What You Pawn I will Redeem
Essay 1: “What You Pawn, I Will Redeem”
Sherman Alexie’s "What you Pawn, I Will Redeem" appears on the surface to be a simply written story of a homeless, alcoholic Indian in Seattle who is trying to earn enough money to reclaim his grandmothers Pow Wow regalia from a local pawn shop. But upon looking closely, there are many symbolic passages that my lead a person to much deeper conclusions. Throughout the story there are many clues that hint at the fact that this quest may not have been real, but a more "spiritual" experience for him. It could be argued that Jackson Jackson was on a modern day vision quest.
In the introduction of the story, Jackson bluntly describes himself as a homeless Indian who “...married two or three times, fathered two or three kids, then went crazy” (9) and “...an alcoholic Indian with a busted stomach...” (15). His alcoholism has become critical to his health. Years of alcohol abuse and mental illness may have altered his sense of awareness. It is plausible that his quest to reclaim his grandmother 's regalia is truly a delusion, which he has manifested within himself in an effort to find his connections with his family, his heritage and himself.
His desire to reconnect with his people is apparent early on in the story, and may be perpetuated by his situation. "My people have lived within the hundred mile radius of Spokane, Washington for at least 10,000 years" (8). Yet he is homeless. He feels invisible, like so many other homeless Indians in Seattle. “Piece by piece I disappeared, and I 've been disappearing ever since" (9). This passage could symbolize not only his own feelings of disconnect from his family and culture, but the Indian people’s plight in general. They struggle to remain rooted in their culture while being forced to leave their ancestral lands and sacred places behind. The above passages establish the importance that he places on his family and his heritage. He takes pride in the fact that he is a “Spokane Indian
Sherman Alexie’s "What you Pawn, I Will Redeem" appears on the surface to be a simply written story of a homeless, alcoholic Indian in Seattle who is trying to earn enough money to reclaim his grandmothers Pow Wow regalia from a local pawn shop. But upon looking closely, there are many symbolic passages that my lead a person to much deeper conclusions. Throughout the story there are many clues that hint at the fact that this quest may not have been real, but a more "spiritual" experience for him. It could be argued that Jackson Jackson was on a modern day vision quest.
In the introduction of the story, Jackson bluntly describes himself as a homeless Indian who “...married two or three times, fathered two or three kids, then went crazy” (9) and “...an alcoholic Indian with a busted stomach...” (15). His alcoholism has become critical to his health. Years of alcohol abuse and mental illness may have altered his sense of awareness. It is plausible that his quest to reclaim his grandmother 's regalia is truly a delusion, which he has manifested within himself in an effort to find his connections with his family, his heritage and himself.
His desire to reconnect with his people is apparent early on in the story, and may be perpetuated by his situation. "My people have lived within the hundred mile radius of Spokane, Washington for at least 10,000 years" (8). Yet he is homeless. He feels invisible, like so many other homeless Indians in Seattle. “Piece by piece I disappeared, and I 've been disappearing ever since" (9). This passage could symbolize not only his own feelings of disconnect from his family and culture, but the Indian people’s plight in general. They struggle to remain rooted in their culture while being forced to leave their ancestral lands and sacred places behind. The above passages establish the importance that he places on his family and his heritage. He takes pride in the fact that he is a “Spokane Indian