We’re discussing our final reading this week, and will also start getting ready for the final exam. As you read Sherman Alexie’s 2003 short story, âWhat You Pawn I Will Redeem,â use it to help you review all of the different things we’ve read and learned this semester. To do this, you can add a comment here in which you:
- choose some aspect of the story to either highlight an element of fiction we’ve discussed
- focus specifically on the style of narration (who is the narrator? is the narrator reliable? what vantage point does this particular narrator offer us as readers? etc)
- choose a moment in the text to compare and/or contrast with another reading or set of readings from this semester
- use the five-step method to highlight for us a particular passage in the story that stands out to you so we can understand it, too.
- write something else that will productively apply something else we’ve learned or discussed this semester to better understand this short story.
- write something else that wil use this story to help us understand better the things we’ve learned or discussed this semester.
Since I was late in posting this discussion, please feel free to take until Monday to complete your thoughtful addition to our discussion.
Apart from reading “The Metamorphosis,” I really enjoyed this text. As I was reading the beginning of the text, I just want to shake Jackson to the 2nd power because he kept doing stupid things. When I say stupid things, I mean that he was trying to retrieve his grandmother’s regalia by trying to come up with $999 in twenty-four hours but he kept spending money on booze and food. However, as I got to the end of the text I saw that Jackson’s actions were due to being depressed from his grandmother’s death. Also, since Jackson was a Native American, his culture/tribe or sect of people were pushed out of the American society by the white colonist, causing him to be homeless and be exposed to dangerous conditions, such as nuclear waste that supposedly caused his grandmother from contracting cancer.
Now, with the elements of fiction, I notice that the story was being told in the 1st person narration. Jackson to the 2nd power was the one that was telling the story. As for the climax of the story, it is when Officer Williams wakes up Jackson for sleeping on the railroad tracks. When Officer Williams states “what the hell is wrong with you?” Jackson replies that his grandmother died since 1972 and that he has been wanting to die ever since her death. This scene shows that he became a heavy alcoholic because of his grandmother’s death. He used booze to numb the heartache of his grandmother’s death but it deteriorated his life. I also believe that if Jackson did not deal with the social outcast of being a Native American he probably would not be homeless, he probably would have a education, and he probably would not be drinking his life away because of his upsetting circumstances.
Another point I want to make is that Jackson was both a reliable and unreliable narrator. He was reliable in telling some of his past, however, he was unreliable because he was a drunkard that could barely remember what happened to himself the night before. Therefore, how could he possibly bring up key facts about his homelessness and struggle as a Native American. Also, I am unsure of his virtue because I think he was lying to Officer Williams about his grandfather being a officer. I say this because when Jackson tells Officer Williams that his grandfather died in the line of duty he saw Officer Williams become sympathetic; this lead Jackson to continue telling his story because “he knew Officer Williams will listen closely to his story.” In this quote, I see there is a shift in the narrators voice, demonstrating that he was lying.
The ending of, âWhat You Pawn I Will Redeem,â by Sherman Alexie, when Jackson Jackson acquires his grandmotherâs regalia he felt empowerment. After his grandmother passed away, he was depressed. He got back her regalia from the pawnshop. As he leaves the pawnshop, âI wrapped myself in my grandmotherâs regalia and breathed her in. I stepped off the sidewalk and into the intersection. Pedestrians stopped. Cars stopped. The city stopped. They all watched me dance with my grandmother. I was my grandmother, dancing.â When he got back her regalia, he seemed to have been freed from his depression. This can be compared to âThe Story of An Hour,â by Kate Chopin. Mrs. Mallard was freed just as Jackson was after her husband died. Both characters felt empowerment from their freedom.
In the comparison between Jackson and Mrs. Mallard, I see how they both seem to resolve some turmoil. But in what way is Jackson’s an example of freedom? Maybe someone else wants to join this conversation, too?
Jackson is not free. If anything he is still trapped in his drunken, homeless and carefree lifestyle. He successfully got the regalia back from the pawn broker because for some reason others seemed inclined to always offer him a handout. In some ways I can relate Jackson to Sethe. Sethe continued living in the haunted house with he family despite the dangers. Both Jackson and Sethe lived in circumstances that they knew was not the best but did nothing to change it. Jackson’s happiness after retrieving the regalia is understandable. He finally did something meaningful and it must have felt good.
Good point, I believe this has some kind of relationship with Sethe’s freedom in “Beloved” by Toni Morrison, when Sethe has gotten to the river that separates Ohio from Kentucky she felt her freedom running on her veins and she said “this is my arm,….this my heart,…I own my heart now”. It is also related to the freedom of Jane after she was locked up by her husband John in a mansion in the middle of the wood in “The yellow Wallpaper”.
