In The End...

As Ceremony has come to an end, it has become evident that hope is a very prevalent theme throughout the book.  In the last section of the book, there are many different glimpses of hope that come from the stars.  "'It's for light.  The light of the stars, and the moon penetrating the night'" (Silko 211).  Hope is constantly reflected in the moon, stars, and nature in the book.  "...a shooting star arched from west to east, scattering light behind it like dust on a trail" (Silko 216).  Through the darkness, both literal and figurative, hope always seems to appear, to bring hope and light to every situation.  Also, besides the stars, the sunrise also brings a great sense of hope to many different situations throughout the book.  "Yet at that moment in the sunrise, it was all so beautiful, everything from all directions, evenly, perfectly balancing day with night, summer months with winter.  The valley was enclosing this totality like the mind holding all thoughts together in a single moment" (Silko 220).  Stars are a sense of hope, especially for Tayo as he is faced with difficult times.  Stars are hope, they are light in the darkness, and a guiding path for Tayo.

Along with the glimpses of hope, there are many moments that stand out throughout the book, especially towards the end.  Many people question Tayo's sanity, however it is Tayo that is right all along.  "He cried the relief he felt at finally seeing the pattern, the way all the stories fit toghether -- the old stories, the war stories, their stories -- to become the story that was still being told.  He was not crazy; he had never been crazy.  He had only seen and heard the world as it always was: no boundaries, only transitions through all distances and time" (Silko 229).  Tayo is finally accepting the fact that everything that has happened to him in the past is a part of him and has made him who he is.  He has realized that he doesn't want to change his past, but instead wants to learn from it.