Everything in life must grow and change to stay healthy,
whether it is a rock that smoothens by the wind or a plant growing from a bud.
This same concept is a very important aspect of creating identity, the soul of
a person. “In life everything changes / … / The green grass dies for Winter /
and grows back in Summer” (Macknight). Change is shown in Ceremony many times, the characters have mentioned it relating to
Native American ceremonies and in today’s societies. There is a cycle of change,
without this transformation, one would stay the same forever; through growth
and experiences, one can discover who they are. “If
there is no struggle there is no progress / if there is no hardship there is no happiness / you can never be through changing
/ for when you are done changing / you are done living”
(Macknight). In Ceremony, a healer
told Tayo that all which don’t grow are dead things, in a lifetime, one never
stops changing; if they don’t change, they are either dull, or have passed on. The
circle of life does not allow one to stay the same, humans constantly adapt to
whatever life throws at them, allowing humans to become better and stronger
than before.
Mass culture today and morphed into
societies popular culture, meaning whatever is in style is mass produced. Inevitably,
this type of culture affects how one views themselves and the world. In the
photo, a family is watching TV, which has become a major instrument for mass
media, allowing what was once very selected and elite to become democratized. Mass
media can carry subtle messages to control the way their audience thinks. TV
shows, movies, or reality TV depict the actors as glorious beings, and many people
can be affected by this. Singers, actors, and other types of fame will start
trends that flow to an everyday person. That male or female will then view how
they want to look and act differently than before. How a society in general present
themselves, dress, eat, play, etc (their outward identity) all depends on what
is popular and/or mass promoted or produced. What the family in the photo seems
to be watching the news, one of the easy access ways of getting outside
information from their own city to a country across the sea. The news, sadly, can
be very biased, tipping to how they want a certain matter to be viewed. Yet,
whether or not they are biased, news from television still presents information
vastly throughout cultures. How one views different problems and parts of the
world will sometimes depend on how the matter is shown and opinions will form. Opinions,
unique or not, are a part of a person’s personality and can be influenced by
mass media.
With today’s technology, one can
come into contact with another across the globe. A better understanding of that
person and their culture can be formed by this interaction and can also be used
to broaden identity as it relates to others. From the photo, two people are
interacting through technology (a phone and a laptop), both of which can
connect to the internet. The internet has proven multiple times that it can
bring people together, from using social media to spread news of a disaster, to
forming a revolution to better society. This technology can be used to become
more aware of one’s surroundings. The two individuals that are communicating
with each other are also seemingly from different countries. If empathy, or and
understanding can be formed between countries, then the label of identification
through race and country will be broken. Instead humans can identify themselves
as just being human, not just by being French or Brazilian, Christian or
Muslim.
Stereotypes are a major source of
how someone views themselves. An example of a stereotype is how Native Americans
are depicted, as shown in the documentary Reel
Injun. Natives are stereotyped as unstoppable, stoic, and warrior-like,
though this is not true in most cases. In Smoke
Signals, while Thomas and Victor are on a bus, Victor criticizes how Thomas
acts, saying he’s not a real Indian. Though this stereotype of an “Indian” is
untrue, one may try to become that label because it is what everyone outside
their culture views them as. Later in the scene, Victor explains what an Indian
really is, someone who “doesn’t smile and looks like they just came back from a
hunt”. Labeling how one should act can determine how they turn out to be, if
one tells themselves that they should be tough and stoic, eventually that will
happen. The stereotype created by others becomes their identity.
Events in a lifetime can be life changing,
and depending how one deals with it, the event can change them. PTS(D) is a
serious mental statement that can change a person’s outlook on life,
themselves, and others. “I was in a fight that was not a fair fight. / I did
not ask for the fight. / I lost” (Survivor Psalm). Post-traumatic stress will
leave an indentation in a person’s soul, it marks them forever. The event may
later define them, whether it is bad or good. “I look back with sadness rather
than hate. / I look forward with hope rather than despair. / I may never
forget, but I need not constantly remember” (Survivor Psalm). A person can grow
from their experiences, they may have had a tough past, but they can still move
forward. The event will always leave a wound, but a wound heals leaving a scar,
becoming a part of their self.
