• Some Critics say that Silko reinforces negative stereotypes of drunken Indians in CEREMONY. However,
Silko has said that she was trying to subvert the stereotype by showing the causes of alcoholism and making
readers sympathetic to the alcoholic Indians plight. She wondered why some veterans could return from war and
pick up their lives, without becoming alcoholics, and some could not.
• Why did some vets become misfits, while some returned and led productive lives?
• While vets of all ethnicities have similar problems, Silko focused on her own people, and attempted to
answer the questions posed above. Using the novel as your source, examine and articulate the vitality and
hardiness of the American Indian Communities in the latter part of the 20th century. You may use other
sources, as long as they are .edu, .gov, or Native sites generally.org.
