Rediscovering Cultural Identity

Running head: LITERARY ANALYSIS DRAFT
LITERARY ANALYSIS DRAFT
Literary Analysis Draft
Oscar Vasquezmolina
ENG 125: Introduction to Literature
Instructor: Lynndi Kesler
17 April 2017
Writing Prompt
Write an analysis of a key character in a literary work. Focus on
two or three key actions of that character. Discuss the
character’s motivations and decisions in terms you can support
with clear evidence from a critical reading of the text. Consider
whether this character’s actions fit together or contradict each
other. You may also want to consider whether or not any other
characters in the story are aware of this conflict, and if so, how
they influence the character you are writing about.
Working Thesis
Through Jackson Jackson’s homelessness, alcoholism and
mental disposition the author is suggesting that if native
American’s can rediscover their culture, then their pride can be
restored.
What You Pawn I Will Redeem

The short story by Alexie Sherman, “What You Pawn I Will
Redeem” commences with the statement, “One day you have a
home and the next you don’t.” The author intends to highlight
not only Jackson’s literal homelessness but also his cultural
homelessness as a Spokane Indian. Like all other Native
Americans, he is culturally connected to a history of forced
removal, dispossession, and lost land. His homeless resonates
throughout the story, representing not only his economic state
but also his cultural and psychological state. Alexie uses his
homelessness, alcoholism and mental disposition to suggest that
the solution for the Native American’s plight would be the
rediscovery of the culture.
Jackson, like many other Native Americans, takes alcohol to
forget the misery and deprived living conditions arising from a
state that colonialism left them. The Spokane Indians suffered
from decades of exploitation at the hands of the U.S government
and white settlers. The result was a generation deprived of
material possessions, culture, and heritage (Brown-Rice, 2013).
Jackson laments these conditions stating, “…I am living proof
of the horrible damage that colonialism has done to us Skins…”,
(Alexie, 2003). He is thus drunk for the majority part of the day
and can barely hold a steady job. Despite having offers from the
Real Change organization, Jackson can barely sell enough
papers to make a decent living stating that the job needs him to
be sober, but he is not good at doing so. He spends all the cash
he finds on the streets on alcohol, sometimes sleeping on the
railway tracks have blacked out and thrown out of the bar. This
is why reclaiming his grandmother's powwow is so important to
him. He considers himself on a crucial mission asserting, “I
want to win it back, like a knight.” By recovering his
grandmother’s lost dancing regalia, he would be reunited with
his lost culture and heritage. Ultimately, when he does so, he
ceases being invisible to the world and becomes significant
again, “Pedestrians stopped. Cars stopped. The city stopped.
They all watched me dance with my grandmother. I was my
grandmother, dancing.”, (Alexie, 2003). By reconnecting to his

roots, he regains his identity and sense of worth.
Jackson informs us that his mental condition is not all that
good, having been diagnosed with asocial disorder. This sounds
as though he could be dangerous or violent at times but goes on
to clarify the opposite claiming, “…that makes me sound like
I’m a serial killer or something. I’ve never hurt another human
being, or, at least, not physically.” However, on a drunken spree
after winning the lottery, a rendezvous with Irene, a chubby
Duwamish Indian, (Alexie, 2003), leaves him blacked out in the
bathroom and come to, to find everyone having left the bar.
Disoriented, he starts a fight with the bartender and is thrown
out after a sound beating. Jackson cannot hold a steady job or
father a family symptoms of historical losses such as cultural
dispossession as Brown-Rice suggests. Loss of identity and way
of life has psychologically traumatized many of the Native
Americans, and hence they find difficult to adjust to the society.
Alexie points out the importance of the society recognizing
their plight and offering assistance wherever possible through
characters such as Officer Williams who is always kind to
Jackson, “He was a good cop with a sweet tooth. He’d given me
hundreds of candy bars over the years.” He suggests that
helping them to rebuild their past through change can help the
Native Americans to rebuild their future.
The homeless state of Jackson Jackson symbolizes not only his
physical state but also the cultural homelessness that he shares
with other native Americans. Jackson flunked out of college and
has been unable to hold a steady job for over six years. He has
does not have a place to call home stating, “Being homeless is
probably the only thing I’ve ever been good at.”, (Alexie,
2003). Being homeless is an important aspect of his identity. It
summarizes the state of the entire Native American identity;
cultural homelessness. Jackson reveal how the society ignores
or frown upon the homeless Indian saying that passersby only
bear "a look of anger or disgust or even sadness at the terrible
fate of the noble savage.", (Alexie, 2003). Throughout the story,
emphasizes on his individuality to separate himself from the

