In modern society, it is not shameful to interact with those who are homeless, provide them with assistance and free food in order to improve the quality of their lives. Nevertheless, even the most determined supporters of homeless people cannot prevent the development of vicious habits such as alcohol use disorders and drug addiction. Sherman Alexie is a modern short story writer who is Native American. As a writer, he focuses his attention on the identity of his nation and urban multiculturalism (Ladino, 2009). In his work “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” that appeared fourteen years ago, he tells the readers a story of a young Indian man who treats his ancestors with respect. The protagonist calls himself Jackson Jackson or Jackson Squared. There are three aspects that should be analysed to understand the protagonist’s personality: the recognition of cultural conflicts, goals, and mistakes, personal beliefs and desires, and the role of identities and their impacts on each other by means of literary devices such as simile and flashback. The analysis is aimed at investigating the life of the protagonist and his inability to break off vicious habits that have turned him into a homeless man spending time drinking and loafing around with his Indian friends.
A conflict of cultures and the significance of Indian identity belong to the number of the key issues of the story. The protagonist and his friends wander into a pawn shop where they find the powwow regalia of Jackson’s grandmother; that moment, he decides to return it to his family at any price as these memories are the only precious thing that they have. He intends to “win it back”; to do that, he has to earn almost a thousand dollars (Alexie, 2003). The necessity to return the regalia becomes his main goal; due to that, he stops his idleness and tries hard to find a job, he earns money “like a knight” who cares about all that “romantic crap” just to channel his passion towards something (Alexie, 2003). As we see, the author uses a lot of metaphors such as simile in order to express complexity of the characters and his attitude towards them. His grandmother’s memories become the only force making him work harder; due to that, he stops living an objectless life. The significance of regalia makes Native Americans different from other nations; to some extent, it helps different generations to communicate and feel a part of their tribe. Because of that situation, Jackson understands his cultural identity deeper; besides, it encourages him to unlock his potential.
The accomplishment of personal goals and understanding of human need is another important aspect of Jackson’s life. It is obvious that the protagonist is ready to do his best in order to win back the regalia reminding him of his origin, identity, and the experience of his ancestors (Evans, 2001). A passion for his native heritage and the desire to be closer to his relatives encourages him to choose even inappropriate ways to earn the money and consider the demands of his alcoholic friends instead of recognition of his own weaknesses and flaws. Describing the protagonist’s concerns, the author uses a series of flashbacks; Jackson’s focus of attention seems to shift from the past to the present; he often thinks about his grandmother, and remembers some special moments. These literary devices are used to make the story complete as it helps to reveal its background; they create a kind of explanation why Jackson opts for drinking alcohol instead of taking better actions. Another thing that darkens his life is inability to return his life and relatives. These concerns present another reason why he tries so hard to fulfil his goal; the regalia in the window of the shop remain the last thing that can help him feel a connection to all the people he loved.
Moreover, the author uses outside identities and secondary characters playing important roles in the protagonist’s life. For instance, Jackson spends much time together with Rose of Sharon and Junior calling them “warrior drunks”; their lives are so empty that they have nothing to do but lounge together (Alexie, 2003). The pawn broker is a character introducing the idea of reward in human life; to some extent, he challenges Jackson to see if he is capable of reaching the goal. There are also characters supporting him (the policeman, the Big Boss, and Mary) who represent a symbol of hope and demonstrate cultural diversity. From time to time, the author uses stereotypes about nations to show the difference between them. White characters re shown as people whose intention to save their heritage is weak if compared to the one of Native Americans. Nevertheless, they try to understand Jackson and support him. It is hard for Jackson to take the right decision as he finds himself between the devil and the deep blue sea; there are other characters such as Irene and Honey Boy who encourage him to give in to his weaknesses.
In the end, the author’s work is excellent as all the characters fulfil their tasks and contribute to the story; their positive and negative influence encourages the protagonist to make the choice between spinelessness and steadiness. Nevertheless, his being proud of his origin helps him to demonstrate that sincere love to people and noble intentions are enough to do something good to be supported and understood.
References
Alexie, S. (2003). What you pawn I will redeem. The New Yorker. Web.
Evans, S. F. (2001). “Open Containers”: Sherman Alexie’s drunken Indians. The American Indian Quarterly, 25(1), 46-72.
Ladino, J. K. (2009). A limited range of motion? Multiculturalism, human questions, and urban Indian identity in Sherman Alexie’s “Ten Little Indians”. Studies in American Indian Literatures, 21(3), 36-57.