What You Pawn I Will Redeem Summary

Familial heritage, an entity that is passed from generation to generation, is the essence behind Sherman Alexie’s “What You Pawn I Will Redeem”, as well as Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use.” Throughout each, the main characters are pitted with a struggle to acquire family relics that are, in their own way, meaningful and unique to their culture. In “What You Pawn I Will Redeem,” Jackson Jackson is presented a long lost powwow regalia that belonged to his grandmother, while in “Everyday Use” the narrator is tasked with making the decision to give or withhold a set of generation old quilts. Each author, then, attempts to convey the importance of cultural heritage. Through a side by side analysis of the major characters, one can see the motivation to acquire such heirlooms and why one represents Alexie’s view that culture can be preserved through

Jackson’s complacency with living on the streets can be seen when he mentions “…I suppose I’m effective. Being homeless is probably the only thing I’ve ever been good at” (438). Jackson, throughout the story, never mentions any family members that he is currently in contact with. The only people he feels he can rely on are his posse, Rose of Sharon and Junior. Collectively, the three fulfill the stereotype of the typical Indian: homeless, purposeless, and alcoholic. Incidentally, however, Jackson’s relationship with the few he relies on begins to crumble. This is proven not only once, but twice when both Rose of Sharon and Junior ditch Jackson without warning or even a goodbye. For the simple reason that Jackson has been abandoned, he finds himself looking for a friend. To no avail, he goes in search of other Indians to help fund his campaign and, periodically, runs across other natives from far and wide, but fails to make any connection deeper than causal