In conclusion, Major Jackson poem “Mighty Pawns” uses imagery and symbols portray a hopeful child, using his intelligence to succeed; even when his circumstances are against him. Jackson emphasizes the challenging of traditional beliefs and breaking stereotypes throughout the poem. With Earl’s story, he is able to give poverty more depth, instead of marginalising it with a broad stereotype. Thus forcing the audience to rethink their ideas on…
In Sherman Alexie's, “What You Pawn I Will Redeem,” an alcoholic, homeless Indian sets out on a quest to win back his grandmother's stolen regalia. The main character and narrator, Jackson Jackson, stumbles upon his stolen family heirloom in a pawnshop window and proceeds to spend the next day trying to earn enough money to buy it back. The pawnshop owner tells him he will sell it back to him for $999 and that he has 24 hours to come up with the money. Jackson gains small amounts of money here and there, but always ends up spending it on alcohol or food. When the 24 hours is up, Jackson returns to the pawnshop with only $5 to spend. The shop owner asks him if he worked hard for the small amount of money he had, Jackson tells him, “Yes,” and the owner gives him the regalia. Alexie…
In Sherman Alexie’s fiction, “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven,” Alexie narrates some story presented by some unreal events that happened in the reservation, but he conveyed these stories with real elements such as emotions, facts from history, or even what he remembers from his memory as to what he claims as “reservation realism”.…
Alexie’s tone throughout the story impacts the reader’s perception of it. Throughout the text, there are many corrupt incidences told that ends with laughter. For example, there was one situation in which a Maori soldier had lost both of his legs but he tries to humor his condition by joking that his legs had ran away in heaven. Jackson’s grandmother then proceeds to be witty back and tell the soldier that “you have got to get your arms strong... so you can run on your hands” (Alexie 4). Another incident where something serious is met with happiness is when Jackson is saved from the railroad tracks by a white police officer. Once together and Jackson is awake, the officer asks, “how the hell do you Indians laugh so much?” (Alexie 7). Even though…
To begin with, Sherman Alexie is a modern day warrior because he never gave up even after enduring torment and numerous difficult situations. When referring to his childhood nicknames Sherman Alexie stated “Sometimes it was Bloody Nose or Steal-His-Lunch . Once it was Cry-Like-a-White-Boy, even though none of us had seen a white boy cry.” This statement illustrates how despite the torment he received from his peers as early as the first grade, Sherman Alexie never gave up hope and was able to graduate from high school…
In the short story “What You Pawn I Will Redeem,” written by Sherman Alexie, Jackson Squared is a homeless alcoholic Indian man who is on a quest to prove to others that there is still good people in the world that are willing to help others. Jackson states, “The pawnbroker didn’t know it was stolen. And, besides, I’m on a mission here. I want to be a hero, you know? I want to win it back, like a knight” (Alexie 24). Jackson’s point is that he doesn’t want people to feel sorry for him because of his situation. He wants to prove to others that when someone is in a horrible situation that doesn’t mean that they should lose hope.…
In the short story, “Battle Royal”, Ralph Ellison uncovers a boy’s fight to maintain his dignity in a world of racial injustice. The first person narration portrays a naïve view of the boy’s values of what he believes is important in life that is only questioned by his grandpa’s firm conviction of dignity. On page 39, starting with paragraph 99, the text depicts the differences between the two segregated worlds of black and white.…
In Sherman Alexie’s short story, “What You Pawn I Redeem,” Jackson, the protagonist, must figure out how he can merge his Native American culture into modern day Seattle. The characters in this story have similar characteristics of real life Native Americans. According to The main character, Jackson Jackson, is part of the Spokane Indian Tribe but he has moved to a larger metropolitan area in Seattle, which is much different from the cultured-based Spokane Reservation. Most people move to a new area and have to deal with finding new friends and finding their way around town, but Jackson has bigger problem. He is caught up in his Native American culture and has not quite learned how to live the modern day lifestyle. The story shows that it is important that he keeps his culture alive without becoming separated from the modern world. Jackson is put to the test each and every day to find new ways to interact in the big city and figure out how he can mix his historic traditions with the contemporary civilization that is set in Seattle, Washington. He must adapt to a new culture without losing his own. The struggle to balance modern day living and the Native American culture in Seattle is revealed through the setting.…
