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Michaela Scrudato Professor Stanlake English HE111 20 September, 2013 The Culture of Homelessness "What You Pawn I Will Redeem," is Sherman Alexie's contemporary take on the classic quest tale. The main character, Jackson Jackson, embarks on a journey to reclaim his grandmother's stolen regalia, a quest that becomes a journey toward fulfillment and personal identity. Along the way, Jackson's interactions with friends and strangers help fill in the details of his life and character. From the first line of the short story homelessness permeates the text and becomes a recurring theme, showing not only Jacksons physical state of homelessness, but, more importantly, his lack of cultural connection to his heritage after the death of his grandmother. As a homeless Spokane Indian far from home and without family, Jackson's mission to reclaim his family heirloom helps him transcend his cultural homelessness and becomes a link to his past, his future, and his cultural identity. Throughout the short story, Sherman Alexie shows the historic homelessness of the Native Americans resulting from numerous genocides and the effect this has had on Jackson Jacksons life. The story begins with the line, One day you have a home and the next you dont (8). It is a deceptively simple, almost glib statement, referring both to Jacksons literal homelessness, living on the streets of Seattle, as well as his cultural homelessness as a Spokane Indian. Jackson, like all Native Americans, is culturally connected to a history of dispossession, forced removal, and lost lands. Yet at some points in the story it feels as if these problems are still prevalent today. When Jackson is talking to the shopkeeper it is obvious that there are still some discrimination problems, The pawnbroker sighed. He was thinking about the possibilities.

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Well, I suppose you could go to the cops, he said. But I dont think theyd believe a word you said(11). Not only that, but Jackson refers to Officer Williams as a white cop insinuating that there are distinct differences between their different races. Jackson is unable to assert his own identity in terms of his "Indian-ness" without falling into the pitfalls of stereotyping. He is comfortable making declarations like "it's an Indian thing," while also being capable of explaining the subtleties and cultural differences between Indian tribes, but is quick to distinguish between Indian and white traditions (12). When talking to the three Aleuts, Jackson asks if they know any songs and they responded, I know all of Hank Williams, the elder Aleut said, to which Jackson replies, How about any Indian songs? (25). Jackson pointedly asks for songs from his own culture trying to find a way to connect to his heritage in any way possible. Although Jackson doesnt seem to care about the inherent racial problems that are still prevalent today or the fact that hes homeless, he continues to struggle with his cultural identity, or lack thereof. Although Jackson is homeless he does not seem to mind his physical lack of a home, but his lack of connection with his past is slowly leading him to kill himself. His grandmother was his connection to his heritage and without her, he is slowly dying. In the story, Jackson feels that in order to understand his heritage he had to talk with his grandmother, which is why he feels that if he could revive his grandmother he would, in turn, be connected to his culture once more. More than once, Jackson is seen wishing for his grandmother, Im wishing my grandmother was still alive (26). Whenever Jackson Jackson thinks about his past or the future he is weighted by the loss of his grandmother. Sherman Alexie especially emphasizes Jackson Jacksons ultimate loneliness when Jackson pulls a tarp off a truck and wraps it around himself like a faithful lover that he never had(15). The image this creates is one of a lonely, broken Native American,

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who has been lowered to sleeping in the dirt wrapped only in a plastic sheet. The only thing that manages to get him through these times of loneliness is the thought of his grandmothers regalia. Jacksons grandmother was his connection to his heritage and without her, he is slowly dying. When his grandmother put on her regalia it symbolized more than just an upcoming powwow; it was a symbol of their faith, heritage, and family. At the beginning of the story, Jackson Jackson explains his mental problem and how, while he is somewhat crazy, he is not serial killer crazy. Jackson knows that something within him is not right, but he does not realize that he is mentally anguished over being estranged from his heritage. Jackson also goes on to say that hes been disappearing piece by piece, because without his grandmother, Jackson is not able to connect to his heritage and therefore tries to fill these immerging voids with acts that emulate his culture (9). He remembers that, in his tribes culture, whenever someone would make money, theyd give a portion of it back in gratitude. When Jackson Jackson wins $100 from a lottery ticket, he makes sure to give twenty dollars back to Mary, and he proudly claims that its tribalan Indian thing (19). By applying his family traditions to his life, Jackson Jackson is able to feel more connected with his ancestry. He wants to be part of his culture so badly that he constantly feels lonesome for Indians (23). Its this loneliness that prompts him to blow his remaining $80 on his Native American cousins that arent even blood related. Yet when he sees the regalia in the window, Jackson is instantly reminded of his grandmother and what it was like to really be a part of his Indian culture. Through his quest to regain his grandmothers regalia, Jackson finds that he does not need his grandmother to understand his heritage. After Jackson buys his grandmothers regalia back, he puts it on, and the world watched [him] dance with [his] grandmother. [He] was [his] grandmother, dancing (28). At the end of the story, Jackson is at peace with the fact that his

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grandmother is gone and uses her regalia as a way to channel his heritage. When Jackson decides to dance in the regalia he is putting himself in his grandmothers shoes showing that he has found his home within his culture. In winning back the regalia, it does not matter what happened in the past, since Jackson has earned back a part of his family history that will allow him to feel whole. When Jackson Jackson puts the regalia on, he says that the solitary yellow bead is part of him (25). He realizes that he is a part of his familys yellow bead; He knows that he falls short and that he is imperfect, but it does not matter because his flaws are a part of his familys flaws, and his familys flaws are a part of his. Jackson no longer needs his grandmother because he has finally found the connection to his heritage that has been missing from his life and when he walks out onto the street with the regalia, nothing else matters. Being culturally lost is something that happens to many, but is often not addressed because people feel that it does not cause any serious harm. However, as seen by Jacksons slow descent into alcoholism and grief, it is easy to lose oneself when one does not have a base of heritage to rely on. Jacksons quest was not just about a family heirloom, it was about finding the connection to his past and, in turn, regaining a part of himself, which helped him to finally transcend his state of homelessness.

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Works Cited Alexie, Sherman. What You Pawn I Will Redeem. Seagull Reader Stories. Ed. Joseph Kelly. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2008. 8-28. Print.