The Character of Tayo provides us with the clearest example of developing a coherent relationship with our history. Tayo suffers from what is in the final analysis a crisis brought on by his inability to place himself in a cultural context. His struggle is a struggle to not only learn about his culture, but to personalize it and place himself within the framework.

Tayo's healing does not occur within the confines of a traditional hospital. Rather, he has to discover his history and reconcile that history with his current life. To do this, he sees Old Betonie. Betonie uses calendars to begin to make links to Tayo's personal history. Through the use of these images, Betonie is able to anchor Tayo in the context of culture. Silko is certainly making a detailed case for the power of history. She makes the case by showing the dangerous results if we isolate ourselves from the past.

Click here to return to the areas of analysis on the main page.