Sherman Alexie’s “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” is about cultural oppression. In an important passage of the story, Jackson meets his friend Junior covered in vomit and the three Aleut cousins. This passage, along with the story’s resolution, contributes to an important theme. This main theme is that the best way for people to recover from cultural oppression is to take appropriate actions. The story suggests that there exists cultural oppression. When Jackson walks to the wharf, he meets three Aleut cousins who are crying: “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” (3). A wharf is a place for transportation between territories, and it also represents the boundary
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When Jackson walks in the pawnshop, he exchanges a conversation with the pawnbroker: “‘Did you work hard for this money?’ he asked. ‘Yes,’ I said… ‘Take it,’ he said, and held it out to me. ‘I don’t have the money.’ ‘I don’t want your money.’ ‘But I wanted to win it.’ ‘You did win it. Now take it before I change my mind’” (13). The pawnbroker’s interrogation “Did you work hard for this money?” and his affirmation “I don’t want your money” imply that the amount of money is weightless compared to the hard work, as he wants to make sure that Jackson has toke appropriate actions to win back the regalia. The phrase “But I wanted to win it” demonstrates Jackson’s honesty and determination in his quest for his native culture. The fact that the pawnbroker decides to cede the regalia by saying “You did win it” suggests that he approves Jackson’s effort and persistence. When Jackson leaves the pawnshop, he dances in his grandmother’s regalia in the middle of the intersection: “They all watched me dance with my grandmother. I was my grandmother, dancing” (13). The phrase “they all watched me” shows Jackson’s ambition in his recovering from cultural oppression, as he wants the people who oppress his tribe to admit his success. Jackson’s dance with his grandmother implies that the regalia connects Jackson with his family and his native culture. The fact that Jackson sees himself as his grandmother suggests that he is bringing back his family’s culture to life. The resolution demonstrates that Jackson is the one who takes appropriate actions to bring back his culture instead of waiting for rescue and becoming
When Jackson walks in the pawnshop, he exchanges a conversation with the pawnbroker: “‘Did you work hard for this money?’ he asked. ‘Yes,’ I said… ‘Take it,’ he said, and held it out to me. ‘I don’t have the money.’ ‘I don’t want your money.’ ‘But I wanted to win it.’ ‘You did win it. Now take it before I change my mind’” (13). The pawnbroker’s interrogation “Did you work hard for this money?” and his affirmation “I don’t want your money” imply that the amount of money is weightless compared to the hard work, as he wants to make sure that Jackson has toke appropriate actions to win back the regalia. The phrase “But I wanted to win it” demonstrates Jackson’s honesty and determination in his quest for his native culture. The fact that the pawnbroker decides to cede the regalia by saying “You did win it” suggests that he approves Jackson’s effort and persistence. When Jackson leaves the pawnshop, he dances in his grandmother’s regalia in the middle of the intersection: “They all watched me dance with my grandmother. I was my grandmother, dancing” (13). The phrase “they all watched me” shows Jackson’s ambition in his recovering from cultural oppression, as he wants the people who oppress his tribe to admit his success. Jackson’s dance with his grandmother implies that the regalia connects Jackson with his family and his native culture. The fact that Jackson sees himself as his grandmother suggests that he is bringing back his family’s culture to life. The resolution demonstrates that Jackson is the one who takes appropriate actions to bring back his culture instead of waiting for rescue and becoming