What You Pawn I Shall Retrieve

            Sherman’s story “What You Pawn I Shall Retrieve,” tells the story of a homeless Indian Boy named Jackson. Sherman narrates how the boy goes on a journey to get money in order to purchase a powwow regalia that was stolen from his grandmother. Throughout the story, the character of this boy who happens to be the main protagonist is defined by the relationship he has with other characters.  Through this story, Sherman tells of a common story of poverty and substance abuse in native America through the encounters of Jackson. Jackson is mostly defined by his kindness which happens to be his ultimate flaw in his attempts to raise the money he needed. His kindness becomes his greatest asset when he sets out to retrieve back his grandmother's powwow regalia from a pawnbroker at a cost of five dollars which was far less than the amount that was demanded.

            Jackson resides in Seattle, Washington where he traveled twenty-three years ago in order to attend college before dropping out of school. He has worked numerous blue-collar jobs, had multiple marriages, and many children. In the story, he eludes himself from having a mental disorder. Briefly, in the story, he introduces himself when he states that Indians make great storytellers and as a result, they are good liars (Gale, np). The need to retrieve his grandmother's powwow regalia begins when he and his friends pass a pawn shop and through the window, he identifies the powwow regalia as that of his grandmother.  It had been stolen years before but he was confident that it was the powwow regalia he saw from his grandmothers’ pictures and the stories she told him about it. To truly show that it belongs to his grandmother he told the pawnbroker that he will see a yellow bead inside which was true but despite the sympathies of the pawnshop owner he explains that he cannot just give it away since he has acquired it at one thousand dollars. Instead, he tells him that he will sell it to him at a one-dollar discounted price (Gale, np). As the character of Jackson continues to develop in the story, Sherman gives him positive characteristics that often result in additional obstacles.

            Along the way of retrieving his grandmother's powwow regalia, he is met with roadblocks. Sherman Alexie is totally successful in his attempts of making Jackson a humanitarian through the use of stereotypes while on the other hand showing his progression towards retrieving his grandmother's powwow regalia. Any time he makes progress he is knocked down back to the same position where he started. The compassion he has for his friends is one of the reasons his attempts to raise money fails. His attempts to raise and fall frustrate the readers as they go through the story (Gale, np). By bringing out his character as a humanitarian Sherman highlights the good in him.  He takes care of his friends before he can take care of himself or accomplish what he sets out to do. Despite his dedication and will to get back his grandmother’s powwow regalia, he ends up spending every dollar that he earns on saving his friends. This does not define him as a careless person but a compassionate person he prefers to spend his money on his friends since he regards them as family. At one time he wins one hundred dollars from a scratch ticket he gives 20 dollars to Mary and remarks that when one wins, they are supposed to share it with family (Gale, np).

            The fact that Jackson finds himself in the same position he started at the end of the story can be said to be frustrating and tragic. At one time he decided to sell newspapers when someone gives them to him for free.  He sells only five of them and gives up. He goes to McDonald's and buys himself burgers but at the end, he throws up. In the course of 24 hours, he had only thirty dollars left which he used to buy himself and three Indians breakfast. These Indians did not appreciate his efforts since they disappeared right after breakfast. If Jackson had tried harder maybe he would have come up with the money he needed (Gale, np). Throughout the story, Sherman displays Jackson as endearing, compassionate, and a giving human being. He idolizes his grandmother but his efforts to retrieve the thing that remained him of the woman who helped to sculpt him into the person he was were always hitting a dead end.

Part of the reason he finds himself at the same position he began at in the beginning of the story is because of his alcoholism. Despite his intelligence, the decisions he made that resulted to his position at the end of the story might also have been influenced by alcohol. Even when trying to acquire the powwow regalia the first thing he does when he makes the decision of retrieving it is purchasing liquor with the little money he had at that time (Gale, np). Alcohol might have influenced his spendthrift ways and thus his inability to raise the money he needed.

The fact that Jackson is able to get his grandmother's powwow regalia is humbling. Over and over again Jackson has found himself starting over again and again. He repeatedly is forced to start from nowhere again with abandonment and neglect in his so-called mission. At the end of his mission when he was hitting dead rock again the owner of the pawn shop generously gave him 20 dollars to restart his mission again and then gives him the powwow regalia without demanding any payment because of Jackson's merit but because of his truthfulness, hopefulness and boldness (Gale, np). Jackson is bold enough to stand in front of the man offering him his remain five dollars with full confidence his hopes to regain the last thing that reminded him of his grandmother and the one thing that connected him to his ancestry. His boldness and hope that did not flatter challenged the pawnbroker and won him over despite the fact that Jackson did not want any pity nor handout (Gale, np). The fact that Jackson got his grandmothers powwow regalia back despite his inability to pay shows that his generosity and kindness was appreciated at the end.  The story is heartfelt. The final thoughts of Jackson shows that the deeds and accomplishments of a man are more than the amount of money that is in their pockets and money does not in any extent measure generosity only ones willingness to act and help matters which refers to all the good deeds that he did in the past which in one way contributed to him not raising the money that was needed by the pawnbroker.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

Gale, Cengage L. A Study Guide for Sherman Alexie's ""what You Pawn I Will Redeem, "" Excerpted from Gale's Acclaimed Literary Themes for Students. Farmington Hills: Gale, Cengage Learning, 2016. Print.