that are seen as challenges.
To begin with the first encounter seen as a challenge for Tayo was when going to school and a white
teacher at his reservation school called his Native American belfies “non-sense”(Silko 18). This was the
first of many events that took place throughout the book that challenged Tayo and his faith towards his
culture. With this encounter Tayo reacted in a way to where he felt lost as he has always been taught to
believe in his culture and nothing more and once going to school there is an adult that has a big influence
on his people telling him that the culture in the reservation is considered non-sense. This creates a spark
of events that ignite the idea that Tayo and his Native American culture is being lost in modern day but
does not realize early in his life. Later in the book Tayo finds out his mother left him and became part of
the white society as she did not believe in the culture of the Native Americans. These are all clear
symbols used by the author to make sure the reader recognizes that there is a change in the culture which
Tayo is a part of. Tayo was never extremely engaged in his culture but never lost faith in it. By Silko
bringing upon more challenges to Tayo about his culture the reader sense a feeling that Tayo would
eventually give into the white society as that is what is expected after someone is constantly being tested
to continue to believe in what is being broken down which is the Native American culture. The biggest
challenge was presented at the end of the book when Tayo was speaking to his grandmother and she said
with lost hope that she has recognized a change in the reservation from when she last remembered(Silko
242). With Silko mentioning his grandmother and her lost hope it was only destine for Tayo to lose faith
in all Native American culture but Tayo never gave in but rather just understood the situation and grew
realization. Silko’s message regarding faith is that no matter what obstacles are placed for someone there
should never be a feeling of giving up and gets this through by mentioning the pattern of constant
challenges.
In the novel A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer there is many obstacles that Dave has to get
through. The novel is a story of Dave’s horrible childhood that made his face the thought of commiting
suicide. The faith in this novel is life in general as Dave’s mom treats Dave and his brother so bad that is
brings terror to the reader. By doing this Dave is not only emphasizing the things he had to go through to
make people have a sense of empathy for him but also for people to use his story as a inspiration to life
and the fact that there is hope and faith in a better life. The pattern is much more noticeable in this novel
as Dave is very blunt in what the purpose of this novel is however the same pattern is still used by both
authors and the purposes are similar just with different things lost faith in. Not only does Dave mention
the fact that his mother beats him and his brother but Dave also has to go to school and deal with bullies
and has the struggle of have food on the table for himself. Dave makes it clear that he has been through
the worst and there may be a chance others can relate to him and see this as a light of hope in life. When
reading it seemed that the main character was going to through the trenches of life everyday and yet the
pattern of not giving up came about and grew faith within himself.
These two novels also connect to ​Is that a symbol ​by Foster as it is shown by Foster that symbols
and messages can be projected by authors in many different ways and can have the same meaning despite
the different circumstances stated by both authors. With this being said there are also people that can read
these novels and not so much connect to the experiences but can grow a sense of appreciation of life and
what good has gone through them. The pattern of constant obstacles being thrown at someone and still not
losing faith can play a significant role in culture as there can and has already been challenges thrown at
different cultures and on their beliefs that people have to stay strong in what is believed to be right and no
matter what is being said or done there has to be a core inside of someone that can not be broken in order
for the faith in culture to never die out regardless of the obstacle.

Citations

Foster, Thomas C. ​How to Read Literature like a Professor: a Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading
between the Lines​. Harper, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2017
Pelzer, Dave. ​A Child Called "It"​. Orion Books Ltd., 2014

Silko, Leslie Marmon. ​Ceremony.​ Penguin Books, 2016