Trauma and Grief in Ceremony and Beloved

Two American novels illustrate post-traumatic stress well: Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko, dealing with life on the Native American reservation post-Vietnam and Beloved by Toni Morrison, dealing with Civil War era slavery. Characters in these stories feel emotion, mental, and physical stress and it affects their behavior in a manner consistent with symptoms of grief[8], depression[5], and post-traumatic stress syndrome [7]. Characters suffer on all levels--their race attacked, their bodies abused, their beliefs challenged, their personal relations and families destroyed, and their minds reel with the horror of what they experience. By the end of both novels, characters have survived and in doing so, overcome some of their problems. 


Because both writers depict trauma in a manner consistent with mental health definitions, readers understand how post-traumatic stress can be a lifelong ailment, yet are very much surprised that they've enjoyed the journey. How did these two writers manage this accomplishment?


How Toni Morrison and Leslie Marmon Silko Depict Physical Pain and Trauma

Both authors briefly touch on what happens, their tone matter of fact. The action in both stories occurs primarily after the traumatic events, which are shown out of sequence, many times in a confused fashion similar to having a flashback.

Beloved’s heroine Sethe’s physical pain is partly due to her whipping and partly due to the trial of her escape[2, 99].

In Ceremony, protagonist Tayo doesn’t seem to suffer from injuries except physical weakness [1, 16] although he and the other men of his village who return from the Vietnam War all received a Purple Heart[1, 20].

How Toni Morrison and Leslie Marmon Silko Depict Emotional Pain and Trauma

Toni Morrison uses several techniques to enhance the effects of flat facts-- the use of repeated phrases for emphasis i.e. “never look away”[2, 14]and “wore her out”[2,35] and examples to make them additive i.e. Baby Suggs broken hip, Sethe’s mother’s brand[2, 72], the use of the collar and bit[2, 268]. Examples of the emotional trauma include the portrayal of having both animal and human characteristics; slave’s lack of love[2,32], and the tearing apart of families[2,28].

Silko offers anecdotes of emotional pain interspersed within stories and uses rich natural sensations in contrast. Examples of emotional trauma Tayo endures include disrespect as an Indian[1,60], the cold-hearted treatment of his dead brother [1, 7] and meeting Japanese citizens after the war[1,17].

Pain and Trauma Mental and Physical After Effects in Ceremony and Beloved

Silko uses two techniques to show Tayo’s Post-Traumatic Stress. One is repeating facts such as Tayo hasn’t slept[1; 2, 6, 8, 83]The other is using flashbacks to previous times, good and bad to show his mental replay of events.

Morrison depicts Sethe as having lost color, i.e. her ability to notice the world outside[2, 46]. She eventually is unable to cope, losing her job, and nearly starves to death[2, 282]. Others lose what they value--Paul D. trembles[2,125], Denver goes deaf[2,122].

Pain and Trauma Behavioral Effects in Ceremony and Beloved

Both writer’s show characters mentally ill[3][4]—Tayo references himself in third person and as hollow[1, 17]. The effects on Tayo and other characters show PTSD behavior including anger[1, 25], drinking[1,22], an inability to work[1, 32] and withdrawal from relationships[1, 39].

Silko uses real life situations such as the police arresting Tayo[1, 63] and being sent off the reservation[1, 106] to reinforce the message that the characters aren’t fitting into society.

Morrison uses the co-dependent relationship [9] between Beloved and Sethe visually as feeding off each other for their needs[2,282-4]. Other behavioral effects include: Paul D. inability to settle down[2, 261], and character’s saying, don't love too much[2; 54,109]. Sethe, Denver and Baby Suggs withdraw from the community.

Why Do Beloved and Ceremony Work?

Toni Morrison starts and ends her tale in happier times. She uses extended metaphors of color both good and bad and of a "tree on Sethe's back". The tree is used at Denver’s birth [2, 93], to start lovemaking[2,20], to show Paul D.'s fascination with family history[2,258], to be a place of hiding for Denver [2, 34]and renewal with Baby Suggs[2, 103]. Details about trauma emerge over several chapters i.e. what happens with Beloved. 

Leslie Marmon Silko also delays her revelations of Tayo's suffering, allowing them to emerge over time. She, too, uses an extended metaphor of the story being a culture's means of reinforcing itself with poetry sections that tie into the heroic mythology of the culture and which sets pain at a distance. She is able to use the idea of story as a way for people to gain perspective on events and emotions that are larger than than the individual.

Both writer’s use the positive effects of culture to offset and cure the bad effects of culture. Both writers douse their characters in the immediacy of positive experience, allowing the trauma and pain to wane.

[1] Leslie Marmon Silko, "Ceremony", Penguin Books, 1977
[2] Toni Morrison, "Beloved", Vintage Books, 1987
[3] http://www.helpguide.org/mental/emotional_psychological_trauma.htm
[4] http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2009/10/19/what-is-a-nervous-breakdown/
[5] http://www.webmd.com/depression/symptoms-depression
[6] http://www.foh.dhhs.gov/NYCU/StressReaction.asp
[7] http://www.apa.org/topics/ptsd/
[8] http://www.adhd.com.au/grief.htm
[9] http://mentalhealthamerica.net/co-dependency