notion of the stereotype collective identity. He describes
himself as an American Indian from the experiences and
memories of his past, such as those evoked by grandmother. He
paints himself as a culturally aware Indian pointing out how
other Indians don’t like acknowledging themselves as Red
Indians such as his friend who went by the identity of a Plains
Indian, a generic term, instead of his specific tribe. Alexie is
suggesting that the problems facing the Native Americans arise
from forgetting their roots and heritage and hence losing their
identity. He, therefore, orchestrates for Jackson to win back his
grandmother’s dancing regalia as part of the solution to
rediscovering their pride.
The problems faced by Native Americans are majorly due to a
loss of their identity and if their culture and heritage can be
restored, so can their pride. The psychological trauma,
alcoholism, and homelessness that plague many Native
Americans is due to an identity crisis. The society needs to
focus on measures that will help improve the living conditions
of the Native American instead of being insensitive to their
plight by helping them to reconnect with their roots.
References
Alexie, S. (2003). What You Pawn I Will Redeem. The New
Yorker. Retrieved 15 April 2017, from
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2003/04/21/what-you-
pawn-i-will-redeem
Brown-Rice, K. (2013). Examining the Theory of Historical
Trauma Among Native Americans. Tpcjournal.nbcc.org.
Retrieved 15 April 2017, from
http://tpcjournal.nbcc.org/examining-the-theory-of-
historical-trauma-among-native- americans/

Proofed Paper: ntp216045 - Tue Apr 18 15:56:04 EDT 2017
Paper Title: literary_analysis_draft_
No. of Pages: 1200
Paper Style: APA Paper Type: Other
Taken English? Yes English as Second Language? Yes
Feedback Areas: Topic Development, Focus/Thesis Statement
Paper Goals: analysis paper
Proofing Summary:
Hi Oscar,
I’m Lee, your composition tutor for the Writing Center. I have
reviewed your submission and have several suggestions that will
help you revise. Please feel free to contact us through a live
chat session with any follow-up questions or for any
clarification.
Below, you will find a revision plan along with margin
comments within your paper. Use my suggestions as a starting
point for
the revision process. Also, please note that I have not edited or
proofread the entire draft for minor errors, but rather, focused
on

overall concerns such as idea development. For a complete look
at your grammar and punctuation, please use the Grammarly
software available under “Writing Center” in your classroom.
You have done a nice job with the energy and tone of your
essay and the strong effort of engagement you make with the
topic!
For your revisions, I suggest focusing on:
1. You have a great start to your essay with this thesis as it
outlines the main points you will discuss in the main body
paragraphs. Keep in mind that each topic sentence should take
on the points in the thesis statement in corresponding order.
http://tinyurl.com/gqqjd8b
2. As you revise, I suggest working on your overall paragraph
development. In general, all paragraphs need to have 3 pieces:
P-Point—also known as your topic sentence where you state
what the paragraph is about
I-Information—where you present your information (facts,
details, quotes, and reasons)
E-Explanation—where you explain the relevance or importance
of your information
Please be sure to do all of this when writing your paragraphs.
For help with this, check out this video tutorial on writing
paragraphs:

http://tinyurl.com/zaxrn9x
Good luck in the course, and I hope we can help you with your
next assignment.
page 1 / 7
page 2 / 7
(Year needed)
For direct quotes the page number goes at the end of the quote.
This is an excellent topic here. Try
to connect the main topics of your
body paragraphs to the points you
make in the thesis statement in
corresponding fashion, which will
help your paper's overall cohesion.
This is a good thesis statement. Be sure each paragraph
connects to the body

paragraphs in order for a logical sequence to the essay.
page 3 / 7
Separate these clauses here with punctuation and possibly a
conjunction.
When quoting, be sure to use APA format. It should follow this
format: (Last name, year, p. #).
Good topic sentence as it
represents your thesis statement
and captures the main idea of the paragraph.
page 4 / 7
Just as you transition throughout a paragraph, do the same
between paragraphs. This means to link them
together by referring briefly to the point that came before while
focusing the reader on the next point. For
example, when moving from a paragraph on the loyalty of dogs

