Sherman Alexie's What You Pawn I Will Redeem

In the short story “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” by Sherman Alexie, Jackson wanders from person to person and seems to have an unusual connection with those that are Native Americans. All of his ‘friends’ may fail him, but he never disowns them. Some may argue that he is simply afraid of people he can’t relate with, but it is evident that he merely feels a familiar bond with those he can relate with. This is also apparent in the poem “Capital Punishment,” when the cook feels sympathy for the Indian killer. Therefore, the story simply exemplifies the family bond Native Americans feel toward each other due to the prejudice that they feel from peoples of other races, and not a fear of people from other races.

Similar struggles seem to connect

However, what seems to stand out the most from this story is the statement said by that soldier: “How brown people are killing other brown people so white people will remain free” (Alexie 1439). This statement is obviously meant to stand out to the reader, due to the fact that it carries irony. This is an idea that is not uncommon to hear was normal during the sixties and onward. Although, during the Second World War, prejudice was far more prevalent that it is in the time of Jackson Jackson. However, the author may be attempting to point it out here, as he does in his other work, “Capital Punishment,” when he says: “It’s mostly the dark ones forced to sit in the chair especially when white people die.” This poem though, was written years after World War Two and the battle against prejudice had been fought. Could the author be pointing out the fact that prejudice is still just as prevalent in today’s world? He may be when he points out the fact that “hungry white folks” want to know the dirty facts of an Indian’s life (Alexie 1433). This shows his disdain for people of white descent, or shows the fact that he feels he can only trust people of the same race as he is. This leaves the question of whether Jackson feels a bond with people of his own race because of fear of others, or similarity with his

Jackson surrounds himself with people that are like him. Rose of Sharon and Junior both have rough stories, and so does Jackson. However, the bar scene is where the author really gives the reader a look into the intellect of Jackson. “Indians like to belong, so we all pretend to be cousins” indicates that it is not fear that separates whites from skins, but merely that they are more comfortable with people with the same skin color. Belonging is a vital human sense, woven into a person’s DNA. Therefore, since Jackson yearns to belong again after being left by his friends, he does something to make sure that he is seen as part of the family. He buys five shots for every person in the bar. This act seems to qualify him to be part of a new clan. It does not take long for him to make new friends, as others seem to feel the same way. This seems to be similar in Alexie’s poem. Although the Indian Killer is someone the cook has never met, he still feels a bond with him, even going to the extreme of tasting his food with the same utensils the convict will use. It seems strange that the cook is willing to go to such lengths to ensure that some part of him will remain with the Indian Killer, but it becomes obvious that he simply does this to belong—to be a part of the Indian Killer, just like a family member. Although in returning to Jackson’s story, one notices that the other Indians are willing to