How Does Marji Change Tayo's Culture

Although they come from two different worlds, Marji and Tayo learn, experience, and grow to become the people they are at the end of their novels. To become who they are, Tayo and Marji change their outlooks and perspectives. In Iran, Marji’s school taught her that God chose the leader of the country. Consequentially, Marji believed this throughout most of her childhood. As a result, Marji tells her father, “As for me, I love the king, he was chosen by God” (Satrapi 19) Marji’s father tells her the story of how the British took an uneducated man and made him the dictator of Iran in exchange for some of the country’s oil. Marji’s father explains, “And that’s how he became king and naturally his son succeeded him. God has nothing whatsoever …show more content…
Tayo has a respect for nature that not many other people outside of his culture share. Furthermore, Tayo’s upbringing on the reservation gave him a different perspective than most; many people don’t have the deep connection with nature that Tayo has. Culture is not the only thing that affects people through their geographical backgrounds, the government can also influence a person, for better or worse. Growing up in war-torn Iran, Marji had a very different childhood than most children. When Marji was young, she met her Uncle Anoosh, a communist who went against the ideals of the government. As a result, Anoosh was thrown in jail for his actions against the state, making him Marji’s hero. When he got out of prison, he and Marji became very close. However, much to Marji’s disdain, Anoosh was executed. While Marji was mourning in her room, in her imagination,God came to visit her, who she had talked to several times throughout the novel. When God asks her what is wrong, Marji yells, “Shut up, you! Get out of my life!!! I never want to see you again!” (Satrapi 74). Having to see the death of a loved one at such a young age is difficult, but it is even harder to see a loved one executed for standing up …show more content…
As a result, her outlook becomes more bitter because of this event; she turns away from her religion and becomes much more rebellious towards her government. Undoubtedly, Marji’s negative outlook on her government and religion were a direct result of her cultural and geographical background. A similar negative outlook is created for Tayo in “Ceremony”. Throughout the novel, Tayo acquires a negative view of white culture after his time spent in the war, and their general treatment of Native Americans. Due to Tayo growing up as a person of mixed race on a Native American reservation, Tayo faces a lot of prejudice in his life. While a good amount of the prejudice Tayo faces comes Native Americans, most of the prejudice comes from white people. Tayo explains that, “They never thought to blame the white people for any of it; they wanted white people for their friends. They never saw that it was white people who gave them that feeling and it was white people who took it away again when the war was over” (Silko 39). Throughout the novel, primarily towards the middle section, Tayo develops a strongly negative outlook on white culture. After spending time in the war and experiencing the prejudiced