to their intelligence: "Not only are dogs
fiercely loyal, but they are also incredibly smart."
End punctuation not needed at the end of the quotation.
Review phrasing for proper tense agreement here.
page 5 / 7
Keep in mind, a conclusion will briefly summarize the main
points you have made throughout your paper. You also need to
restate your thesis in which you clearly constructed in the
introduction paragraph. A conclusion works to remind your
reader of the
claim and main points of your paper and summarizes what you
want your reader to “take away” from your argument.
page 6 / 7
Be sure the publication is in italics.
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/ 7
http://www.tcpdf.org
List of Literary Works
PROMPT 1.
“Interpreter of Maladies” (Jhumpa Lahiri, 1999)
“What You Pawn, I Will Redeem” (Sherman Alexie, 2003)
“We Came All the Way from Cuba so You Could Dress Like
This?” (Achy Obejas, 1994)
“The Things They Carried” (Tim O’Brien, 1990) - 5.4 in
Journey into Literature
PROMPT 2.
“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” (Gabriel García
Marquez, 1955)
“A Hunger Artist” (Franz Kafka, 1924) – 7.5 in Journey into
Literature
“Everyday Use” (Alice Walker, 1973)

PROMPT 3.
“The Man of the Crowd” (Edgar Allan Poe, 1845)
“The Things They Carried” (O’Brien, 1990) - 5.4 in Journey
into Literature
“A Worn Path” (Eudora Welty, 1941) – 5.3 in Journey into
Literature
“Sonny’s Blues” (James Baldwin, 1957)
http://central-lausd-
ca.schoolloop.com/file/1251955222331/1251955217263/227976
7265736662414.pdf
pawn-i-will-redeem
https://latinosexualitygender.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/obeja
s-we-came-all-the-way-from-cuba.pdf
pawn-i-will-redeem
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WD0f_YhxqZO8avsfAmP
tA2ngivbyqwJxY17XdBk2iyY/mobilebasic?pli=1
https://www.deanza.edu/faculty/leonardamy/Everyday%20Use.p
df
mailto:http://poestories.com/read/manofthecrowd
http://swcta.net/moore/files/2012/02/sonnysblues.pdf
ENG125: Introduction to Literature

List of Literary Techniques
Technique Description
Allusion
A reference to a recognized literary work, person, historic
event, artistic achievement, etc. that enhances the
meaning of a detail in a literary work.
Climax
The crisis or high point of tension that becomes the story’s
turning point—the point at which the outcome of the
conflict is determined.
Conflict The struggle that shapes the plot in a story.
Dramatic irony
When the reader or audience knows more about the
action than the character involved.
Epiphany

A profound and sudden personal discovery.
Exposition
Setting and essential background information presented at
the beginning of a story or play.
Falling action
A reduction in intensity following the climax in a story or
play, allowing the various complications to be worked out.
Fate
An outside source that determines human events.
Figurative language
Language used in a non-literal way to convey images and
ideas.
Figures of speech
The main tools of figurative language; include similes and
metaphors..
First-person point of view
Occurs when the narrator is a character in the story and
tells the story from his or her perspective.

Flashback
The description of an event that occurred prior to the
action in the story.
Foreshadowing
A technique a writer uses to hint or suggest what the
outcome of an important conflict or situation in a narrative
will be.
Imagery
A distinct representation of something that can be
experienced and understood through the senses (sight,
hearing, touch, smell, and taste), or the representation of
an idea.
Irony
A contradiction in words or actions. There are three types

of irony: verbal, situational, and dramatic.
Limited omniscient point of
view
Occurs when a narrator has access to the thoughts and
feelings of only one character in a story.
Metaphor
A figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made
between one object and another that is different from it.
Objective point of view
A detached point of view, evident when an external
narrator does not enter into the mind of any character in a
story but takes an objective stance, often to create a
dramatic effect.
Omniscient point of view
An all-knowing point of view, evident when an external
narrator has access to the thoughts and feelings of all the

characters in a story.
Persona
Literally, in Latin, “a mask.”
Plot
A connecting element in fiction; a sequence of interrelated,
conflicting actions and events that typically build to a
climax and bring about a resolution
Point of view
The perspective of the narrator who will present the action
to the reader.
Resolution The outcome of the action in a story or play.
Rising action
Conflicts and circumstances that build to a high point of
tension in a story or play.
Situational irony
When the outcome in a situation is the opposite of what is

expected.
Simile
A figure of speech that compares two objects or ideas that
are not ordinarily considered to be similar, linked by using
like or as.
Song
A lyrical musical expression, a source of emotional outlet
common in ancient communities and still influential in
contemporary culture.
Symbol
An object, person, or action that conveys two meanings: its
literal meaning and something it stands for.
Third-person point of view
Occurs when the narrator tells the story using third-person
pronouns (he, she, they) to refer to the characters.
Tone
In a literary work, the speaker’s attitude toward the reader
or the subject.

