the Healing of Tayo

There are several key factors in the process of Tayo's healing. Baton is one of them. He is somewhat a turning point for him. Tayo is intrigued because Betonie is something he has never seen before. He starts out very subtly, teaching him life lessons. He takes this action because Tayo is very emotional and fragile in this point in his life, which this quote depicts. "Betonie sounded as if he were explaining something simple but important to a small child. But Tayo's stomach clenched around the words." Silko Pg. 125 Betonie is trying to get a point across to Tayo however, he is realizing that it hurts. He is also realizing that he must hear him. In the long run this helps more, making Tayo and Betonie close friends. One thing Betonie may have taught him is that nature is not always bad. Infact Tayo is
seeing nature in a whole to spectrum. ""mountain lion becoming what you are with each breath, your substance changing with the earth and sky." Silko Pg.196 This quote is a very important factor showing Tayo's healing because he is not only connecting with something that is more powerful that himself but also understanding it. Tayo has had many people showing him the good and evil of nature and everything around him but one stood out. Tissea may not be literal person, nevertheless Tayo's mind he was intrigued. "From the stars and the woman, the mountain and the cattle would come." Silko Pg. 186 In this quote, instead of connecting nature with bad memories like rocky dying for example, he is now connecting it with fantasies. Like a woman or the cattle. Even if it seems impossible to heal from something, it is. There is always hope which is what makes tay amazing and stick out from others. Even though he did not have any good memories to connect with nature. He came to understand that he actually did, He just had to create them.



Tayo is inevitably healing through nature. One year ago, according the the book Ceremony, Tayo was so riddled with P.T.S. and emotional distress. This led to him only connecting nature to bad memories. He's has learned many new things since that time. Tayo has changed changed greatly. For example, this quote gives input on how Tayo feels about tissae,"When she left, he got dressed and followed her, he stood in the west and looked at the morning stars." Silko Pg. 189 Tayo after a year is finally starting to live in the present which is being cause by this mystical woman. It s apparent that she is helping Tayo, but how much? this quote is a perfect example that she is one of the biggest factors in his healing process. "I don't want any of those around. They can do their drinking some place else. Not at our place. Her face was stiff." Silko Pg. 218 She is making an impact on Tayos life because she is the only female role model for
him. This quote is also important because at the beginning of the book, Tayo would usually use  drugs to take out his emotions and pain, but now he is staying away. As he becomes closer with Tissea, Tayo begins to understand the balance life needs to have. It is interesting how much is changing. Throughout the book, there will be poem that starts with sunrise. What does this mean? and how is it significant to his healing process? "sunrise sunrise, his words made vapor in the cold morning air." Silko Pg. 216 It almost seems like a new beginning, or a new hope. He is starting to feel the world around him and notice things. each "sunrise" in the book may be a significant milestone in his healing process. If one picks at a scab. It will never heal, but if they understand how they got it and leave it alone. it will eventually heal. Tayo is almost though that process.