literary analysis
Running head: LITERARY ANALYSIS 1
Literary Analysis
Masai Dafar
Ashford University
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LITERARY ANALYSIS 2
Literary Analysis
A society is made up of different elements such as religions, spoken languages,
ethnicities, traditions, and cultures, but all of these are linked by the need for connection. People
in the community desire to have connections with others who are within or outside their circle.
However, there is some other side of humanity that individuals seek in society. In the short story,
"What You Pawn, I Will Redeem" by Sherman Alexie, the main character, Jackson, who is an
Indian, is in search of something. While in Spokane, Jackson referred himself as an Indian boy as
he led his homeless and drunkard way of life. In the story, Jackson lost his past, and he is
struggling to understand the family heirloom, discover his cultural identity, and reconnect with
history. Jackson conflicts with his own self; for sure, the self can be your great enemy or friend.
This literary analysis will examine how the author depicts internal conflict, identity loss, and
how the environment influenced his decisions throughout the story.
The story demonstrates an individual who has internal conflicts and who feels like there
is an inalienable void inside him that he needs to feel. Jackson is an exact example of individuals
playing in human instincts when he fights for his best interests. He became homeless due to his
current unworthy situation and past hardships and unhealthy relationships. Jackson states, "Piece
by piece, I disappeared. I've been disappearing ever since. If there's such a thing as an effective
homeless man, then I suppose I'm effective." From this quote, it is evident that Jackson is
unhappy about his current situation. Throughout the story, Jackson is looking for money so that
he can buy back regalia that belonged to his mother, but he struggles due to alcoholism. His
quest for $999 to get back his grandmother's regalia, which was hanging on a pawn shop's
window, shows his attempt to reconnect with the culture he had abandoned. The regalia was the
only thing he had left, and it reminded him of the ones that his grandmother had.
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1. understand the family heirloom, In what way is he trying to understand it? Do you mean recover? [Patricia Lake]
2. This literary analysis will As a rule, for this type of essay, rather than focusing on "This essay will . . . " focus on the literature you are analyzing. For instance, "In the story of Jackson Jackson, Sherman Alexie explores . . . . throughout the story." [Patricia Lake]
3. story. Your introduction sets this up well overall. You have introduced the idea of community as a human need. As you introduce the story, you have indicated a number of areas that Alexie addresses. I recommend tightening your focus. I don't see how your essay develops all the things you indicate the author represents in the story. [Patricia Lake]
4. inalienable You may be using this word incorrectly [Patricia Lake]
5. effective." Remember to include a citation with the author, year, and page or paragraph # [Patricia Lake]
6. mother, grandmother [Patricia Lake]
7. had. This paragraph contains lost of important information. It seems to lack focus though. Are you going to discuss conflict and tie it back to your thesis? If so, make that your main topic of the paragraph and be sure the entire paragraph is focused on that topic. [Patricia Lake]
LITERARY ANALYSIS 3
Some events in life can totally transform a person or define who they are. As Jackson was
heading to the store to have his normal drinks, he had no idea that he will encounter something
which was going to change his life completely. On his way, he spotted regalia, an item used by
Native people at rituals and dances. The author explained that the regalia was recognized by
Jackson as the one that was stolen from his grandmother fifty years ago (Alexie, 2003). The
regalia is a symbol of identity because, in Jackson's culture, the item was used to enact
communal rituals, visions, and dreams (Glatzmaier et al., 2000). At that point, Jackson realized
that he needs to "redeem" what has been taken from him and get a piece of himself back. The
storyline focuses on Jackson's humorous character, who, in his journey, collects money in
twenty-four hours to help him attain his goals of reclaiming his grandmother's regalia. The
author utilized foreshadowing to give a hint of the outcome of the significant conflicts and
situations in the story.
Family items, such as the regalia, help in creating connections between the past and the
present, and they are used to pass a family's culture and traditions. Thus, Jackson tried to get the
item back because he wanted to reconnect with his Native culture. Though he had no confidence
that the regalia was indeed their family property because he saw it only in photographs, Jackson
went on to the pawnshop to have it back. Jackson could not get back the regalia from the
pawnbroker for free despite having evidence that their family item was unique in that it had a
yellow bead sewed on its side. Because the pawnbroker had paid for money to obtain the item,
he promised Jackson to give it to him if he gets the money by the following day at noon. This
was his turning point because he realized that to have a connection with his identity, then he must
look for money to buy the regalia.