Verbal irony
When words are used to convey a meaning that is opposite
of their literal meaning.
List of Writing Prompts
For students:
There are three prompts below each with four texts. For your
literary analysis essay, choose
ONE prompt and text pairing that interests you. Then, take a
look at the guiding questions for
the text you choose. You don’t necessarily need to answer all
of these questions in your paper.
The questions are there to help get you thinking in a direction
that will be more likely to lead
you to a successful literary analysis.
PROMPT 1.
two or three key actions of that
character. Discuss the character’s motivations and decisions in
terms you can support with clear
evidence from a critical reading of the text. Consider whether
this character’s actions fit

together or contradict each other. You may also want to
consider whether or not any other
characters in the story are aware of this conflict, and if so, how
they influence the character you
are writing about.
Literary Works (choose one):
“Interpreter of Maladies” (Jhumpa Lahiri, 1999)
Guiding Questions:
1. How does a new outsider community member like Mrs. Das
influence Mr. Kapasi, who
seems to have become bored with his life and his role in the
community?
2. How does Mr. Kapasi’s desire for Mrs. Das make him unable
to understand Mrs. Das’
desires, leading to his failure to fulfill his role as the Interpreter
of Maladies?
3. How do the Das family’s actions surrounding their children
show that their desires or
interests do not accord with their obligations?
Guiding Questions:
1. How does the grandmother’s property at the pawn shop help
to define the narrator’s
desires and feeling of obligation to recover it? Why is it so
important?
2. How does the character accomplish his objective, and how is
this surprising considering

all of the unfortunate events and bad decisions he makes along
the way?
3. How do the other characters--the Aleuts, the pawn shop
owner, the waitress, the police
officer, the other Indians at the bar--each play an important role
in showing how the
http://central-lausd-
ca.schoolloop.com/file/1251955222331/1251955217263/227976
7265736662414.pdf
pawn-i-will-redeem
narrator is committed to an important mission he is worthy of
completing?
“We Came All the Way from Cuba so You Could Dress Like
This?” (Achy Obejas, 1994)
Guiding questions:
1. To what conflicts does the title allude (social? Political?
Cultural? others?)?
2. The first-person narrator switches tenses (from present to
future). How does this create
tension in the story?
3. How is the narrator’s internal conflict (“man v. self”) merely
an internalization of
political, familial, and social conflict?

“The Things They Carried” (Tim O’Brien, 1990) - 5.4 in
Journey into Literature
Guiding Questions:
1. The second paragraph of the story begins, “The things they
carried were largely
determined by necessity” (O’Brien, 1990). Were the soldiers
truly able to carry
everything they needed? What needs were left unfulfilled by
these items, and what in
the story suggests this?
2. The narrator also lists specific items that each man carried.
How do these items
symbolize the emotions that they carried with them, and how
does this understanding
enrich our understanding of the characters?
3. Often a comparative analysis can help us to notice elements
of a story that we might not
otherwise notice. Choose two or three characters and compare
the things they carried.
How does this comparison help qualities of each come to the
surface?
PROMPT 2.
In some stories, characters come into conflict with the culture in
which they live. Often, a
character feels alienated in his/her community or society due to
race, gender, class or ethnic
background. The texts below all contain a character who is
‘outcast’ or otherwise disconnected
from society in some way, reflecting important ideas about both
the character and the

surrounding society’s assumptions, morality, and values.
Choose a text and consider the
questions below as you critically read the text. Then, craft a
working thesis that suggests how
this alienation is expressed in the text and why it is significant.
Literary Works (choose one):
Guiding Questions:
1. What beliefs and values from Native American culture does
the narrator consider
important, based on ideas and actions in the story?
2. What kinds of experience and values do characters share
across cultural differences like
Native Americans and whites, or even between different native
groups in the story?
https://latinosexualitygender.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/obeja
s-we-came-all-the-way-from-cuba.pdf
pawn-i-will-redeem
3. How do the bisexual character, the narrator, and the homeless
characters in the story all
demonstrate and resolve different “outsider” identities?
“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” (Gabriel García
Marquez, 1955)
Guiding Questions:

