Sherman Alexie's short story "What You Pawn I Will Redeem" represents the Native American Indian race in the contemporary era. The author uses a stylized conversational tone where Jackson narrates his story and represents the culture of the ethnic group. Jackson experienced obstacles in his quest to recover his grandmother's traditional powwow costume. One challenge that affected Jackson's ability to raise the required amount of cash was his homelessness, and this led to more financial needs on his part. Also, he was a drunk person who spent the little money that he got on alcohol despite not having enough to save for his grandmother's regalia. After winning a hundred dollars in the lottery, Jackson gave twenty to the clerk and went ahead to spend the remaining eighty on shots in an Indian bar. Later, he used twenty-five dollars out of the thirty dollars that a police officer gave him to take three Native Americans out to eat. Therefore, Jackson's journey to regain his grandmother's traditional powwow costume seems an impossible task because every time he takes a step forward, he takes two back.
Jackson's quest began after he saw his grandmother's traditional powwow costume in a pawnshop window, and it is then that he confronted the owner of the shop. He confirmed that the piece is indeed his grandmother's costume that was "stolen' over fifty years ago because it had a hidden yellow bead beneath the armpit. The pawnbroker offered Jackson a deal saying, "I'll give you twenty-four hours to come up with nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars" (Alexie, 2003). Jackson had the task of meeting the targeted goals despite some of the challenges such as his alcohol addiction, homelessness, gambling, and overspending. Jackson portrays the role of a hero in the story "What You Pawn, I Will Redeem" because he went through all the obstacles to get what he wanted.
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Jackson was a drunk person who first drank after the pawnbroker gave him twenty dollars that he could use to raise the agreed upon amount. He even blacked out after drinking with his two friends, Rose of Sharon and Junior. Despite Jackson's issues with alcoholism, he managed to complete his quests in returning to the pawnshop after twenty-four hours. However, he did not return with nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars as agreed but with only five dollars which was the amount that he had at the time that he entered the pawnshop as the story began. However, he did seem unsuccessful in his quest of getting the desired amount agreed upon yet the owner of the pawnshop gave him the regalia stating, "You did win it," (Alexie, 2003). Even though Jackson did not manage to quit alcohol, he managed to return with a small amount to show his dedication and will to complete his task. Therefore, Jackson's commitment to attaining his mission of getting back his grandmother's traditional powwow costume is remarkable in the story "What You Pawn, I Will Redeem."
There is a higher probability that the pawnbroker expected that Jackson would come back empty-handed if he ever returned at all. However, his return with five dollars despite his financial situation shows that he was indeed determined to get his grandmother's costume despite the obstacles that he would encounter. Jackson's determination to get the regalia is what motivates the pawnbroker to decide to give it back to him even though Jackson did not raise nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars as agreed. The success of Jackson's impossible quest as well as his motivation are essential parts of his heroic journey and show the special bond that he shared with his grandmother. Throughout the story, the narrator frequently mentions the connection that he has with the regalia as he narrated it to most people that he met in his quest.
The death of Jackson's grandmother left a wound that would never heal, and the evidence of this is when he passed out on the railroad tracks. At this incident, Officer Williams found Jackson and asked him why he had never been that stupid, and Jackson replied "It's my grandmother. She died… I've been killing myself ever since" (Alexie, 2003). The scene is an indication of how the sight of his grandmother's regalia in the pawnshop prompted an emotional wound that reminded him of his painful memories. The move that Jackson made shows that he was in a quest more than regaining a family heirloom (Perich, M. S. (2011), but also finding peace and happiness for his soul. After regaining the regalia, he walked into the street shouting "I was my grandmother, dancing" (Alexie, 2003), and this also indicates how he obtained joy. The incident depicts a happy ending for Jackson's heroic quest of returning his grandmother's traditional powwow costume.
