What You Pawn I Will Redeem is a short story by Sherman Alexie chronicling the day of a modern Spokane Indian named Jackson Jackson as he tries to get back his grandmother's regalia. Jackson is a homeless man that comes across his grandmother's powwow regalia that was stolen from her fifty years ago in a pawn shop window. The pawnshop owner tells Jackson that if he can come up with the money by the end of the day he can have the regalia, and even gives Jackson a twenty to start him off. The rest of the day Jackson spends and remakes money until he's left with twenty dollars again which he goes back to the pawnshop with. Despite Jackson's lack of funds the owner gives him his grandmother's regalia because he knew Jackson worked hard to make the money. Jackson is so overjoyed he puts on the regalia and runs into the street and dances while everyone stops and watches.
Alexie provides a look into the life of an American Indian in our modern day, which is so fascinating because modern society often looks upon Indians as an idea of the past. What is even more surprising is how similar the life of Jackson was to that of the characters in Tracks, a story set so far in the past. Jackson suffered in poverty and homelessness and was striving to retrieve an object close to his heart taken from his family, much like Fleur and her family. Fleur fought to keep her home and struggled to survive, as Jackson struggles to win back the regalia while staying alive on the streets. Native Americans are not an idea of the past, but still have to struggle through the same issues of the past and have been for generations.
Ann,
ReplyDeleteIt makes me happy that I am not alone in thinking about this as a subject for this assignment. I am glad that you connected gambling; especially using Alexie as the point-man. Fleur, proven gambler, struggles to keep her family together, just as Jackson, proves himself to merely break-even, does the same to merely prevent his family from 'vanishing'.
Good stuff
I really appreciate your take on these two stories; I never would have connected them! Additionally this made me think about how Fleur and Jackson fighting for something that is rightfully theirs. It is sad that Jackson getting back his regalia is seen as a privilege granted to him by the shop owner only after he works for a day to earn $20. The shop owner should have just given it to him, the same as Fleur's land. Thank you for connecting these two stories.
ReplyDeleteI really liked your connection between Fleur and Jackson because they truly are so similar. They both have great perseverance in moments of struggle. The idea that Indians are a part of the past is a common stereotype that they must deal with every day, but they are not part of the past. Native Americans have such a diverse culture that combine the beauty of nature and the beauty of the human soul. I really liked this post because like Fleur, Jackson was fighting for something that was an important part of his family and therefore his soul.
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