Through his omniscient point of view, Sherman Alexie approaches his audience embracing three important topics in his short story. First, the author illustrates through his narrative the socio-economic conditions that in the present time continue to affect thousands of Native Americans through-out Indian American reservations in the United States. Second, he allows his audience to relate Victor’s personage with himself by describing places, experiences and characters that were part of his real life in his younger years as a teenager. Finally by using victor’s negative behavior, the author highlights and…
Sherman Alexie is an American poet, writer, and filmmaker, which was raised on the Spokane Indian Reservations. Alexie's literary work shows the reality of how modern Native Americans faced poverty, alcoholism, and violence on and off the reservations. In addition, unlike many authors Alexie uses gallows humor to lighten the darkness in some of his stories. Most of Alexie’s stories do not deal with life on the reservations; most of his stories are life experiences that can influence readers to overcome situations in life. Alexie’s short story “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” is a powerful written novel that brings two ex-friends together to overcome challenges in life. This story is about two characters Victor and Thomas Build-The-Fire,…
Sherman J. Alexie, is a short story written in the first person focusing on two Native American Men who grew up together on a Reservation for Native Americans but have been estranged from each other since they were teenagers. Victor who is the narrator of this story is a young man who lost faith in his culture and its traditions, while Thomas our second main character is a deeply rooted traditional storyteller. In the beginning of the story Victor, our Native American narrator learns the death of his father. Jobless and penniless, his only wish is to go to Phoenix, Arizona and bring back his father’s ashes and belongings to the reservation in Spokane. The death of Victor’s father leads him and Thomas to a journey filled with childhood stories and memories that will make them reconsider the state of their friendship. The author Sherman J. Alexie uses money, a lonely jackrabbit in the deserts of Nevada, and Thomas’s stories as symbols to bring on and let us think about the importance of friendship, and values such as loyalty and optimism.…
Coming from a family with much diversity, I can relate to Alexie’s use of stereotypes. My grandfather came to the United States from Italy, and my grandmother was Jewish, and with them came the stereotypes, much of them true. My grandfather loved pasta, and talked with his hands, and my grandmother was a nice Jewish girl who counted her pennies. Whether by choice or by birthright, these stereotypes never bothered me, instead I was I was proud of them. In "What You Pawn I Will Redeem" Alexie is proud of his heritage and uses humor to represent the negative stereotypes of the Native American Indian.…
Nicholas Lemann's book, Redemption: The Last Battle of the Civil War, is a great book that describes in detail the pain and destruction that many southern blacks were put through in the late 1800s. Adelbert Ames is the main character in this book and the chief protagonist. Ames is Mississippi's reconstruction governor as he was elected in a land slide election because of all the support he had from ex-slaves. Once he was in office, Ames had many changes intact for the state of Mississippi. His main plan was to create a well structured public school system to help out all citizens that suffered with poverty and illiteracy.…
Humor acts as as a remedy for Jackson Jackson and other characters, as they find relief during situations of negativity. In the short story, What You Pawn I will Redeem, the author, Sherman Alexie, uses humor often when talking about Indian stereotypes and in ironical situations. Alexie uses humor ironically through his characters to show how they can get passed through harsh moments with laughter.…
In the poem "On the Amtrak from Boston to New York City" by Sherman Alexie, the speaker is portrayed as a Native American Indian whose apparent wish is to retake and make known his ownership of Indian land, which was stolen by white people. However, his sympathy towards his rivals seems to keep him from accomplishing these goals.…