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How to write a personal narrative essay
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How to write a personal narrative essay
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In the short story “What You Pawn I Will Redeem”, Sherman Alexie gave insight about Indians living in a white dominated culture. The main character, Jackson Jackson, experienced a cultural hardship because he was an Indian who was struggling to connect with his culture. However, he finds a piece of his ancestry to help him to connect with a part of his past. One theme throughout the story is the desire for one to relate and belong to his or her culture, as exemplified by a homeless Indian who struggled to reconnect with his culture because he belonged to a minority group. The story was set in Seattle and showed the life of an Indian that was trying to find a connection with his culture. Jackson Jackson did not see much meaning to his life …show more content…
“I smoked it all the way down and thought about my grandmother. Her name was Agnes, and she died of breast cancer when I was fourteen” (4). As he thought about his grandmother and her cancer, he remembered his dad saying that Agnes may have gotten cancer from the uranium mine that had been located on the reservation. After Jackson thought about how her cancer may have spread, he said, “I wondered whether I could bring my grandmother back to life if I bought back her regalia” (4). One way that his statement could be interpreted is that if he got her regalia back, he hoped to be able to learn more about his grandmother and her life. While he was not actually bringing her “back to life”, he would be bringing a part of her history and culture back into the family, which would be a way for him to reconnect with and to celebrate her life. Not only did Jackson start to think about his past, he also began to participate in one of his family’s customs by giving away part of the money he had won. Jackson had gotten the money was from a winning lottery ticket; however, he gave a portion of that money to the woman at the register that sold him the ticket. The woman did not want to take the money, but Jackson said, “No, it’s tribal. It’s an Indian thing. When you win, you’re supposed to share with your family” (6). This circumstance exemplifies that Jackson connected a little more with his Indian
This story made me frustrated at the way people get forced into a rut that they can’t escape. Jackson Jackson isn’t completely innocent, no one is, but most of his problems were a result from the wrong that others had inflicted upon him. The frustrating part was that He was incapable of getting himself out. He did things like spend money on alcohol and cheese burgers, only to end up throwing it all up and even less money. To me, this story is about redemption. Jackson received grace from people like the good cop, and the pawnbroker. None of his own efforts changed his situation, only the kindness of others changed him. These kind deeds helped reconcile the reality of Jackson’ life and his situation. In a story like this, I always hope for a
“But we reservation Indians don’t get to realize our dreams. We don’t get those chances.” (p. 13) In The Absolutely True Diary of A Part Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, Junior, the narrator, is an Indian teenage boy living on a reservation, where no one's dreams or ideas are heard. The Indians on the reservation feel hopeless because they are isolated and disenfranchised. Junior learns how to cope with his hopelessness and breaks through the hopeless reservation life to find his dreams. Examining his journey provides important examples for the reader.
Sherman Alexie writes in his story, What You Pawn I Will Redeem about a homeless Salish Indian named Jackson Jackson. Alexie takes readers on Jackson’s journey to acquire enough money to purchase back his grandmother’s stolen powwow regalia. Throughout the story, Jackson’s relationships with other charters ultimately define his own character. Alexie, a well know Native American author tells an all too common tale of poverty and substance abuse in the Native American community through his character Jackson. The major character flaw of Jackson is his kindness, which ultimately becomes his greatest asset when fate allows him to purchase back his grandmother’s powwow regalia from a pawn broker for only five dollars.
One of the hardest realities of being a minority is that the majority has a thousand ways to hurt anyone who is part of a minority, and they have but two or three ways to defend themselves. In Sherman Alexie’s short story The Toughest Indian in the World, Roman Gabriel Fury is a member of the Native American minority that makes up less than two percent of the total United States population (1.2 percent to be exact). This inherent disadvantage of being a minority, along with various cultural factors, influences the conflicted character of Roman Gabriel Fury and his attitudes toward the white majority. Through his use of strong language, demanding tone, and vibrant colors, Roman Gabriel Fury is able to reveal his complex feelings about growing up Indian in a predominately white world.
Growing up on the North/South Carolina border, Jackson’s exact state of birth is debatable. Unlike most historians, Jacksons ascertained that he was from South Carolina. Wherever he actually grew up, it is unequivocal that it was a truculent and violent place to be raised. During his childhood, Jackson became accustomed to the social imperatives of the land; hard work, and military spirit. Specifically, in his hometown, one used “[their ]military spirit to defend yourself, and [their] hands to pull something out of the soil”. Here, Meachem believes the constant exhaustion and threat of violence was “one of the many reasons Jackson became a man who was so prone to violence. He grew up with it, he didn’t know anything else”.
