Vampire In The Lemon Grove 'And What You Pawn I Will Redeem'

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There is an old saying, “do not judge a book by its cover”. In the stories “Vampire in the Lemon Grove”, by Karen Russell, and “What You Pawn I Will Redeem”, by Sherman Alexie, this old saying is thoroughly represented and explained to readers. The protagonists in the two stories reveal to readers an unexpected part of their lives that cannot be ascertained at the beginning of the stories. Both stories apply the same theme: people should be careful with assumptions or stereotypes because they might be biased.
In the short story “What You Pawn I Will Redeem”, Jackson, lives in a vagabond lifestyle that makes the reader surprised when he shows his determination and generosity. Jackson works hard to earn his grandmother’s regalia back. But he …show more content…

In the beginning of the story, the narrator describes his life as homeless and pathetic. He has been homeless for six years and he says, “Being homeless is probably the only thing I’ve ever been good at” (Alexie, 9). Jackson’s multiple marriages and numerous children make the reader feel like he does not take seriously his marriages and the responsibilities of being a father. Jackson has been homeless so long that he has become an expert at living on the street, without a home and connections to his family. Therefore, Jackson’s words show the reader that Jackson does not care to settle down with his family and he has not been successful in any aspect of his life, including not able to has a home of his own. Later in the story, after he gets eighty dollars from the lottery, he goes to an Indian bar and uses the money he has won to buy drinks for everyone. At the end of the story when he finally gets his grandmother’s regalia back he says, “They all watched me dance with my grandmother, I was my grandmother, dancing” (Alexie, 28). Jackson tries very hard in order to get money to buy back his grandmother’s regalia, and this is in contrast to his past …show more content…

At the beginning of the story, Clyde states that, “Most people mistake me for a small, kindly Italian grandfather….They never guess that I am a vampire” (Russell, 407). Clyde’s kindly appearance makes the readers feel like he is a friendly grandfather who quietly enjoys his time in the lemon grove. Although he tells the readers that he is a vampire, the readers have no reason to believe that Clyde has a darker side. Later in the story, when Clyde describes his feelings toward Fila, he says, “I feel a well of love for the girl” (Russell, 408). The readers can feel Clyde’s sincere affection for the girl, and because of his friendly appearance and his love for the girl, the readers cannot believe that he will do anything bad to her. Also, the book mentions that his wife has taught him that killing people is not necessary and can be stopped. However, at the end of the story, Clyde loses control of his actions and says, “It seems my hand has tightened on the girl’s wrist, and I realize with surprise, as if from a great distance, that he is twisting away” (Russell, 421). He disappoints the readers by killing the girl he once liked. From the quote, the readers can feel that Clyde splits into two sides, a side that is evil and another side that is normal. However, he seems to be

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