The Theme of Perseverance in What You Pawn I Will Redeem, a Short Story by Sherman Alexie

Life is full of conditions that challenge individuals to overcome the odds and obtain what they thought was impossible. Such is the case in Sherman Alexie’s short story, “What You Pawn I Will Redeem.” The narrator is faced with what appears to be an impossible situation – to come up with $999 in just 24 hours to acquire his deceased grandmother’s stolen regalia from the owner of a pawnshop to whom it had been pawned. These insurmountable odds bring out the ideal in the otherwise flawed narrator, Jackson. Jackson is a homeless alcoholic whose disease has almost expense him his life. Nonetheless, Jackson rises above his circumstances and show three tremendous qualities whilst overcoming his extremely tough job. He shows endurance through hard times, generosity in spite of dire financial require, and patience with other people along the way.

The initial of Jackson’s astonishing traits in the face of adversity worth taking into consideration is his tremendous capacity to endure via impossibilities. Nearly any person in Jackson’s position – becoming able to get back his deceased grandmother’s stolen regalia – would have desired to accomplish the aim. Nonetheless, not many folks would have endured through the impossibility of coming up with $1,000 money in less than 24 hours, specially think about the odds against him in the sense of him becoming a homeless alcoholic. Most individuals would have given up with out even attempting. Jackson, even so, not only tries to accomplish the objective, but he does so with intense optimism. Think about, for instance, when Alexie tells us that Jackson buys two lottery tickets, every single with a attainable winner of up to $500, and scratches them off hoping to win the needed $1,000 to achieve his goal. It is arguable that he is delusional nevertheless, one could likewise suggest that Jackson just has so considerably endurance in the face of adversity that he genuinely feels he can win against such insurmountable odds. In spite of all sensible notions to the contrary, Jackson seemingly glides from one deadbeat endeavor to the subsequent with a nonchalant, carefree method that borders on self-deception but nonetheless leads him on with endurance in spite of the odds that are stacked against him.

The second of Jackson’s outstanding traits that come to the surface in the course of his struggles is his financial generosity. It would be easy for someone in his circumstance to hoard every single penny achievable in order to attempt to get as significantly of the necessary $999 as achievable. Jackson, on the other hand, does precisely the opposite. Rather than hoard his cash, he gives it away. When he gets $100, for instance, he offers $20 back to the lady and keeps the $80 for himself. Even so, he does not even invest the $80 on himself but rather buys drinks for the other individuals in the bar. According to De Leon, excellent quick stories are these that portray “characters with real desires” (2016). Alexie does just that in a excellent style by juxtaposing Jackson’s true desire to get funds speedily for his grandmother’s regalia with his extreme generosity. It has been mentioned that funds does not turn one into somebody else it simply reveals who the person already is. The identical has been said about adversity. With those two thoughts in mind, it appears that Jackson is inherently a very generous individual. When both adversity and income fall into his lap at the exact same time, he shows himself to be a generous giver rather than a stingy hoarder.

The final incredible characteristic of Jackson that comes to life in the course of his adversity is his patience with other men and women along the way. He had two close friends to help him on his journey, Rose of Sharon and Junior. Extremely soon into their quest to acquire the funds, however, Rose of Sharon leaves and Junior passes out drunk. Most men and women would become really upset in such a circumstance. They would get angry at Sharon for “abandoning” them and would accuse Junior of “leaving them at their perform moment” as if he purposely chose to hurt them by acquiring drunk and passing out throughout their time of require. Jackson, even so doesn’t respond in such a manner. He speaks nicely of both characters. In reality, he justifies and tends to make up motives as to why Rose of Sharon left. Additionally, he continuously checks to make certain Junior is nevertheless breathing thereby taking duty to support and shield his drunk pal in spite of the weight upon him to get so considerably money so quickly. Jackson, therefore, shows tremendous patience with each of his pals.

Overall, it is critical to note that this story is told as a story. It is a first-individual account that is connected as if the narrator where sitting across a coffee table telling the reader what happened to him at a specific time in the previous. This is evident in the text when he says “This entire story truly began at lunchtime…” The reason this is crucial to point out it that the story shows a lot about the thoughts of the narrator. For instance, Ebenbach points out that “stories reveal what we believe” (2010). Therefore, it can be assumed that the story the narrator tells reveals what he believes about himself. By reading the story, it can be inferred that he endured through tough times, he was generous, and he was patient. Therefore, not only do readers see these characteristics in the narrator, but the narrator actually sees them within himself. Jackson believes that regardless of all the odds against him, he is in reality a man of endurance, one who is generous, and definitely somebody who is patient with these he loves.