Our Identity

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“What you Pawn I Will Redeem” by Sherman Alexie is a story about a Native American man named Jackson Jackson who is on a mission to get his grandmothers regalia back from a pawn shop. The regalia was stolen from his grandmother years before she passed away and Jackson feels that he will be better connected with her if he gets it. The gentleman at the pawn shop says that he will sell it to Jackson for $999 if he returns with the money within twenty four hours. From the beginning, the goal of Jackson obtaining $999 dollars is impractical because Jackson is without a job and homeless. Nevertheless, Jackson goes on a journey to collect $999 to buy back his grandmothers regalia. Although the goal of buying back the regalia was unrealistic for Jackson, discovering himself, being kind to others, and reuniting with part of his heritage were very real; these things teach us about the struggles we all face with our identity and allow us to relate with Jackson on a deeper level. Jackson struggled with his identity throughout the story because much of his heritage and the people he identifi...

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