ipl-logo

What You Pawn I Will Redeem

547 Words3 Pages

A Critical Analysis of “What you pawn I will redeem”

In “What you pawn I will redeem”, Sherman Alexie tells us a story about Jackson trying to get his grandmother regalia back. Jackson tells us about being married a few times, being homeless, working blue collar jobs, fathering a few children and going crazy. This critical analysis paper will focus on Jackson’s story and will show the quality and effectiveness of Sherman Alexie’s writing.
I really enjoyed the story “What you pawn I will redeem” by Sherman Alexie. What made it so enjoyable for me, was not only Jackson who is the main character but also the friends and cousins which were mentioned throughout this story. This story had great characters and a very great story line. Thanks to the main character I got to experience firsthand what it like is to be, not only homeless, but also an alcoholic. During …show more content…

At this point in the story I couldn’t help but feel extremely happy, and relieved for Jackson because all he wanted to do was get his grandmother’s regalia back, it was the last thing that he had of her. Sherman Alexie did a great job of building up the characters for this story, it showed me how important culture is and to do what you believe in. Even though Jackson was homeless and did not have any money or family he was determined to get that money.
The friends that Jackson meets throughout this story were, to me, excellent. The writer of this story did not go into great length to explain these characters, but he didn’t need to, because the few words that he used to explain them was enough. There was Rose Sharron who “was over 7 feet tall if you measured effect, and about five feet if you measured physical”. There was also Junior, who was described as a good-looking Indian. Then there was Irene Muse who was wonderfully fat, and whose body felt like a large, warm, and soft

Show More
Related
701 Words | 3 Pages

At some points in the book the reader cannot be sure what period in history the story is at. Is the reader reading about 1818 or 1812? It makes for a hard read, and hard to keep track of where the reader is within the story of Andrew Jackson’s life. Curtis, at least to this critic, fails to fully tell the story of Andrew Jackson’s childhood. Curtis states Jackson was a mischievous as a child, yet fails to explore that to the fullest.

Read More
1072 Words | 5 Pages

English First Semester Final Essay To many readers, the most enjoyable stories are the ones that take place without sorrow, and betrayal. While these are both tragic topics, some pieces of literature are fantastic, while still broaching topics that may be harmful to the characters themselves. In the novel Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, the play A Midsummer’s Night Dream by William Shakespeare, and the novella The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, all contain examples of the these specific topics. These pieces of literature all share common themes of family, magic, and betrayal.

Read More
677 Words | 3 Pages

Alexander the great crucified two thousand defeated soldiers and sold thirty thousand into slavery (Doc C). Alexander the great was born in 356 B.C.E and he was taught by a Greek philosopher, Aristotle (BGE). Alexander's father was assassinated in 336 B.C.E and Alexander took over at the age of twenty (BGE). He used his military skills to conquer most of the known world until he died in 323 B.C.E, and his empire soon followed the same fate (BGE). Was Alexander the Great great?

Read More
707 Words | 3 Pages

While on the farm, Amari went through many tragedies and decided she had enough. Polly, Amari, and Tidbit, one of the children on the farm, were going to escape captivity. While this was not easy, Amari escaped. The author uses Amaris’ life to illustrate the theme of finding beauty in the toughest

Read More
339 Words | 2 Pages

Each event in the story was felt emotionally and gave me insight into the mind of Jeanette (The Main Character). Another reason I think this book is popular is because the story is based off of the authors childhood

Read More
495 Words | 2 Pages

Your parents are always telling you to do do the right thing, aren't they? Priscilla Cummings did not miss the opportunity to convey the same message. In The Red Kayak, Priscilla Cummings is trying to show that doing the right thing, no matter the consequences is always the correct path to take. In this paper, I will give a few examples of why I think the theme in the story is to always do the right thing. These examples are that Brady had the choice to call out to the kayak, the scene with Digger and J.T. in court, and I will show you this in a more philosophical way.

Read More
960 Words | 4 Pages

(25-26) ” It’s clear that Rufus’s parents’ two opposite approaches to raising him are conflicting and damaging, resulting in Rufus getting the wrong message as to how he is allowed to behave. While Rufus’s mother gives him all he wants regardless of his poor behavior, his father on the other hand neglects him and resorts to violence to discipline him. The use of violence and sense of entitlement build up in him and worsen as he ages.

Read More
571 Words | 3 Pages

Writer Sherman Alexie has a knack of intertwining his own problematic biographical experience with his unique stories and no more than “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” demonstrates that. Alexie laced a story about an Indian man living in Spokane who reflects back on his struggles in life from a previous relationship, alcoholism, racism and even the isolation he’s dealt with by living off the reservation. Alexie has the ability to use symbolism throughout his tale by associating the title’s infamy of two different ethnic characters and interlinking it with the narrator experience between trying to fit into a more society apart from his own cultural background. However, within the words themselves, Alexie has created themes that surround despair around his character however he illuminates on resilience and alcoholism throughout this tale.

Read More
1062 Words | 5 Pages

His son marries, and the narrator and his wife age further, and the transition into old age is complete with the death of the narrator’s father-in-law. Between these events we can see large shifts in attitudes and ideas, as well as health and well-being. These factors provide clear character evolution within the

Read More
458 Words | 2 Pages

This book was interesting for me because it allowed me to relate to a character. I love reading novels that not only allow me to feel a connection with a character, but allow me to relate to their personality or

Read More
1407 Words | 6 Pages

While the novel primarily focuses on the themes of love, duty, and societal expectations, Wharton expertly incorporates mythological references and influences to add depth and meaning to the narrative. By drawing upon classical myths and archetypes, Wharton highlights the timeless nature of human desires and the enduring power of myth in shaping our understanding of the world. I. The Entitled Archer: Newland Archer as a Modern Acteaon Just as Actaeon fell victim to his own desires and suffered the consequences, Archer too finds himself ensnared by the restrictive social norms and expectations of his time, ultimately leading to his own emotional and psychological entrapment.

Read More
740 Words | 3 Pages

Eudora Welty’s A Worn Path: Conveying the Theme of Sacrificial Love How much does a grandmother love her grandson? It is difficult to show more love than Phoenix Jackson did in Eudora Welty’s short story A Worn Path.

Read More
1268 Words | 6 Pages

12 Years A Slave Do you care about human rights? Do you feel like injustice, racism and oppression has been and still is a huge issue in America? And most importantly, do you care about the cruel and brutal history of slavery and the consequences it has had for the future generations of African Americans? If the answer is yes to all of the above, then it is an absolute necessity for you to watch the movie 12 Years A Slave!

Read More
461 Words | 2 Pages

I liked the story because it showed an honest view of the struggle Maisami

Read More
1259 Words | 6 Pages

His idiosyncrasy remains loving and understanding, even when his younger son returned home after many of been away with not a penny to his name. The young son showed disobedience to all the goodness his father had offered to him. The young son showed traits such as selfishness as well as being ungrateful. He had no worth for his father’s property nor did he want to work alongside his father on the family farm.

Read More

More about What You Pawn I Will Redeem

Related Topics

Open Document