Stories are central in Laguna culture. Stories tie the world together, and they are continuously being reinvented. Storyteller is Leslie Marmon Silko’s collection of short stories, photographs, and poems. It demonstrates that stories can be remembered and that no one ever dies. Silko’s stories convey the same idea. However, her short stories “Storyteller” (and “The Storyteller’s Escape”) use character to show the cyclical immortality and need to recite history. “Storyteller” uses plotting and character to show the timeless aspect of stories and the tradition of the storyteller. “Storyteller”, contains three main stories: the grandfather’s and the grandmother’s stories, as well as the story of her parents’ deaths and the women’s. Each of these stories has its own story, and its characters. But, they all combine to create one cohesive story.
The story of her grandfather is told in the same manner as the women’s. The woman’s story is also shaped by the death stories of her parents, influencing what they will say and do. It is stated that the grandfather “continues” with the stories (18) and that he “tells a story even when he dreams (19). Silko presents an updated version of an ancient figure in Laguna Culture: the storyteller. The grandfather tells a tale that the reader may not understand at first. His story is about a giant bear (21), and he tells it in great detail. This sets the stage for his continuing drama. While little information is available at this stage, the story will unfold parallel to that of the women. Silko interrupts the grandfather’s story and quickly switches to the story about the death of her parents. The memory ends in the grandmother’s grief and anger at the storekeeper for telling lies to avoid being culpable. The truth is an essential ingredient in stories. However, the lies of the storekeeper shine as a defiling twist to the sacred aspect. A hunter follows the grandparents’ story and joins them. The hunter attempts to lure the bear into its death. At this point, the grandfather’s story ends with the hunter saying that the story must be told. 25) There cannot be any lies. This statement contrasts with the story of the storekeeper and prefigures the story of the woman. Silko starts to weave together the stories, creating one seamless moment. The woman approaches the shopkeeper as the bear approaches him. 28) The storekeeper is killed by the story the woman tells. The ending of the grandfather’s tale is yet to be revealed, but the woman creates her story as she leads the storekeeper to his death in the icy river (28). She is updating an older story and creating a new one that reflects the lives of her characters. The mother’s story is also connected to her parents’. When asked why she denies that the death was accidental she explained that her father lied to her parents (28). The murder of her parents by a storekeeper is compared to the murder of her mother. Both were premeditated. One could say that they were accidental. But the woman took control of her story, and the storekeeper was awash in lies. The grandfather’s grandfather said almost exactly the same thing when the woman finished her story. She said that the story should be told “as it is” (30), echoing her grandfather’s sentiment (25). Silko emphasizes the importance stories play in Laguna culture, as well as pride in telling the truth and keeping them updated. The story of the woman ends with Silko reciting the beginning of her story, looping it as her grandfather did (30). This illustrates the importance of storytelling and shows that stories can continue to be told. The grandfather concludes his story by explaining that the hunter was unable to kill the bear because he dropped his knife on the ice. The bear defeated the man (30). The female character, the bear, represents Laguna stories. The stories change over time, adapting to the changing times. The storyteller is also immortalized like the stories. The grandfather’s work is finished and the storyteller’s task is handed to the young woman. The storyteller turns to the woman. She will tell her own version. Stories continue even when people’s lives end. The storytellers continue telling their stories, creating a life that will never end.
Although the story is different, “The Storyteller’s Escape”, although it’s a different story entirely, has many of the same themes. Silko creates another world with characterizations and content that transcends time and teaches us timeless truths. The importance of having a storyteller for each story to be remembered and the preservation of lost memories is more prominent this time. The Storyteller’s Escape’s opening scene vividly demonstrates the value of stories. “With these stories of mine / we are able to escape almost any situation / these stories can help us survive” (239). These lines have multiple meanings for Silko. Because she has heard every story, Silko knows the endings and circumstances. This allows her to “escape almost everything” (239). There is no problem that is new or different from the one already solved. Storytellers can find ways to escape the problems by using stories from the past as guides. Stories can merge into each other, repeating history and guiding lives. Another part of the quote says that stories can help us survive (239). This connotation shifts from living to eternally. These stories guide them through life, and their deaths become part of the stories. They are remembered and live on, instead of dying.
As the story of the old taleteller begins, this idea becomes more clear. The storyteller is getting older and nearing death. As she struggles towards the end, she says she could “die peacefully” (241). This is an example of the concept that even death stories can make survival possible. Silko demonstrates how vital stories are by the pleas of the woman that someone remembers her. Instead of dying alone, the storyteller tells her story. She creates an imaginary child who “turned around for a last glance at her.” (242). The fictional child will be able tell the storyteller’s story and remember her past. This will allow the storyteller to pass her story on to another person. The Storyteller’s Escape, in a similar fashion to “Storyteller”, emphasizes that a new storyteller should take over from the one who left. Silko made this child so that the old storyteller could go to sleep at night. The story of the woman’s desire to be remembered is being told by someone who allows her to live on in the lives of her children. Even though she didn’t have a child, the story is being told by someone, which allowed her to live. Silko creates another beautiful story by weaving story within story, emphasizing how important it is to remember and be remembered.
Leslie Marmon Silko is the storyteller in her novel Storyteller. Silko takes the stories of Laguna and makes them relevant today. Silko brings the Laguna lives to life through literature. Silko’s novel preserves the fragmented reality that is oral storytelling. Her stories also keep the situations and characters in the pages safe. Silko accepts the storyteller role and challenges her readers. She asks them to remember people, cultures, stories and histories. Silko urges them to remember, as to be remembered is being alive.
Works cited
Silko, Leslie Marmon. “Storyteller.” “The storyteller’s escape.” Storyteller, Penguin Books. New York, 2012.