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chickienuggies's review
4.0
I really liked this story, more than I thought I would at first because I didn't know where it was going. They style was great imo - even though it's choppy and cuts from scene to scene this seems very intentional and does well to capture the pervading sense of displacement Jackson and all the other Indigenous people feel.
I think that the longing for ever escaping belonging was also made very clear. All the Indigenous people Jackson encounters during his adventure disappear or die, there is no permanence to them or to their sense of community and it seems Jackson is always grasping at what he can get in terms of people he can consider family. He tells Mary, a korean woman, she's his family, similar to how his grandmother found community in the Maori soldier.
And despite saying at the beginning that "Indians have to work hard to keep secrets from hungry white folks", Jackson ends up sharing lots of his stories with white people like the pawn shop owner, the newspaper guy and Officer Williams who he even compares to his grandfather. These people even end up giving him the most money towards his cause, but it is nowhere near enough. Despite the pseudo family he has with all these people, he still compares himself to the yellow bead of his grandmother's regalia - the solitary flaw that does not belong.
Despite the $999 price tag, His grandmother's regalia seems like one of the only things left that he can hold on to, a piece of real family that is somewhat within his grasp after being stolen and sold off for so long. When he finally puts it on and dances, he is enveloped by his lost heritage and finally able to share a dance with his grandma and to even embody her - the closest to family someone can be.
I think that the longing for ever escaping belonging was also made very clear. All the Indigenous people Jackson encounters during his adventure disappear or die, there is no permanence to them or to their sense of community and it seems Jackson is always grasping at what he can get in terms of people he can consider family. He tells Mary, a korean woman, she's his family, similar to how his grandmother found community in the Maori soldier.
And despite saying at the beginning that "Indians have to work hard to keep secrets from hungry white folks", Jackson ends up sharing lots of his stories with white people like the pawn shop owner, the newspaper guy and Officer Williams who he even compares to his grandfather. These people even end up giving him the most money towards his cause, but it is nowhere near enough. Despite the pseudo family he has with all these people, he still compares himself to the yellow bead of his grandmother's regalia - the solitary flaw that does not belong.
Despite the $999 price tag, His grandmother's regalia seems like one of the only things left that he can hold on to, a piece of real family that is somewhat within his grasp after being stolen and sold off for so long. When he finally puts it on and dances, he is enveloped by his lost heritage and finally able to share a dance with his grandma and to even embody her - the closest to family someone can be.
abnightshade's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mrjonathan's review
5.0
A perfect short story. Beautiful characters, small, revealing moments that are unforgettable gems. And the ending lines? Forget about it!
bites_of_books's review
4.0
This was a short story about a man who wants to get his grandmother's regalia from a pawn shop. It's a very interesting story that definitely gets you thinking. It is very well written; I want to look up more things written by Alexie now.
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