“He liked the way she talked. There was something in her eyes too. He saw it the first time when she had said, 'I've seen you before many times, and I always remembered you.' Josiah could not remember ever seeing her before, but there was something in her hazel brown eyes that made him believe her.”
In this quote from Leslie Marmon Silko's work, the character of Josiah is drawn to the way a woman speaks and the look in her eyes. Despite not being able to recall ever seeing her before, he is captivated by her assertion that she has seen him many times and always remembered him. The description of "something in her hazel brown eyes" that makes him believe her illustrates a sense of mysterious connection or familiarity that transcends mere physical appearance. This quote hints at themes of fate, destiny, and the power of personal connections that may exist beyond the constraints of time and memory.
In Leslie Marmon Silko's quote, the idea of a deep connection and recognition between two individuals is highlighted through the exchange of words and a shared gaze. This theme is still relevant today as people continue to seek meaningful connections and encounters with others in a fast-paced and often disconnected world. The ability to see and feel a connection with someone, even if there is no apparent history between them, speaks to the power of human intuition and the potential for profound relationships to form instantly.
In this passage from Leslie Marmon Silko's novel "Ceremony", the protagonist Josiah is drawn to the mysterious woman's captivating demeanor and the connection he feels with her despite not remembering ever meeting her before. The power of her words and the enigmatic look in her eyes leave a lasting impression on Josiah.
When reading this passage from Leslie Marmon Silko's work, consider the following questions for reflection:
“It was when she returned to him, chilled & clearheaded, that it happened. He sat against the tree, his knees bent & his head in his hands. His shoulders slumped. Tired, unhappy. Something tender caught in her breath at the sight of him. And then he raised his eyes and looked at her, and she saw what she had not seen before. She gasped.His eyes were beautiful. His face was beautiful to her in every way, and his shoulders and hands. And his arms that hung over his knees, and his chest that was not moving, because he held his breath as he watched her. And the heart in his chest. This friend. How had she not seen this before? How had she not seen him? She was blind. And then tears choked her eyes, for she had not asked for this. She had not asked for this beautiful man before her, with something hopeful in his eyes that she did not want.”
“She looked up at him and her face was pale and austere in the uplight and her eyes lost in their darkly shadowed hollows save only for the glint of them and he could see her throat move in the light and he saw in her face and in her figure something he'd not seen before and the name of that thing was sorrow.”
“Lady Maccon stopped suddenly. Her husband got four long strides ahead before he realized she had paused. She was starring thoughtfully up into the aether, twirling the deadly parasol about her head."I have just remembered something," Alexia said when he returned to her side."Oh, that explains everything. How foolish of me to think you could walk and remember at the same time.”
“The riders, too, were like nothing she had ever seen before: ethereal men and women with pale visages, their cheekbones so sharply sculpted that she could see their skulls through translucent skin. They surrounded her and looked at her with steely blue eyes, each gaze an arrow staking her to that spot, and she could not close her eyes though the sight of them made her eyes burn as if she were looking at the sun.”
“You remember?' he said incredulously. 'What could you possibly remember?' he asked, staring at her, waiting for the answer.The beauty from within her soul shined brightly through her loving eyes as she looked deep into Noah’s now melting eyes.'I remember — I love you,' she said in a soft voice, nervously biting her lip.”