1. How is the supernatural made familiar and the familiar
defamiliarized in the story? Is
the angel made more human? Are humans made supernatural or
less humane?
2. How is the tension between supernatural and human resolved
(or not) in the story?
3. What doe the community’s treatment of this ‘outsider’ reveal
about its culture, values,
and beliefs?
“A Hunger Artist” (Franz Kafka, 1924) – 7.5 in Journey into
Literature
Guiding Questions:
1. What is the “hunger artist’s” art, and how does it challenge
the understanding of the
men who look after the artist as well as the audience that
ignores him?
2. Why does the artist have to explain so much about his “art”
throughout the story-- is he
explaining it for others to understand or as part of his own self-
definition?
3. How does the young panther capture the audience’s attention
so easily yet they ignore
the artist-- what does this say about “appreciating” what others
value?
“Everyday Use” (Alice Walker, 1973)
Guiding Questions:
1. How do we know that the protagonist is impoverished? Is she

content with her class?
Why or why not?
2. How do we know that she is African-American? How does
her alienation due to her race
also connect with her education?
3. The protagonist’s daughter, Dee, who has embraced her
African roots, accuses her
mother of not understanding her heritage. Why? What is the
situational irony at the
end of the story?
PROMPT 3.
Consider the role of setting, or context, in one of the works. For
example, a story that takes
place in a wild and natural setting might include characters
struggling against nature to survive.
A story set in a city might include themes of alienation and
anonymity because of the
impersonal crowds and busy city life. Cultural contexts can
combine with both urban and rural
elements to produce further meaning, as well. Consider the
following questions as you
critically read one of the texts below: Does the protagonist
conflict with the setting or have
particular interactions with it? Does the protagonist’s
relationship with the setting connect with
his/her development as a character? Does the setting reveal
other themes and conflicts?
Literary Works (choose one from any of the lists below):

“The Man of the Crowd” (Edgar Allan Poe, 1845)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WD0f_YhxqZO8avsfAmP
tA2ngivbyqwJxY17XdBk2iyY/mobilebasic?pli=1
https://www.deanza.edu/faculty/leonardamy/Everyday%20Use.p
df
http://poestories.com/read/manofthecrowd
Guiding Questions:
1. How does the city setting--busy streets, buildings with
specific purposes, dark
backstreets-- produce a disorienting and confining experience
for people in the story?
2. How do all of the different occupations and “types” of
workers in the city combine to
communicate that no one is an individual person and no one
really knows each other?
3. What sorts of problems do the narrator and some of the other
characters have as a
result of this alienating city life? (Think of the narrator’s
obsession with the man.)
“The Things They Carried” (O’Brien, 1990) - 5.4 in Journey
into Literature
Guiding Questions:
1. How does the story communicate the uncertain and
frightening setting these soldier-
characters experience? (Consider repeated phrases or other
devices.)

2. What sorts of emotions, such as stress or fear, does the
Vietnam context cause the
characters to experience? Give specific examples from the
story, and consider how
these emotions might be “told” to us in multiple ways.
3. How do the soldiers in the story cope with their
setting/context, whether through
imagined escapes or other means, and are they successful?
“A Worn Path” (Eudora Welty, 1941) – 5.3 in Journey into
Literature
Guiding Questions:
1. Clugston suggests that “[t]he setting in this story is in a
particular season -- the
Christmas season.” Why is this significant considering the plot?
2. Clugston (2011) further writes: “The physical setting changes
during Phoenix Jackson's
journey. How does each environment she encounters reflect her
character?”
3. Phoenix Jackson encounters many obstacles on her journey.
To what non-physical
challenges do they allude?
“Sonny’s Blues” (James Baldwin, 1957)
Guiding Questions:
1. How do the characters’ interactions with the multi-faceted
“local color” and