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1. will would [Patricia Lake]
2. completely. How does this topic sentence link to your thesis? [Patricia Lake]
3. needs The verb tense you are using has shifted. Once you select a tense, be sure to consistently use it throughout your essay. See this Writing Center page for help with verb tense: http://writingcenter.ashford.ed u/verbs [Patricia Lake]
4. humorous Will you be developing this aspect of Jackson's character? [Patricia Lake]
5. story. Providing the example would be helpful here. [Patricia Lake]
6. culture. This is a good connecting point to make here. [Patricia Lake]
LITERARY ANALYSIS 4
Jackson, who is the main character, is battling with internal conflicts, and he becomes
dynamic as a result of the complexity of the situation. His first conflict is how to collect the
money in twenty-four hours to take it to the pawnshop so that he can get back the regalia.
Secondly, he was afraid that he might spend all the money he collects with his Indian friends on
occasional food and alcohol (Alexie, 2003). His internal conflicts deterred him from easily
attaining connection with the native culture. An instance explained in the story if where he used
some of the money, he had to purchase lottery tickets. Despite winning$100, he did not buy the
regalia but rather spent all of them in alcohol. Besides, conflict is in Jackson's mind is
demonstrated where he approached a police officer to help him file a report on the stolen item.
However, he did not use the police to retrieve the item back because he states that he was taught
to rely on himself, and he believed in magic.
Like any other person, Jackson also has his own problems. It sometimes happens that
something stands a stumbling block on the path to achieve the set target or goals. Jackson is a
real depiction of an individual who has a fully developed plan and goal in mind but is prevented
by an obstacle from attaining success. Jackson's intent was clear after identifying the regalia that
he wanted to have it back, and thus he had to obtain money. It sounds normal that Jackson
behaved responsibly after spotting his family's heirloom, and it is imaginable how fulfilling it is
to meet his objective after being given some cash by the pawnbroker to begin. However, the
situation turned contrary to expectations when the author reveals the character flaws of the
character. Jackson's addiction to alcohol was his great obstacle to buying back the regalia
because every time he obtained money, he spent them on foods and alcohol (Alexie, 2003).
In this short story by Sherman Alexie (2003), Jackson, the main character, is on a path to
discover his lost identity by trying to get back his grandmother's regalia. The two words of the
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1. he becomes dynamic Exactly what do you mean? He changes? [Patricia Lake]
2. who is the main character, Since he is defined earlier, there is no need to reidentify him. [Patricia Lake]
3. had to purchase Why did he have to do this? I believe you are referencing his inner desire to gamble. [Patricia Lake]
4. in on [Patricia Lake]
5. 2003). You make some good points. The paragraph, though, tends to be a bit disorganized in its approach. I recommend working with the LIVE CHAT tutors to refine the paragraph. [Patricia Lake]
LITERARY ANALYSIS 5
title of the article, "pawn" and "redeem," is applicable in the whole story. Jackson found his
family heirloom in a pawnshop, and he wanted to redeem it. The regalia was not only a family
heirloom but also represented Jackson's Native culture. Though faced with various obstacles
such as internal conflicts while trying to recover his lost identity, Jackson finally managed to
obtain his desires. The environment he was in greatly influenced his decisions throughout the
story.
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1. The environment he was in greatly influenced his decisions throughout the story. This idea is one to work with. I would recommend integrating this idea more effectively into your discussion. For the conclusion, it seems to be an afterthought as it is presented here. [Patricia Lake]
2. Your draft has some strong points. Your thesis statement works for your rough draft, although it does need to be tightened up. Please read my comments on your opening paragraph. Work on focus, organization, and some rewording as you revise this essay. Use the help of the LIVE CHAT tutors throughout the process. [Patricia Lake]
LITERARY ANALYSIS 6
References
Alexie, S. (2003). "What You Pawn, I Will Redeem" Retrieved from
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2003/04/21/what-you-pawn-i-will-redeem
Glatzmaier, L., Myers, M., Bordogna, M. A. (2000). American Indians: Construction of Cultural
Identity.
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1. Identity. This reference is not complete. Where would one find this? Is it a book? An article? [Patricia Lake]
2. A second outside source is require. [Patricia Lake]