Literary Analysis Essay Draft 1

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