Native Americans’ Identity Quest In A Hybridized Culture

As an outstanding contemporary Native American writer of her generation, Leslie Marmon Silko is widely read and appreciated. Her novel Ceremony has aroused many critics’interest for her profound understanding of Native American cultural heritage and excellent narrative techniques since its publication in1977. It has a great significance to do research into such a representative postcolonial work of a great literary value.The present study, mainly based on Homi Bhabha’s postcolonial theory of hybridity and "third space", focuses on how Silko constructs the hybrid identity of the protagonist Tayo in Ceremony, with the intention of locating a "third space" for the Native American in the white mainstream culture. Tayo’s sufferings from the loss of identity to the journey of identity quest and then to regaining his hybrid identity in the third space is of great value to all Other in the hybridized culture. His loss of identity in a hybridized culture is an inevitable outcome of White American cultural invasion and assimilation and the subsequent acculturation. As a double Other on the reservation and in the white society, Tayo is caught up in the serious identity crisis. On his journey of identity quest, the native medicine men help him restore his memory of his native tradition and learn to adapt himself to the changing world and eventually realize his hybridized identity. Tayo’s experiences are suggestive of all the Other in the hybridized culture and his success in regaining his identity is indicative of hope to his native people and native culture. They have to survive in the third space in a hybridized culture. Globalization is quickening today’s acculturation. As a result, many more Tayos will appear. Then the "third space" is the best strategy. While holding on the traditional culture, one has to adapt to changes, one can break away from the dilemma of "who are we?" and "where are we from?". It is the only way out for people to survive in a hybridized culture.