communities of Harlem articulate the differences between those
characters?
2. What does the story suggest about a neighborhood’s cultural
identity and the diverse
life experiences possible, even when people seem to come from
the same place?
3. What aspects of the setting (the neighborhood, the school,
etc.) could be characterized
as liberating or oppressive, and how is this reflected in the
characters?
http://swcta.net/moore/files/2012/02/sonnysblues.pdf
Teacher Feedback
Oscar: Thank you for submitting the rough draft of your literary
analysis! You have an excellent start; you have a clearly
defined thesis statement, you have three specific main points
and your paper is organized well. Two suggestions, though:
when I ran a Turnitin report, matches popped up from
Encyclopedia.com. If this was used as a source, it should be
cited. Also, when paraphrasing, all of the words need to be
changed, but Turnitin showed many of the words in certain
sentences and phrases were not. Make sure this is changed
before the final draft. In addition, make sure you proofread for
grammar and fix your in-text citations. Please review my
marginal comments and let me know if you have any questions.

Running head: LITERARY ANALYSIS DRAFT
Literary Analysis Draft
Oscar Vasquezmolina
ENG 125: Introduction to Literature
Instructor: Lynndi Kesler
17 April 2017
- 1 -
1
1. Literary Analysis Draft
Include an original title that
hints at the subject of your
analysis. [Lynndi Tennyson
Kesler]
Writing Prompt

two or three key actions of that
character. Discuss the character’s motivations and decisions in
terms you can support with clear
evidence from a critical reading of the text. Consider whether
this character’s actions fit together
or contradict each other. You may also want to consider whether
or not any other characters in
the story are aware of this conflict, and if so, how they
influence the character you are writing
about.
Working Thesis
Through Jackson Jackson’s homelessness, alcoholism and
mental disposition the author is
suggesting that if native American’s can rediscover their
culture, then their pride can be restored.
What You Pawn I Will Redeem
The short story by Alexie Sherman, “What You Pawn I Will
Redeem” commences with
the statement, “One day you have a home and the next you
don’t.” The author intends to
highlight not only Jackson’s literal homelessness but also his
cultural homelessness as a Spokane
Indian. Like all other Native Americans, he is culturally

connected to a history of forced
removal, dispossession, and lost land. His homeless resonates
throughout the story, representing
not only his economic state but also his cultural and
psychological state. Alexie uses his
homelessness, alcoholism and mental disposition to suggest that
the solution for the Native
American’s plight would be the rediscovery of the culture.
Jackson, like many other Native Americans, takes alcohol to
forget the misery and
deprived living conditions arising from a state that colonialism
left them. The Spokane Indians
suffered from decades of exploitation at the hands of the U.S
government and white settlers. The
- 2 -
1
2
3
4
5 6
7

8
1. the author
Use the author's name here.
[Lynndi Tennyson Kesler]
2. then their pride can be
restored.
Is he saying by Jackson's
alienation from his culture
caused his downfall? [Lynndi
Tennyson Kesler]
3. What You Pawn I Will
Redeem
Put quotation marks around
short story titles. Revise
throughout. [Lynndi
Tennyson Kesler]
4. Before jumping straight into
the story, begin with an

attention-getter (relevant
quote, question, short
anecdote) that entices
readers to keep going.
5. you don’t.”
An in-text citation should
immediately follow a direct
quote. The in-text citation
should include the author's
last name, date of publication,
and the page or paragraph
number where the quote was
found. Please review the APA
section of the Writing Center
for additional information and
examples. Revise throughout.

6. intends to
He has already written the
story, so what he intends to
do has been done. [Lynndi
Tennyson Kesler]
7. Alexie uses his
homelessness, alcoholism
and mental disposition to
suggest that the solution
for the Native
American’s plight would be
the rediscovery of the
culture.
I like this as your thesis
statement better than the one
above. This provides more for
you to analyze and better
says what the top thesis

statement only hinted.
8. takes
drinks [Lynndi Tennyson
Kesler]
result was a generation deprived of material possessions,
culture, and heritage (Brown-Rice,
2013). Jackson laments these conditions stating, “…I am living
proof of the horrible damage that
colonialism has done to us Skins…”, (Alexie, 2003). He is thus
drunk for the majority part of the
day and can barely hold a steady job. Despite having offers
from the Real Change organization,
Jackson can barely sell enough papers to make a decent living
stating that the job needs him to
be sober, but he is not good at doing so. He spends all the cash
he finds on the streets on alcohol,
sometimes sleeping on the railway tracks have blacked out and
thrown out of the bar. This is why
reclaiming his grandmother's powwow is so important to him.

