Life is extremely difficult for some individuals. Life can be even harder for those people when they are homeless, alcoholic, and of a minority group that is often frowned upon. Sherman Alexie exhibits a character like the one described in his short story “What You Pawn I Will Redeem.” This story follows a homeless man living in Seattle, Washington named Jackson Jackson. Jackson lives a lonely and a poor life.One day after buying a bottle of liquor, he notices a regalia that looks like the one he remembers from photos of his grandma hanging in a pawn shop. Jackson convinces the pawn shop owner that it is his families’ regalia by finding an out of place yellow bead that his family is accustomed to branding their property. The pawn shop owner, …show more content…
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). Jackson did not owe the young cashier anything, and he was in far worse shape than the cashier was in. This man is homeless and jobless and he gave out one fifth of his earning like it was nothing. For all Jackson knows, he may never see one hundred dollars ever again, but that never stopped him from sharing his new found wealth with those around him. The next thing Jackson does is buy eighty dollars worth of shots at an Indian bar for everyone attending. Again, Jackson goes out of his way to show kindness to others. One hundred dollars worth of lottery winnings all gone. Barely one cent went to him or his important regalia
Jackson was very loyal to his friends especially those who helped him get into office. To reward his friends, he removed experienced officeholders and replaced them with his political friends or followers. This system is known as the spoils system. By Jackson using this system, he is guilty for undermining the economy and politically motivated action. By Jackson putting his friends in the office, meant that he had chance of winning the next election. Using this system also put the economy in danger because of the corruption and inefficiency in the office. Jackson is guilty of this charge because he replaced good working men for his party friends who do nothing to benefit the
This story made me frustrated at the way people get forced into a rut that they can’t escape. Jackson Jackson isn’t completely innocent, no one is, but most of his problems were a result from the wrong that others had inflicted upon him. The frustrating part was that He was incapable of getting himself out. He did things like spend money on alcohol and cheese burgers, only to end up throwing it all up and even less money. To me, this story is about redemption. Jackson received grace from people like the good cop, and the pawnbroker. None of his own efforts changed his situation, only the kindness of others changed him. These kind deeds helped reconcile the reality of Jackson’ life and his situation. In a story like this, I always hope for a
middle of paper ... ... If Jackson did not change his view of life, work hard at everything he did, and excel at sports, who knows where he would be today? He could be sitting in a jail cell because he never changed his ways and lost his temper, or he could still be living in a small house in a small town.
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 open positions created by this had to be filled with somebody. Though Jackson did not pick the most worthy people for the job, instead, he chose people who had helped him win the election and some of his friends to join him in the government. This practice, called the spoils system was very unfair and took away jobs from worthy people to help Jackson push his own personal agenda. Most of the individuals he hired were extremely unqualified too. One of these individuals, Samuel Swartwout, whom Jackson had left in charge of the collections from the New York City customhouse, where half of the government's annual revenue was collected, ran away with over $1 million that he stole while working his position.
Jackson was a self-centered, violent, and ruthless man who paid no attention to what was morally correct, only what he believed in. This man was a notorious gambler who was known to fight at the drop of a hat, and then drop the hat himself! And because he shut down the Central Bank, we entered into the Panic of 1837. Ironically, the same man who opposed paper money ended up on the 20-dollar bill! He completely ignored the Constitution, and the Supreme court on many occasions. And when he was elected into office, he replaced many smart able-bodied officials for unintelligent Jacksonian supporters. This was the kind of man that Jackson was. A man who made more than 4,000 Native Americans die on the Trail of Tears. Jackson was just an unintelligent common-man who managed to win the Presidency. And with it, he brought damage and death to many other people through his
In the short story “What You Pawn I Will Redeem”, Sherman Alexie uses the two most well known stereotypes of Native Americans today, that they are alcoholics and homeless. These are more modern day stereotypes but they fall under the the main stereotype, that Native Americans are helpless and uncivilized. Alexie’s short story focuses on a character named Jackson Jackson, who happens to be both homeless and an alcoholic. Jackson is walking past a pawn shop when he notices his grandmother’s regalia that was stolen from his family fifty years ago. The owner of the pawn shop gives Jackson twenty-four hours to come up with the money for the regalia. The story takes us throughout his journey which consist mostly of Jackson buying alcohol, food, and even some lottery tickets. Jackson would acquire money through a variety of situations right after getting money he ended
Jackson is proud of his heritage and throughout the story references the way of the Indians, whilst befriending and conversing with a number of other tribal relatives. Jackson, even admits, “Being homeless is probably the only thing I’ve ever been good at. at.” Despite his failure, he is still an Indian man, searching for a proclamation of his. heritage in his grandmother’s regalia.
