What You Pawn I Will Redeem By Sherman Alexie

903 Words2 Pages

Imagine someone taking away your dignity, heritage, and self-identity. Think of how your life will only be a quest for your characterization. Historically, this is what happened to Native Americans after they were colonized by Christopher Columbus. What You Pawn I Will Redeem is a short story, written by Sherman Alexie. Alexie employs the use of tone, character, and symbolism to embody the life of Native Americans who suffer from culture denial, lost heritage, and land. Sherman Alexie is a Spokane/Coeur d’Alene tribal member who grew up in the Spokane Indian Reservation in Wellpinit, Washington. He is a preeminent Native American poet, novelist, performer and filmmaker. Alexie is given high praise for his works which depicts contemporary Native …show more content…

When Jackson says, “That’s my grandmother’s powwow regalia in your window. Somebody stole it from her fifty years ago, and my family has been searching for it ever since, (Alexie.12)” the stolen regalia symbolizes how the Natives homeland and self-worth was taken away from them. Officer Williams attempts to tell Jackson to report the regalia stolen. However Jackson replies, “I don’t want to do that,” I said. “It’s a quest now. I need to win it back by myself.” (Alexie.7) That moment is the starting point of where Jackson is becoming ambitious; the point he determines his goal in life. It becomes clear to him that the regalia will revive their culture once again. After the journey, Jackson only ends up with what he started with, five dollars. Despite this he goes back to the pawn shop. He tells the pawnbroker he does not have the money they agreed to. However, the pawnbroker returns the regalia because Jackson worked for the money he had. The pawnbroker’s generosity symbolizes the kindness of the natives. Generosity is a major theme in the novel and is displayed through the characters, especially

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