The short story "What You Pawn I Will Redeem" by Sherman Alexie details a day in the life of a homeless Native American named Jackson Jackson. Jackson is on a quest that, to a majority of readers, appears to be about obtaining his grandmother 's powwow regalia. Upon further examination though, one can come to the conclusion that Jackson is in fact searching for his personal identity. Donald, one of the central characters from "The Rich Brother," would undoubtedly sympathize with Jackson 's plight, for he too searches for identity throughout the story. Considering that Jackson is distant from his homeland, one of his foremost challenges in life is resisting acculturation and assimilation. In order to fight this, he has taken it upon himself Although both characters avidly search for their identities, it is unclear whether or not Donald ever discovers his; whereas, with Jackson it is quite obvious that his mission to rediscover his cultural identity is a success. It becomes quite clear right away that Jackson has lost touch with his roots. He begins the story with, “One day you have a home and the next you don’t” (Alexie 1433). This sentence explicitly exposes the state of homelessness that Jackson lives in, but it also implicitly exposes the cultural aspect of homelessness the Native Americans live in as they are linked to an unfortunate past of cultural denial and stolen land. He explains that he has not lived in his ancestors’ homeland for twenty-three years, which can definitely cause one to move away from their upbringings. Jackson feels empty—even mentally deprived—from When she declines his offer, he states that “It’s tribal. It is an Indian thing. When you win, you’re supposed to share with your family” (Alexie 1440). Another example that proves Jackson’s quest for his identity and his solid bond with his own culture is that he is constantly “lonesome for Indians” (Alexie 1441). It is this loneliness that prompts him to spend his remaining eighty dollars on his Native American “cousins” that are not even blood related (Alexie 1441). Jackson feels linked to these Native Americans since they share his race and maybe even his suffering. The Native American culture brings them all together out of mutual respect for their past. Donald also knows what it is like to be generous in an attempt to obtain a sense of belonging; although, his effort is much less successful compared to Jackson’s. Donald “[gives] away groceries” that belong to his farm community to a family of fieldworkers, which eventually leads to him being kicked off the farm (Wolff 328). Instead of regaining a little bit of his identity similar to the way Jackson does, he is forced to once again continue his search for a home. Jackson also carries on his culture’s fiscal traditions by buying breakfast for a group of Aleut Indians, but not
Andrew Jackson believed that the only way to save the Natives from extinction was to remove them from their current homes and push them across the Mississippi River. “And when removal was accomplished he felt he had done the American people a great service. He felt he had followed the ‘dictates of humanity’ and saved the Indi...
You learn early on in the story that Jackson Jackson has not had the best life. He flunked out of college in Seattle, was married two or three times and has fathered a few children and is now homeless. Jackson admits that “Being homeless is probably the only thing I've ever been good at” and refers to himself as an “effective homeless man”. Also we learn that Jackson has some kind of mental disorder “an...
And that in itself is deserving of merit. The book also has its flaws. From my perspective, Remini could have incorporated primary sources from chieftains, as well as Indian administrators, within the text to give the added opposing perspective of Jackson. Albeit, Remini incorporates quotes from Chieftains, many come from secondary sources (e.g., General Coffee or John Eaton’s accounts of correspondences with Indians). Although Remini claims not to be exonerating Jackson, he makes the case that Jackson did what he thought was the only realistic measure to saves the Indians of the southeast and western frontier from “annihilation” (244). From Jackson’s perspective, he believed he had done the Indians a “great service” (246). History would prove the inverse to be
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.
The best place to start is the beginning. The Jackson family immigrated from Ireland, leaving behind a world of hardships to try their luck in the New World. Life there would not be so easy and Andrew Jackson’s father would die before he was born. Jackson had two brothers, both older, and his mother. The worked on the farm on which they lived and it was not easy. Life would soon take a more difficult turn as the Revolution began. Historians say that some of the worst fighting seen during the war was experience right around where Jackson grew up in the Carolinas. This kind of violence that surrounded him surely influenced the man that Jackson became. His brother fell victim to the war and soon after his other brother and mother would die from disease leaving Jackson an orphan and forcing him to fend for himself. “A boy soldier during the American Revolution, he became the only president ...
Throughout the story Jackson can be found executing many unexplainably kind acts. Obviously, Jackson is not in a position to give out much being homeless and jobless, but he makes a major impact on the world he lives in through giving all that he has to those around him. After Jackson wins one hundred dollars on a scratch off ticket, he gives the cashier, who he flirts with jokingly, twenty dollars out of his winnings. She did not want to take his money, but Jackson exclaims, “It’s an Indian thing. When you win, you’re supposed to share with your family” (Alexie).