I have to agree with this point. I feel that he attained freedom as did Mrs. Mallard. I think a lot of our reading this semester have similar themes, and these themes seem to be death and freedom. I think Jackson Jackson was haunted by his grandmother’s memory, and he seemed to genuinely miss her, and you could tell by the way that he retold stories about her in his first person narration. I feel that whenever we get that type of narration, the story is told in a reliable manner more so than any other type of narration, but that’s just my personal preference and opinion. As much as it seems that he didn’t per say work for the money to buy back his grandmother’s regalia, he in fact did by his journey that day, and more so for the fact that he went back to that pawn shop because he truly wanted to get that back for his grandmother, and would not give up despite that he had in so many ways the day by always spending the money that he got. I think that he got his closure when he got to dance with the regalia.
“Outside, I wrapped myself in my grandmotherâs regalia and breathed her in. I stepped off the sidewalk and into the intersection. Pedestrians stopped. Cars stopped. The city stopped. They all watched me dance with my grandmother. I was my grandmother, dancing.”
I think that this is the moment in which he found his peace and closure.
The short story entitled, “What You Pawn I Will Redeem,” by Sherman Alexie is written using first person narration. The narrator is Jackson who is also the main character of the story. Jackson can be described as a reliable narrator because he is relating events that he is experiencing or have experienced in the past. Therefore he is not relying on hearsay which means that it is more likely that the events he is narrating are factual. As readers we are given the opportunity to be with Jackson as he experiences various scenes and events. On page 7 Jackson introduced readers to a scenery when he stated, “When I got to the wharf, I ran into three Aleut cousins, who sat on a wooden bench and stared out at the bay and cried.” This information gives readers a visual imagery of Jackson’s experience. He further stated, “these Aleuts smelled like salmon.” This statement gives readers an understanding of the olfactory imagery that Jackson experienced.
Although Jackson is homeless, he seem quite unconcern about his future. His main goal is apparently to retrieve the regalia, not to find permanent home and a job. He seemed to accept his limitations and his situation and is willing to live day by day without a plan. This is evident in his carefree lifestyle. It is possible the regalia and the pawn shop is not real. Maybe in one of his drunken stupor he dreamt about the regalia and his quest to retrieve it finally gave him a sense of purpose.
Jackson’s love for his grandmother and the memories of her that he clings to is similar to the way Sethe felt about Baby Suggs in the story “Beloved.” Jackson’s state of homelessness reminds me of the way Paul D lived before living with Sethe and after. Both Jackson and Paul D relied on the kindness of others to survive.
Jackson appears nonchalant about being homeless. On page one he stated, ” I’ve been homeless for six years now. If there’s such a thing as an effective homeless man, then I suppose I’m effective.” In other words Jackson feels he is quite capable of taking care of himself despite his homelessness. The author depicts Jackson as feeling impressed with himself and the methods of survival he had devised. Despite being homeless he was respected and this allowed him certain privileges in his community. The respect and privileges Jackson received as a homeless man did not help his cause. Because he was surviving so well he was not interested in changing his drunken, homeless lifestyle.
Jackson is in need of money to buy his grandmother regalia. This is somewhat ironical because even though he expressed desperation to acquire money, whenever he got any money he spent it on food or alcohol. The powwow regalia is an imagery in the story. This regalia helps Jackson to hold on to his Indian beliefs as he struggles to survive as a minority.
The comparison of Jackson to Paul D is an interesting one. They both find themselves homeless, and are each alienated by the government, dominant culture, and systems of racism that inhibit their success–to put it mildly. But for me, it’s the distinction between the two that makes the comparison so interesting. Jackson’s life sounds sad, but Paul D’s was tortured. Perhaps someone else wants to think further about the distinctions and overlaps between Jackson and Paul D.
The short story, “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” by Sherman Alexie, is a story told in first person narration. The narrator of this story is Jackson Jackson, AKA, “Jackson Squared”. Jackson is a Native American of the Spokane Tribe. Although very smart, he is unfortunately homeless and so far lived through with 2 other friends named Rose of Sharon and Junior (He was later left behind by both of them).
For narration, Jackson is indeed a reliable one. We were taken throughout the story in his eyes. What we saw is what he saw. There was no need to rely on our own thoughts and we can actually rely on his point of view. Jackson offers us readers events he experienced within the 24 hours he had to bring up money. Hour by hour (not completely due to events such as intoxication), we experience his journey to $999.
