Ceremony, like most novels, has multiple meanings in every passage and character. Night Swan and Josiah have huge influences on Tayo and represent much more than people he met. Night Swan on the surface is a prostitute that the village people hate. Every woman fears that her husband will visit her and them men don't respect her because to them she is only an object of temptation. She is nothing but trouble. Josiah was watched and criticized for going to Night Swan but they had something more than an affair. Through Josiah, and then Tayo, Night Swan reviles who she is. She represents confidence and independence specifically in women. Women throughout the novel are seen as objects to be possessed. Women are prizes. Night Swan isn't a prize. She slept with a married man who threatened her when his wife found out and never flinched. She calmly took his hateful comments and replied with the truth. He was just as at fault as she was but he preferred to blame her. He wanted to live in a lie but she was always the truth. There are hints that she is one of Tayo's healers in the novel and I think she helps him discover the truths he's been trying to hide underneath lies.
Josiah is the only father figure Tayo has his entire life. Robert is there but Auntie would never let him father Tayo. Tayo feels responsibility towards Josiah and feels guilty for going to leaving Josiah with the cattle when he leaves for the war. Josiah is the bachelor and not the perfect man but he is a good one. He takes care of Tayo like the cattle. Josiah's dream is to raise the perfect desert cattle that they can live off of. He knows it will be hard but Josiah wants the cattle to teach him how to survive. Animals survive in the desert and drought and Josiah with Tayo will learn too. Josiah is Tayo's guide in life. Josiah never lies about how hard caring for cattle is going to be but he wants Tayo to help. Josiah helps Tayo see the balance in life and find his own place in it.
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