1983. From a novel or play of literary merit, select an important character who is a villain. Then, in a well-organized essay, analyze the nature of the character's villainy and show how it enhances meaning in the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.
Leslie Silko's novel Ceremony is about Tayo, a troubled WWII veteran who returns home where he must overcome his issues. One of the main instigators of Tayo's troubles throughout the book is a full blood Laguna named Emo. Though he is not always directly present, he is an embodiment of the evil and witchery that is plaguing Tayo until he completes his ceremony.
The first time we meet Emo, he is drunk and belligerent. In this case, Emo represents the evil threat that alcohol presents to the Laguna culture. By personifying the alcoholism in the Laguna society, we as readers are able to adopt a more sincere understanding of the effects the alcoholism is having on the Laguna people. Silko also uses Emo in order to show on an individual level how alcohol is changing the veterans and the society. This makes the whole issue of alcohol in the book much more personal and impactful.
Emo is also a racist. He hates all whites and also anyone who is not full Laguna, such as Tayo. Silko uses this quality of Emo to show just how destructive and horrible the racism towards natives is. By showing us first hand the abuse that Tayo takes from Emo on account of his race, makes the issue have a more direct effect on the story and on the reader. While Silko could have just spoken about how awful the racism towards natives was, she instead chose to show the racism from a personal perspective. Watching Emo abuse Tayo and others because of race makes the issue much more personal and much more effective as a tool for showing readers the racism towards Native Americans of the time.
The final evil quality that Silko portrays through Emo is violence. While the effect the war had on the different characters varies, it is only Emo who seems mostly unaffected by the war. Tayo for instance struggles with the idea that he may have killed a Japanese soldier which sends him into bouts of depression and sorrow. Emo even carries around a bag of human teeth that he captured as trophies. When Silko presents Emo like this, the reader has little option but to see him as a blood thirsty savage. Emo's affection towards violence makes Emo even more evil and despicable.
By presenting Emo in the way she does, Silko makes him seem extraordinarily evil. This helps the reader to see Tayo's point of view and get a better understanding of Tayo's story and struggle. Without making Emo into the madman he seems to be, the book but be much less and seem all together less sincere.
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