This article will share a postcolonial analysis of three widely taught texts that the author has used to introduce both secondary English language arts classes and college students in multicultural young adult literature courses to postcolonial criticism: Sherman Alexie's "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian," Gene Luen…

Standing Rock Sioux writer Susan Power's best-selling novel "The Grass Dancer" (1994) includes depictions of the supernatural and spiritual that do not conform to the Judeo-Christian or, in some cases, the atheist or rationalist worldviews of many readers. Power writes of ghost characters and haunted places, communication between the living and…

This article analyzes in the novel Balun Canan by Rosario Castellanos the pain caused by the persistence of neocolonialism in the Comitan region of Chiapas during President Cardenas's land reforms of the 1930s. In this work, the author lays bare personal wounds through the discourse of the variously gendered characters of a culturally mixed…

Expands upon Paul Verniere's (1973) article by extending the question of sources to include not only the maps that Prevost probably consulted, but also the various books which might have inspired the novelist. (Text is in French.) (Author/DB)

Native American literary works have often been ignored by serious critics or examined by social scientists in ways that rob them of their effectiveness as works of art. The emphasis of postmodern theory on the creative power of language, on narrative discourse, and on signs and semiotics allows an original and perceptive approach to Native…

Examines common themes in three Native American novels by N. Scott Momaday, James Welch, and Leslie Silko: the power of Indian women's femaleness, and reintegration of the alienated male protagonist through ancient rituals that awaken the realization of the feminine principle within himself. (SV)

Discusses the Native American literary renaissance that began in 1968, and introduces a survey of 175 books published since then by American Indians and Eskimos. Clarifies usage of "American Indian,""American Indian literature," and "Native American." Examines literary criticism of contemporary Native American…

Erdrich and Dorris, spouses of mixed Anglo-Indian heritage, have written novels addressing the issues of shifting racial identity and marginality among mixed-blood persons. In "The Crown of Columbus," such persons are "catches" fastening two cultures together, and the authors synthesize a male-female Native…

Focusing on the natural world, the use of myth and ritual in the novel, and the formal design of the work, symposium papers present and analyze crucial themes and forms in Leslie Marmon Silko's "Ceremony," a novel distinctively Indian in narrative technique, thematic content, and structure. (CM)

Explores aspects of "The Way to Rainy Mountain," through which Momaday incorporates Native American oral narrative modes into Euro-American written autobiography, and blends mythical, historical, and personal narratives of the Kiowa migration and Momaday's own journey from Montana to Oklahoma. Contains 36 references. (SV)

Tayo's war experiences have destroyed his reverence for the creatures of nature. His changed attitude of respect for animals, his acceptance of their apparently evil acts, and his imitation of them indicate his healing. By observing animals, Tayo learns what to accept and what to reject for his survival. (CM)

All stories, ceremonies, and rituals are attempts to confer "totality" or structure on experience; ordinarily unrelated objects and events are given definite connection. In "Ceremony," the disjointed parts are refocused through the traditional hoop symbol and converge in a circular pattern of restoration and genuine renewal.…

Outlines the Laguna (Pueblo) symbolic geography or world view as it is woven into Leslie Silko's novel "Ceremony." Explains the protagonist's spiritual journey toward health and harmony in terms of symbols and beliefs in Laguna mythology. Contains 21 references. (SV)

Because of his mixed blood and his war experiences, Tayo feels displaced and estranged. Reoccurring bad memories have impaired his ability to function. He has forgotten the old stories which serve as guides to growth. His eventual recollection of the old stories is instrumental in effecting his healing. (CM)

Mythic (stated in poetic form) and contemporary (stated in prose) narrative shapes the events of "Ceremony." Medicine Man Betonie teaches Tayo to relate cause to effect through story. Tayo must bring the meaning of changed life experiences to the way he feels the story. (CM)