In the short story “What You Pawn I Will Redeem”, Sherman Alexie uses the two most well known stereotypes of Native Americans today, that they are alcoholics and homeless. These are more modern day stereotypes but they fall under the the main stereotype, that Native Americans are helpless and uncivilized. Alexie’s short story focuses on a character named Jackson Jackson, who happens to be both homeless and an alcoholic. Jackson is walking past a pawn shop when he notices his grandmother’s regalia that was stolen from his family fifty years ago. The owner of the pawn shop gives Jackson twenty-four hours to come up with the money for the regalia. The story takes us throughout his journey which consist mostly of Jackson buying alcohol, food, and even some lottery tickets. Jackson would acquire money through a variety of situations right after getting money he ended
Andrew Jackson is one of the most controversial presidents. Many regard him as a war hero, the father of the Democratic Party, an inspiring leader, and a spokesman for the common man. While there is plenty to praise about the seventh president, his legacy is tarnished by his racism, disregard for the law of the land, cruelty towards the Native Americans, and ruthless temper. Jackson was an intriguing man who was multi-faceted. One must not look at a singular dimension, and cast judgment on him as a whole. To accurately evaluate one of the most complex presidents, it is crucial to observe Jackson from all possible angles. Prior lifestyle, hardships in life, political ideology, lifestyle of the time, political developments, and his character
“What You Pawn I Will Redeem,” by Sherman Alexie gives readers a look at the life of homeless, easygoing, middle aged Native American, Jackson Jackson. The story, which is set in Seattle, describes the conditions that Jackson finds himself in. Alexie’s choice of motifs emphasizes the significance of cultural and historical references. With these concepts in mind, the reader is taken through a journey of self-realization. “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” narrates the internal struggle Jackson feels trying to figure out his personal identity as a Native American. The story chronicles situations that illustrate the common stereotypes about Natives. Through Jackson’s humble personality, the reader can grasp his true feeling towards White people, which
Growing up on a reservation where failing was welcomed and even somewhat encouraged, Alexie was pressured to conform to the stereotype and be just another average Indian. Instead, he refused to listen to anyone telling him how to act, and pursued his own interests in reading and writing at a young age. He looks back on his childhood, explaining about himself, “If he'd been anything but an Indian boy living on the reservation, he might have been called a prodigy. But he is an Indian boy living on the reservation and is simply an oddity” (17). Alexie compares the life and treatment of an Indian to life as a more privileged child. This side-by-side comparison furthers his point that
...d Jackson attacks conformity and mindlessness by providing a scenario where social conformity has gotten so out of hand that the people can easily commit a murder, even though they are unsure of why they are doing it. Their minds have been changed so much by mob mentality that they really don’t know right from wrong. No matter how wrong the tradition seems from the outside looking in, on the inside they are simply following tradition, and tradition is never wrong to those who follow it. In other words, the tradition continued simply because they didn’t know that what they were doing was wrong.
Sherman Alexie’s, What You Pawn I Will Redeem. is a brutally honest exploration of an honest and homeless Native American’s connection. with his ancestry, using metaphors and symbolism to convey the message of unity. one’s heritage and an escape from the tortures of the past. One of the first things Jackson, who attributes his matching first and last.
Adjusting to another culture is a difficult concept, especially for children in their school classrooms. In Sherman Alexie’s, “Indian Education,” he discusses the different stages of a Native Americans childhood compared to his white counterparts. He is describing the schooling of a child, Victor, in an American Indian reservation, grade by grade. He uses a few different examples of satire and irony, in which could be viewed in completely different ways, expressing different feelings to the reader. Racism and bullying are both present throughout this essay between Indians and Americans. The Indian Americans have the stereotype of being unsuccessful and always being those that are left behind. Through Alexie’s negativity and humor in his essay, it is evident that he faces many issues and is very frustrated growing up as an American Indian. Growing up, Alexie faces discrimination from white people, who he portrays as evil in every way, to show that his childhood was filled with anger, fear, and sorrow.
Jackson describes in more detail of how he felt more like his grandmother after he wrapped the regalia around him. The pedestrians, city, everything around him was watching him feel like his grandmother, like some sort of flashback he could be
B. J., Jackson as a President: Yesterday and Today. Planet Papers. Retrieved June 14, 2009,
In “A Worn Path,” Jackson character is related to the theme of love, persistence and racial prejudice. Jackson demonstrates love for her grandson as she risk her life through the cold weather to retrieve medicine for her grandson. Her devotion and bravery showed the love that she had for her grandson. In today’s society, you would not see family or friends who care enough for their loved ones to risk their life to help get something that is beneficial for someone else. People who would go great lengths to protect someone they love is rare. Not only did she care for him, but she loved him. Jackson perseverance is shown as she faced the hostile and corrupt world. While keeping warm she must crawl under barbed-wired fences, walk through a maze and protect herself from the wild animals. Not only are these her problems as she takes her occasionally trips to Natchez, she must deal with the pain of age, poverty and racial prejudice, which was a factor during her lifetime. Although she faced perseverance she stayed consistent. The story does not focus on racial issues, but it is implied in the context. Consider the hunter who made racial slurs about blacks going to see Santa Clause or the attendant and shopper calling her granny. Interestingly, the people who she encountered at first were somewhat treating her with kindness. The narrator does not reveal their race, but