However, in order to do this, he has to relocate the Indians to a different location. He decided to move them to present day Oklahoma. Document 3 is what a Cherokee Indian has to say. He says “ People feel bad when they have to leave Old Nation. Women’s cry and make sad wails, Children cry and many men cry… but they say nothing and just put their heads down and keep on going towards West. Many days pass and people die very much.” Jackson did not provide the Indians with enough supplies to keep them from starving and dying.
...son instilled a faulty government system upon his arrival and enforced taxes that made his own Vice President turn his back on Jackson. Jackson is responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent Native Americans and the unjust relocation of over 70 Indian tribes. Although Jackson “reinvented the presidency” by reforming the government and he “represented the common man”, Jackson lacked many of the qualities of a solid leader. Jackson had self-centered beliefs, in which he would do anything to get his way with no regard for anyone else. The position of President of the United States is one that should be reserved for only those with generous hearts and minds that put others before themselves. Because of that, Jackson was one of the worst candidates to be elected into a high-ranking position, even if he was able to complete his goals.
Andrew Jackson’s family struggled their entire lives. When Andrew Jackson reached the vulnerable age to legally join the military, he did so. The people respected this factor that President Jackson possessed, and they especially respected his military career. But, the one attribute that the American people respected above everything else when it came to President Jackson was his humbleness. He was known to be one of the most down to earth person, and what extremely humble when he would speak about himself. That is why President Jackson was known as the common man President, because he related to the common man the average everyday farmer, and the people who were just trying to make a living to feed their
The Jacksons are faced with numerous challenges in their home state, Oklahoma, where drought and famine are the order of both day and night. The whole society is almost lacking air or water to breathe and drink respectively. The problems keep on piling up in C. J. Jackson’s family. They have just lost a grandfather, now the windmill used to pump and draw water is broken down something that even worsens the situation further. The family leaves for California, where the situation worsens. They get to learn that there is no job opportunity; discrimination and name-calling is an obvious undertaking by the locals. The harsh life in California replaces the family’s hope and wish for a better and comfortable
That being stated, one should not simply undermine the prominence of Andrew Jackson’s legacy. This can be summarized into two terms: democracy and federal authority. Jackson was a man of simple beginnings who brought a powerful personality to the White House, along with a defiant repertoire. He promoted himself as the claimant champion of the common people, unlike the many other ‘aristocrats’ of the age. Farmers and laborers were now offered a seemingly equal say in their own circumstances. This
On March 15, 1767 Andrew Jackson was born on the border of North and South Carolina. Jackson’s background was unlike previous presidents and their aristocratic views; because of the way he was brought up. He was a common man, and received meager amount of education. Jackson was considered rough because he participated in fights, duels, and was accused of being a murderer. He put his personal honor before everything else, which would later harm his reputation. In addition, he was a planter in Tennessee, where he lived with his wife. Jackson was very evident throughout our nation’s history and, for better or for worse, deserved the title of “The Age of Jackson.”
Jackson's way of business were mixed with his public duties. While Trump decided to have a mixture of his estates, while campaigning for his presidency. They had different ways of handling their critics. And probably the biggest difference is their military experience. Like said, since Jackson was in the Army as a general he took land from the Indians, which him and his friends later purchased for cotton plantations. When Jackson was running for president he appointended a friend to handle and settle his business affairs. When Trump is yet to separate himself from his business. Donald Trump has the habit of addressing his critics and enemies in media appearances, speeches, and tweets. Andrew Jackson decided to engage in duels, and even killing one of his opponents. Although part of this was because of the time period, and the difference in them. Lastly and probably the largest difference between them is their military experience or in Trump's case, the lack. As known Jackson was a general in the army and Trump has no experience in any
Andrew Jackson’s legacy has proved many things about him, his ambition, talent and ability to get the job done has shaped a future for America although not necessarily in a good way. Along with the highlights of his legacy the downfalls may over shadow them, his actions alone with the trail of tears were detrimental to the Native American people, along with his ill temperament and controversial acts of racism. His inability to follow the guidelines that we still use and respect today, a man who is a poster boy for all those things isn’t fit to personify what it means to be an American.
James never understood why he and his family were different, people shamed his mother for being white with mixed children. The author portrays this in the best way possible when he states that, “They are all trying hard to be an American, you know… If you throw water on the floor it will always find a hole, believe me” (Mcbride, 195). Somehow or someway people will always find themselves again, people cannot cover up what they are. By evidently enjoying the life that people are given, no amount of money nor effort to try to change will be worth anything if they don't have love in their hearts. The author asserts, “They don't have a dime in their pocket and they're always laughing” (Mcbride, 61). He helps understand anybody intend to make a person feel less of themselves, but if someone has no concern for anything but containing how they are, the love and bond a family has without any of that makes it that much more