He considers himself on a crucial
mission asserting, “I want to win it back, like a knight.” By
recovering his grandmother’s lost
dancing regalia, he would be reunited with his lost culture and
heritage. Ultimately, when he
does so, he ceases being invisible to the world and becomes
significant again, “Pedestrians
stopped. Cars stopped. The city stopped. They all watched me
dance with my grandmother. I was
my grandmother, dancing.”, (Alexie, 2003). By reconnecting to
his roots, he regains his identity
and sense of worth.
Jackson informs us that his mental condition is not all that
good, having been diagnosed
with asocial disorder. This sounds as though he could be
dangerous or violent at times but goes
on to clarify the opposite claiming, “…that makes me sound like
I’m a serial killer or something.
I’ve never hurt another human being, or, at least, not
physically.” However, on a drunken spree
after winning the lottery, a rendezvous with Irene, a chubby
Duwamish Indian, (Alexie, 2003),
leaves him blacked out in the bathroom and come to, to find
everyone having left the bar.

Disoriented, he starts a fight with the bartender and is thrown
out after a sound beating. Jackson
cannot hold a steady job or father a family symptoms of
historical losses such as cultural
dispossession as Brown-Rice suggests. Loss of identity and way
of life has psychologically
- 3 -
1
1. (Alexie, 2003),
Only include an in-text citation
in the middle of a sentence if
following a direct quote. If this
information is paraphrased,
you can save the in-text
citation for the end of the
sentence. [Lynndi Tennyson
Kesler]

traumatized many of the Native Americans, and hence they find
difficult to adjust to the society.
Alexie points out the importance of the society recognizing
their plight and offering assistance
wherever possible through characters such as Officer Williams
who is always kind to Jackson,
“He was a good cop with a sweet tooth. He’d given me hundreds
of candy bars over the years.”
He suggests that helping them to rebuild their past through
change can help the Native
Americans to rebuild their future.
The homeless state of Jackson Jackson symbolizes not only his
physical state but also the
cultural homelessness that he shares with other native
Americans. Jackson flunked out of college
and has been unable to hold a steady job for over six years. He
has does not have a place to call
home stating, “Being homeless is probably the only thing I’ve
ever been good at.”, (Alexie,
2003). Being homeless is an important aspect of his identity. It
summarizes the state of the entire
Native American identity; cultural homelessness. Jackson reveal
how the society ignores or
frown upon the homeless Indian saying that passersby only bear

"a look of anger or disgust or
even sadness at the terrible fate of the noble savage.", (Alexie,
2003). Throughout the story,
emphasizes on his individuality to separate himself from the
notion of the stereotype collective
identity. He describes himself as an American Indian from the
experiences and memories of his
past, such as those evoked by grandmother. He paints himself as
a culturally aware Indian
pointing out how other Indians don’t like acknowledging
themselves as Red Indians such as his
friend who went by the identity of a Plains Indian, a generic
term, instead of his specific tribe.
Alexie is suggesting that the problems facing the Native
Americans arise from forgetting their
roots and heritage and hence losing their identity. He, therefore,
orchestrates for Jackson to win
back his grandmother’s dancing regalia as part of the solution to
rediscovering their pride.
- 4 -
[no notes on this page]

The problems faced by Native Americans are majorly due to a
loss of their identity and if
their culture and heritage can be restored, so can their pride.
The psychological trauma,
alcoholism, and homelessness that plague many Native
Americans is due to an identity crisis.
The society needs to focus on measures that will help improve
the living conditions of the Native
American instead of being insensitive to their plight by helping
them to reconnect with their
roots.
- 5 -
[no notes on this page]
References
Alexie, S. (2003). What You Pawn I Will Redeem. The New
Yorker. Retrieved 15 April 2017,
from http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2003/04/21/what-
you-pawn-i-will-redeem
Brown-Rice, K. (2013). Examining the Theory of Historical
Trauma Among Native Americans.

Tpcjournal.nbcc.org. Retrieved 15 April 2017, from
http://tpcjournal.nbcc.org/examining-the-theory-of-historical-
trauma-among-native-
americans/
- 6 -
1
2
1. The New Yorker.
Italicize [Lynndi Tennyson
Kesler]
2. An additional secondary
source is needed for support,
and this should come from
the Ashford Library to ensure
credibility. [Lynndi Tennyson
Kesler]

ENG 125
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