Jackson uses the lottery itself to function as an ironic symbol of tradition in the story. In today’s society, a lottery is an event that has positive connotations related to it. A lottery a game that is associated with fun, chance, fun, and expectation. Good things usually result from lotteries especially for those who win. Furthermore, those who don’t win have nothing to lose. Lotteries bring forth a feeling of great expectation of a wonderful outcome. Through out the story, the lottery is projected as a harmless and affable pastime, which is how it is used in today’s society; however, by the end of the story it ends with disaster.
"The Lottery" is "symbolic of any number of social ills that mankind blindly perpetrates" (Friedman 108). The story is very shocking, but the reality of mankind is even more shocking. Isn’t it funny that Jackson gives us a description of our nature, and not only do we not recognize it for what it is , but it shocks us.
To follow through I will discuss the importance Jackson placed on the protagonist Tessie Hutchinson. She was seen as someone who is consumed by hypocrisy and weakness. Mrs. Hutchinson is aware that the lottery is wrong but does nothing to eradicate it or stand on her own. To her demise the lottery’s lesson is that the more artificial you are, the more of a target you become. Sadly the lottery became the death of Mrs. Hutchinson, when she was chosen as the winner of the annual event.
In “A Worn Path,” Jackson character is related to the theme of love, persistence and racial prejudice. Jackson demonstrates love for her grandson as she risk her life through the cold weather to retrieve medicine for her grandson. Her devotion and bravery showed the love that she had for her grandson. In today’s society, you would not see family or friends who care enough for their loved ones to risk their life to help get something that is beneficial for someone else. People who would go great lengths to protect someone they love is rare. Not only did she care for him, but she loved him. Jackson perseverance is shown as she faced the hostile and corrupt world. While keeping warm she must crawl under barbed-wired fences, walk through a maze and protect herself from the wild animals. Not only are these her problems as she takes her occasionally trips to Natchez, she must deal with the pain of age, poverty and racial prejudice, which was a factor during her lifetime. Although she faced perseverance she stayed consistent. The story does not focus on racial issues, but it is implied in the context. Consider the hunter who made racial slurs about blacks going to see Santa Clause or the attendant and shopper calling her granny. Interestingly, the people who she encountered at first were somewhat treating her with kindness. The narrator does not reveal their race, but
What is the significance of the regalia in the story? Are regalia just a product described in Bauman theory that it is a temptation of human desire that has a limited time of gratitude or is it more than that?
The primary message that Jackson shows in “The Lottery” is that people can be involved with such a violent act and think nothing of it. In the story all the people are happy, “they stood together, away from the pile of stones in the corner, and their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed.”(244) All the people in the town gather together without question to perform this horrible act of murder. All the people think nothing of this terrible act. Mr. Summers the man that runs the whole lottery says, “guess we better get started, get this over with, so’s we can go back to work.”(245) This illustrates how they think of the lottery as an everyday occurrence. Old Man Warner says, “lottery in June, c...
The Lottery was Shirley Jackson 's most recognized short story. Her story was written with a very bold plot. “ Shirley Jackson wrote of the essentially evil nature of human beings. "The Lottery," tells of a ritual in a typical New England town in which local residents choose one among their number to be sacrificed” this ritual supposedly helps the growth of their crops, and brings fertility to the people(Wanger-Martin). Though there is no actual evidence of ritual making a difference in prosperity. Later on it is even mentioned other villages have dropped the violent tradition. In the Lottery Jackson used a multitude of themes, and symbolism in hopes of leaving a lasting message for the readers. More themes than the ritual become prominent in the novel. For instance many critics agree that the lottery is a tale “which addresses a variety of themes, including the dark side of human nature, the subjugation of women, the dangers of ritualized behavior, and the potential for cruelty when the individual submits to the tyranny of the status quo”(Wilson, 139-146). All of these are strategically interwoven in the story. Jackson uses a variety of different themes to teach a lesson about man in The