One element I’d like to bring up into this discussion is symbolism. The symbol I’d like to bring up is Jackson’s Grandmother’s Powwow Regalia. This regalia was the fuel to his quest for $999. The whole story is centered around his grandmother and this regalia is the last remaining remnant he had of her. Whenever he stopped for a thought, his thoughts were primarily on his grandmother. He wanted that regalia so bad and he worked hard for it (although he ended up spending a lot of the money he earned in his 24 hour journey).
In the end, Jackson does retrieve the regalia with the help of the kindness of the pawn shop owner and he goes off to cherish it with a dance. I really liked this story because it’s pretty touching. The way it was written also was great because we readers can understand it in a chronological perspective. As I said earlier, we really go through this 24 hour journey, hour by hour. Overall, I liked Jackson as a character and his mission in which he achieved with kindness.
Those of you who have written that you see Jackson as a reliable narrator because he is telling his own story, what do you say to Stephanie’s point at the end of her comment about the way Jackson might be manipulating a story to his benefit? Even if you disagree, it’s important to realize that first-person narrators are not merely reliable by virtue of telling their own story. Nor does a narrator need to be purposely unreliable, such as to Stephanie’s point about the effects of his drinking on his memory. Let’s think about this further in this discussion.
Alday1211, we spoke briefly in class about the story’s structure and how it uses clock time to organize events. However, there are still flashbacks–these are how we learn about anything that happened in the story’s past. How do these flashbacks work in the telling of the story? Why are they easier to follow than the flashbacks in Beloved? If anyone else is interested in this topic, please join in!
After reading the story, âWhat You Pawn I Will Redeemâ written by Sherman Alexie was one of the best stories Iâve read the entire semester. I enjoyed it and actually want to finish reading it to figure out if Jackson times two would redeem his stolen grandmotherâs regalia. As of what Stephanie wrote, I felt that Jackson who was the narrator was reliable to an extended point. As we read the story, there are many times Jackson is not sober and the information that he is giving us may or may not be true. He can also leave out information on whatever events that been taking place at that given time. How reliable can he be for a person that spends money on alcohol and food every time it is given to him? I understand that he needs to eat to survive but alcohol is not needed. In addition, he can eat in moderation or invest in something else by getting food. It seems as if he was known in town and there are people in the neighborhood that would actually give him a meal. If a guy was able to sneak his free 50 newspaper, how hard can it be for him to get free food? Jackson struggled to keep money in his pocket, it slipped out his hand so easily and maybe this is why it is so hard for him to get back on his feet.
I think that this story can be compared to the novel Beloved. Jackson died inside after his grandmother died. He did not wanted to live anymore. It seems as if nothing matter to him anymore and this is the reason why he is homeless; he doesn’t have any more care in the world. In this case, he drown his sorrows away by drinking alcohol to wash away the pain or to remove himself with the real world. After looking in the window, where Jackson saw his grandmother regalia knowing it was hers, life was brought back to him again, as now he has something to leave for. This was a goal or an achievement for him but afterward when he realize how hard it may be to find $999 in 24 hours, it wasnât going to be as easy as he thought he may seem. In other words, he just use the money he had made to take away the pain because there was a chance he was not going to redeem back his grandmotherâs regalia.
In the novel âBelovedâ, after Sethe killed her child, it was as if she died inside. She mentions and wishes to lie down in the grave with her dead daughter. It was as though she also did not have anything to leave for. Although, she had had come to realize she has 3 kids left behind in this world. But after finding out her daughter Beloved has returned, she had something to live for too. This was like a new life and beginning for them. Sethe being able to live the life with her daughter, she thought she would of never have. Jackson gaining something back his grandmother had which is probably closest thing that signify her. It was as though he had his grandmother back in his life again when he mentions, âI knew that solitary yellow bead was part of me. I knew I was that yellow bead in part….They all watched me dance with my grandmother. I was my grandmother, dancing. âJackson reunited with his grandmother regalia was like being able to have his grandmother back in his life again. The regalia belong to him now and became part of him.
âWhat You Pawn I Will Redeemâ By Sherman Alexie was told in first person who is the character himself, Jackson Jackson. It is noticeable that the main character is telling the story by looking at the repeated pronoun âIâ. Jackson narrates his own story and expresses his own and other charactersâ thoughts which makes the narration style first person protagonist.
The story is very exciting and contains deep meaning about the regime of its location and time. It appears in the story that Indian were marginalized from the society and many complaints were mentioned about white folks. Using Jacksonâs voice Alexie says âI am living proof of the horrible damage that colonialism has done to us Skins. But Iâm not going to let you know how scared I sometimes get of history and its ways. Iâm a strong man, and I know that silence is the best method of dealing with white folks.â (Section 1) It is clearly stated that Jackson had a hard time throughout his life because of what he belongs to. He has tried to improve his life style but never succeeded. He even attended college but he was dropped after two semesters. Similar in âBelovedâ by Toni Morrison, it seems that both characters have suffered from social issues. Except in beloved, slavery was part of the system of that time and widespread across the country but in âWhat You Pawn I Will Redeemâ racism against Indians was hidden and unseen except by them.
