Literary Analysis

There are many essentials to surviving in life. After the basic necessities such as water, food, intimacy, and shelter are met, finding your personal identity is the most significant to the dynamics of life. Personal identity can be defined as the distinguishing character by which an individual is infinitively recognizable or known. Personal identity makes a person who he or she is to be defined as. According to Greek philosopher Aristotle, identity is a concept that refers to the aspect of existence; therefore, the aspect of existence is something in particular, with specific characteristics. Finding who we truly are can aid in loving, identifying, and accepting ourselves. Notary short stories, “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” by Sherman Alexie, “Hollow” by Breece D'J Pancake, and “Until Gwen” by Dennis Lehane are great exemplifications of how the struggle with identity hurt or harm the develop of an individual’s character. “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” is a story of a man who struggles day to day in efforts to identify with himself and his culture. Spokane Indian, Jackson Jackson, is faced with a mission which is practically impossible. Jackson is convinced that a mysterious pawnbroker has his grandmother’s sacred powwow regalia; therefore, Jackson is to come up with $1,000 to “win” it back. Jackson identifies this certain regalia by a yellow bead hidden somewhere on it. His grandmother’s regalia is a clear depiction of how something is not perfect but can be so beautiful. This can relate to Jackson being that though he was not well off, he was a genuinely kind-hearted person. In this short story, Jackson is faced with hurdles involving oppression, substance abuse, homelessness, and even violence. By reclaiming this meaningful family treasure, Jackson Jackson subconsciously believes that he can connect and discover his cultural identity. The narrative, “Until Gwen”, is based on a young man by the name of Bobby who is perceived by readers to have