On the other hand, the author of "What You Pawn, I Will Redeem," Sherman Alexie used symbolism to represent Jackson's attempts to reclaim his heritage and identity through his grandmother's long lost powwow garment. Jackson claimed that the cause of his grandmother's death was breast cancer, and stated that "maybe cancer started in her broken heart and then leaked out into her breasts" (Alexie, 2003). The representation is about how the encroachment of white people led to the demise of old culture and traditions; hence the attempt by Jackson to recover them (Shalabi). He does not state the reason for his homelessness because it is part of the Italian culture to remain secretive. Therefore, Jackson represents the long lost culture and identity that he actively seeks to recover despite all odds.
Throughout the story, the author Sherman Alexie portrays Jackson as a compassionate, caring, and giving person, and this is evident in the actions of the people that he meets. At the first time that he met the pawnshop owner to claim his grandmother's traditional powwow costumer, his two friends, Rose of Sharon and Junior suggested that they call the police to arrest him. However, Jackson did not agree to that after the pawnbroker told him that he had also purchased the regalia for a thousand dollars. The confrontation prompted them to make a deal that the narrator was to return for it with nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars after twenty-four hours. The decision prompted the pawnbroker to give him twenty dollars that he would use to make more money to purchase the regalia. Therefore, Jackson is a good person at heart who seeks to treat people the same way that he expected to be treated as he did not report the stolen garment to the police upon seeing it.
Irrespective of his irresponsibility resulting from continuous drinking, Jackson was of eminent decency. The police officer, Officer Williams, woke a drunk Jackson from his sleep and he (Jackson) mentions that the Williams is the "second-best cop" that Jackson ever knew. The police officer sought to take Jackson to the rehab but changed his mind about it after hearing about the grandmother's regalia. Williams then helps him with thirty dollars with the expectation that he would use it to make a thousand dollars stating "I believe in what you believe" (Alexie, 2003). Also, his kind heart and care are evident when he kept checking on his friend Junior after he blacked out after they took alcohol together. Jackson foregoes his mission to check whether the friend is still sleeping, up to the last minute where Junior was not in the place he was left.
Jackson's kind heart was also evidenced in how he treated three Native Americans by purchasing them food even though he needed the money. He offers Aleuts breakfast at Mother's Kitchen, and this is a demonstration of how he had a kind heart and was willing to sacrifice what he had for the benefit of others. As they left the restaurant, Jackson even left a tip to the waitress that served them. In the end, he was only left with five dollars out of the expected amount to pay for the regalia. Jackson is a hero in his deeds and completes a mission that almost seems impossible at the beginning (Cline, 2010). The good that Jackson sees in others is what other people also see in him, and this is evident after the owner of the pawnshop gave him the regalia even though he failed in raising the expected amount. The pawnbroker saw the good in Jackson as well as his determination and will to get what he wanted by being present at the agreed upon time.
The story "What You Pawn, I Will Redeem" by Sherman Alexie is about Jackson who seeks to find the money needed to buy his grandmother's traditional powwow costume. However, there existed various challenges that the narrator faced in the quest, and these included his homelessness, addiction to drinking, and irresponsible behavior. In the end, Jackson becomes successful in his goal of getting back his grandmother's regalia despite the lack of enough money. Other characters such as Officer Williams and the pawnbroker saw the good in him and sought to help him to achieve his purpose, and this makes him a hero who turns the impossible to be possible.
References
Alexie, S. (2003). What you pawn I will redeem. NEW YORKER-NEW YORKER MAGAZINE INCORPORATED- , 168-177.
Cline, I. (2010). The Hero of the Modern Mock Epic: Sherman Alexie’s ‘What You Pawn I Will Redeem.’. The Image of the Hero II , 139-41.
Daragmeh, A. K. T. (2018). Messy Muddles: Capitalist and Non-Capitalist Encounters in
Sherman Alexie’s “What You Pawn I will Redeem”. International Journal , 6 (2), 103-111.
Perich, M. S. (2011). Picking Up the Threads: Materializing Family Histories (Doctoral dissertation, UNIVERSITY OF ART).
Radulescu, R. (2011). “Ambiguously Ethnic” in Sherman Alexie’s Seattle: Re-Imagining
Indigenous Identities in the Twenty-First Century. Selling Ethnicity: Urban Cultural Politics in the Americas , 133.
Shalabi, A. A. The Quest for Identity in Sherman Alexie’s “What You Pawn I Will Redeem”.
