ceremony

Each volume provides discussions of the literary and historical background of novels from various cultures and time periods. Includes concise synopses of plot, characters and themes, a brief author biography, discussion of the story's cultural and historical significance, and excerpted criticism.

Works included represent a wide range of circumstances in which individuals experience prejudice in American, British and world literature. The discussion goes well beyond race, religion, and gender into ethnicity, social status, mental and physical health, and personal beliefs and behaviors.

Presents a selection of critical essays written in response to Leslie Marmon Silko's "Ceremony, " the story of a young Native American who embarks on a quest for meaning and sanity after his release from a veteran's hospital following World War II, and includes an interview with the author.