Life is full of situations that challenge people to overcome obstacles and achieve what they thought was impossible. This is the case in Sherman Alexie's short story, "What You Pawn I Will Redeem." The narrator is faced with what seems like an impossible situation: raising $999 in just 24 hours to obtain his deceased grandmother's stolen regalia from the pawn shop owner to whom they had been pawned. These insurmountable odds bring out the best in the otherwise flawed narrator, Jackson. Jackson is a homeless alcoholic whose illness almost took his life. Nonetheless, Jackson rises above his circumstances and demonstrates three formidable qualities while overcoming his extremely difficult task. He demonstrates endurance in difficult times, generosity despite severe financial need, and patience with others along the way. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The first of Jackson's astonishing characteristics in the face of adversity worth considering is his formidable ability to endure the impossible. Almost anyone in Jackson's position – capable of redeeming his deceased grandmother's stolen regalia – would have wanted to achieve this goal. However, few people would have endured the inability to raise $1,000 in cash in less than 24 hours, especially considering the odds against him in that he is a homeless alcoholic. Most people would have given up without even trying. Jackson, however, not only tries to achieve his goal, but he does so with extreme optimism. Take for example the case where Alexie tells us that Jackson buys two lottery tickets, each with a possible winner of up to $500, and scratches them in the hopes of winning the $1,000 needed to reach his goal. Arguably he is delusional; However, it could also be suggested that Jackson simply has so much endurance in the face of adversity that he genuinely feels he can win against such insurmountable odds. Despite all practical notions to the contrary, Jackson seems to glide from one undead venture to the next with a lackadaisical, carefree approach that borders on self-deception, but nonetheless carries him on with endurance despite the odds stacked against him. the remarkable characteristic that emerges during his struggles is his financial generosity. It would be easy for someone in his situation to scrape together every penny possible to try to get as much of the $999 needed as possible. Jackson, on the other hand, does the exact opposite. Rather than hoarding his money, he gives it away. When he receives $100, for example, he gives $20 back to the woman and keeps the $80 for himself. However, he doesn't even spend the $80 on himself but instead buys drinks for the other people at the bar. According to De Leon, good short stories are those that feature “characters with real desires” (2016). Alexie does just that in a superb way by juxtaposing Jackson's genuine desire to get some quick money for his grandmother's regalia with his extreme generosity. They say that money doesn't change someone into someone else; it just reveals who the person already is. The same thing has been said about adversity. With these two thoughts in mind, it seems that Jackson is inherently a very generous person. When adversity and money fall into his lap at the same time, he shows himself to be a generous giver rather than a miser. Jackson's final amazing trait that comes to life during his adversity.