According the Maori soldier when he had a conversation with Agnes, Jacksonâs grandmother. The soldier says âHow we brown people are killing other brown people so white people will remain free.â (Section 7) This explains the conflict between the two populations. Even though that this was understood, it seems that Indians didnât have other options to get rid of this feeling and the entrapment in this kind of situation.
Overall, the story has similarities with previous ones in terms of conflicts between two parties. The difference in in the contents. Such as conflict between man and woman in âThe Story of An Hourâ Or âThe Yellow Wallpaperâ where women are mistreated and abused in term of their freedom and have control over their lives. âThe Metamorphosisâ shows the conflict between Gregor and his family, and how a family can turn on their beloved ones when they are disable and restricted.
Freedom can also be a subject to talk about. Where in most stories we have read throughout the semester, some characters are constrained and restricted.
After reading the story, âWhat you Pawn I will Redeemâ by Sherman Alexie was very interesting with a sense of humor in narration style attracted me to finish the reading in once. The story was written in first person narration, so the narrator or the character Jackson Jackson was talking about himself. After reading the story, I was comparing the stories that we learned this semester which were also written in first person narration. I was comparing this story to âThe Yellow Wall Paperâ by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. In both story, both characters (Jane and Jackson) were depressed. Jane was locked up by her husband in the house and she obsessed with looking at the yellow wall paper of her room. Finally, she found her freedom going insane. Jackson was also depressed with unsuccessful life and the dead of his grandmother led him to become a homeless. Even though he was a homeless living in such a free will, his mind was locked up with the sorrow of the dead of his grandmother and her stolen powwow regalia. I think the powwow regalia and the hidden yellow bead were part of their tribe identity that he mentioned in the text that âI knew that solitary yellow bead was part of me. I knew I was that yellow bead in partâ. It seems to me that the powwow regalia were the pride and the identity of his tribe. This was his secret for homelessness and finally he was free from his mind of finding his tribe identity which was his stolen grandmotherâs powwow regalia.
I would like to highlight the timeline of the story and how it was organized by the 24 hours of how Jackson went about to find the money to win back his grandmother’s powwow regalia. It is different from all the other short stories we have read in this class before. It makes things a lot clearer but as Prof. Rosen mentioned, there are still some flashbacks no matter what to explain Jackson’s grandmother and grandfather’s story.
The narration is clear but Jackson being the narrator is not reliable at all. He may or may not be drunk throughout the story and he also has questions as to what happen to his friends and other people he has met along the way.
The treatment of Indians in this story reminds me of the treatment of slaves in Beloved. Jackson hints at how when the white people came all these happy tribes became homeless people. Jackson was handling it different compared with Sethe but both stories emphasizes on family bonding.
“I took my grandmotherâs regalia and walked outside. I knew that solitary yellow bead was part of me. I knew I was that yellow bead in part. ”
Jackson as an Indian is experiencing the aftermath of Columbus taking over America but he is the yellow bead because he is the hidden gem amongst the homeless. He has potentials to do well in life. All he has to do is win this regalia back. But it is difficult because he is still haunted by his situation and by his past causing him to drink and wander around aimlessly all the time.
I know this story is trying to teach us something but I can’t seem to put my hand on it. It makes sense that he sets out on a mission to find money for his regalia and to win it back. But, he spends all the money he earns and comes back to the pawn shop with the same amount of money he started with… It reminds me of the Metamorphosis because it just ends with me having more questions than before. What’s the point of the regalia, what is the purpose?
In “what you pawn I will redeem” by Sherman Alexie there was a part when he said âA little bit. I remember the funeral. My grandmother wouldnât let them bury him. My father had to drag her away from the grave.â this reminded me on the story we read, “A rose for Emily” by William Faulkner. It reminded me of that story because in “A rose for Emily” she too didn’t want the towns people to bury her father, that later on she was convinced that he had to be and she started crying. This is similar to how Jackson Jackson told his story about how her grandmother didn’t want to bury his grandfather, that she had to be dragged away against her will in order for it to be done. Both stories show the loves towards the ones they held most dear and shows the pain they have to endure once there’re gone.
Jackson reminded me of Jane from “The Yellow Wall Paper”. Both of them were consumed by things that only they can overcome. Jane was consumed by the Wallpaper and Jackson by alcohol. Jane was alone in a home full of people and Jackson was consumed by his lies.