In the short story What You Pawn I Will Redeem by Sherman Alexie, a character by the name of Jackson Jackson sets out to collect money to purchase his grandmothers long lost regalia. Jackson Squared, as he is so often referred to in the story, is a homeless Spokane Indian. His efforts at raising the money needed to buy back the regalia are strong. However, throughout the story he squanders the money her earns. Allowing the reader to see his generosity is counter-intuitive to his cause and leaves him with little money in the end. With Jackson Jacksons supposed over-abundance of generosity can easily be interpreted as a character flaw; he is destitute and lacking in funds to complete his objective. However, he is still prone to exhibiting generosity towards others despite hardly being in the position to do so. It is this objective of Jackson Squareds character that will be my focus.
The character flaw is actually an aspect of the culture and history that he is so fervently trying to preserve and the generosity that he shows to others in his time of need is simply an example of this culture. Generosity is something most Native American Indians believe in. As quoted by a tribal leader on Trinity Projects website, When we are held in a web of trust and connection, we can give generously, knowing that when it is our turn we will be supported (All About All of Us). Stories in history books and articles online showcase many ways the Native Americans have been generous. Jackson Jackson in this short story is a great example of a Native American Indian who embraces his cultures emphasis on generosity.
One of the events that showcases Jacksons generosity is when he wins one hundred dollars on a lottery scratcher and gives twenty dollars to the teller. The story explains, [A]nd gave her one of the bills. I cant take that she said. Its your money No , its tribal. Its an Indian thing. When you win, youre supposed to share it with your family (Alexie, 18). This shows that although Jackson is in need of a large amount of money hes not going to give up a tradition, even though the teller didnt want to accept the money, Jackson was persistent and gave her the money anyway. It is here in the story the reader sees Jacksons longing to feel as though he has a family. He sees the clerk at the mini mart as his family, because he visits there often. It is this longing that causes Jackson Jackson to be so generous; he wants to share with his family.
Examples of this same generosity towards his so called family show throughout the story. Jackson shows us his generosity again when he takes the rest of his scratcher ticket winnings to a local indian bar. Jackson tells the bartender, Me and all my cousins here are going to be drinking eighty in shots. How many is that apiece (18)? Jackson is spending all of his winnings on shots for everyone in the bar, however, the people in the bar have no relation to Jackson. He calls them his cousins because (as it also states in the story) I didnt know any of them, but Indians like to belong, so we all pretended to be cousins(18). His sudden relationship with all of the people in the bar compels him to do something for his family. Buying the whole bar five rounds of shots shows Jacksons generosity towards these people. It is here in the bar that you see Jackson refer to the attendees of the bar who are (more or less strangers) as his own family. Jackson feels a connection to these people as his family through his culture.
Jackson Jacksons generosity towards others comes straight from his heart. Jackson doesnt even think about needs this money for when he is squandering it on others. An example of this is when he takes the Aleuts Indians to breakfast. The story states, The Aleuts and I walked over to the Big Kitchen, a greasy diner in the International District. I knew they served Homeless Indians whod lucked into money (26). Jackson helps feed the hungry Aleuts Indians and himself even though all he has for money is the twenty-five dollars a police man gave him earlier in the story. Although, Jackson doesnt refer to the Aleuts as his family, the reader can feel his desire to be around people.
Taking the Aleuts to breakfast was a generous thing for Jackson to do, however something I found to be more generous was Jacksons willingness to give the waitress at the restaurant a tip. Jackson says, Ive got twenty-five dollars I can spend. Bring us all the breakfast you can, plus your tip (27). In a situation like Jacksons, I wouldnt expect him to be so generous with a tip. Jacksons generosity gets the best of him here in this situation. Jackson could have eaten breakfast and walked out with a little money to spare towards his goal to buy back his grandmothers regalia.
Throughout the story the reader may become angry with Jacksons actions. As he is portrayed as a homeless man with no money in search of a large amount of money to be able to complete his goal of buying back his grandmothers regalia. However the reader finds Jackson squandering the money given to him by those who care about him even in his situation. Individuals such as the police officer who picks him up off the railroad tracks where he has passed out and the manager at the newspaper who gives him 50 papers for free to sell. In the end Jackson Jacksons generosity is the key to his ultimate success. His generosity turns into good karma when he returns to the pawn shop with only five dollars in his hand. Jackson is given the same generosity that he gives to other people. Jackson explains that he set the crumpled Lincoln on the countertop. The pawn broker studied it.[...] He though about the possibilities. [...] He closed his eyes and thought harder about the possibilities. Then he stepped into the back room and returned with my grandmothers regalia (28). This long excerpt from the story shows how the pawnbroker thought long and hard about what to do with the fact that Jackson only had brought back five dollars. In the end, the pawnbroker was generous and gave Jackson Jackson his grandmother regalia.
Jackson Squareds lack of funds is a result of his longing to belong. There is a great irony in Jacksons life because the traditions he is desperately trying to preserve are hindering him from being able to purchase his grandmothers regalia from the pawnbroker. However, his efforts at upholding the Native American traditions are validated by the karmic rewords Jackson receives throughout the story and in the end when he receives his grandmothers long lost regalia. Jackson falls upon money often throughout the story, however, he squanders it on himself and others, making it harder and harder to reach his goal. These transactions, while seemingly superficial, serve as the balance that counterweights Jacksons many obstacles throughout the story. His resilience in dealing with all of these self imposed set-backs solely on the basis of kindness and tradition evoke compassion in the form of his karmic reward when people such as the newspaper manager and the pawn shop owner decide to reciprocate his kindness to him in the end. This story comes full circle when Jackson makes the final transaction for his grandmother regalia at the pawn shop where the story started. The fact that the pawn shop brokers kindness causes him to give in to Jackson and sell him the regalia for five dollars (having just lent him five dollars the day before) validates all the the seemingly useless instances when he spends money he doesnt really have on others.
Works Cited
Alexie, Sherman. What You Pawn I Will Redeem. The Seagull reader. 1996
"Native American Potlatch ~ Encouraging Generosity - Trinity Project Blog - the Trinity Project." Home - the Trinity Project. Web. 28 Feb. 2011. .
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