Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in What You Pawn I Will Redeem, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Native American Culture and Identity
Money, Capitalism, and Morality
Racism and Colonialism
Death and Grief
Summary
Analysis
Incredibly drunk, Jackson wakes up and finds himself alone at the bar. He doesn’t realize that he blacked out, and two hours have passed since he was with Irene. He demands another shot from the bartender, but neither he nor the remaining patrons have any money. Jackson asks the bartender where Irene and Honey Boy are, and the bartender tells him that they took off a while ago.
Still caught in the cycle of spending and earning, Jackson has run out of money again. With only 12 hours to raise the $1000 for the regalia, he is starting over from square one. Like Rose of Sharon and Junior, Honey Boy and Irene abandon Jackson and leave him alone.
Themes
