Extreme Chaos

Chaos and confusion is an everyday issue for most people. Days filled with many things to do and people to see usually causes commotion. Whether it is a plethora of different events, a series of noises, or something that causes an equal amount of havoc, it has been an issue for everyone at some time. In Sherman Alexie’s “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” (http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2003/04/21/what-you-pawn-i-will-redeem), the main character, Jackson, lives with constant chaos. There is no structure to his life and he actually seems to like it that way, although it causes emotional and physical pandemonium . In Ravi Kiran’s “Chaos” (http://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/chaos_721346), he writes about how eerie noises and actions cause emotional chaos. Noises and actions that regularly occur throughout the day cause the poet to write about feelings overwhelm most people. “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” by Sherman Alexie relates to “Chaos” by Ravi Kiran through the underlying theme of chaos.

Imagine living in a world where you had no path ahead of you. Imagine having no structure or control to your life. Jackson Jackson from “What Your Pawn I Will Redeem” lives this life. He does whatever he wants whenever he wants. Some may say that this is the ideal life, but living without organization leads to panic in Jackson’s life. The story starts with Jackson and his two friends, Rose of Sharon and Junior. They discover a family artifact of Jackson’s, a regalia or a form native american attire, and make it their goal to earn enough money to buy the regalia from a pawn shop. You would think that motivation would lead to Jackson and his friends having more structure and focus to their lives, but instead it caused Jackson to lose his friends. Rose of Sharon “hitchhiked back to Toppenish and was living with her sister on the reservation” (Alexie 32) and Junior “hitchhiked down to Portland, Oregon, and died of exposure in an alley behind the Hilton Hotel” (Alexie 37). Jackson’s friends did not even let him know that they were leaving which led to a series of chaotic events. To start, Jackson tried to raise the money for his family’s regalia by himself, but he would always make a bit of money then go spend it on alcohol. His alcoholism led him to pass out on the railroad tracks. This decision would have caused Jackson his life if a policeman hadn’t woken him up. Jackson then decided to pay for breakfast for himself and a few others with his money he had raised for the purchase of the regalia. Jackson made poor decisions that made him mentally and physically unstable. His life is the perfect example of a hectic and confusing one as he never really knew what the next day will hold. Chaos is just an everyday ordeal for Jackson Jackson.

Everyday people are stricken with busy schedules and lots of things to do. Most people have order and organization to their hectic lives, but sometimes even the smallest thing will cause a person to feel overwhelmed. From grade to grad school chalkboards are used by teachers. Students despise the sound that comes from the chalkboard when it is written on incorrectly. This sound is most commonly referred to as “nails on a chalkboard”. Even just hearing this dreadful sounds sends some people into total disarray. Untidy paperwork and clutter often leads to havoc for some people as well. “Chaos” by Ravi Kiran explores some actions that lead to chaos in people’s lives. Screeching, squealing, scratching, crumbling, disorganization, and teeth grinding are all causes of mayhem for people. These things can lead to “An emotional chaos... creating void in the chest/and the unrest mind disobeys to sleep” (Kiran). After getting being overwhelmed by constant chaos, some start to become different people. Although they may still look and seem the same on the outside, inside chaos starts to eat away at them. It would be much easier to live in a world where there is not much confusion and disorder.

Chaos is an aspect in everyone’s lives. Some deal with it mentally, and some deal with it physically. In “Chaos” and in “What You Pawn I Will Redeem”, chaos leads to emotional unrest. Jackson in “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” goes throughout his life with no composition, which leads to chaotic events occurring. These events such as his friends disappearing, getting drunk and ending up on railroad tracks, and sharing all his earning left Jackson in an emotionally unstable place. Without any sort of organization to his life, Jackson had to make his choices independently. Jackson “emerged from the blackness and discovered myself (himself) walking behind a big warehouse. I (he) didn’t know where I (he) was. My (his) face hurt. I (He) felt my (his) nose and decided that it might be broken” (Alexie 39). These actions contribute to the chaos in Jackson’s life as he relies on alcohol to help him make decisions. Drinking may be a way for him to relieve himself after a long and hectic day, but it greatly impairs his judgement and led him to feeling hurt and alone. Therefore, chaos in Jackson’s life makes him feel like there are a million thoughts racing through his head. Similarly, in “Chaos” the poet writes about how chaotic events lead to anxiety and unrest. It is portrayed that obsessive-compulsive disorder, or compulsions in everyday life, cause cause chaos in the narrator’s life that leads to him/her feeling overwhelmed. Rivan writes that “the disarrayed thoughts/ like untidy paperwork” lead to “An emotional chaos” (Rivan). Therefore, the narrator feels shaken and emotional by chaotic events. Jackson and the narrator both feel emotional unrest due to chaotic events in “Chaos” and “What You Pawn I Will Redeem”.

Chaos is an overwhelming concept. The idea of having a chaotic schedule scares most people, but what if you have a chaotic life? Many people feel as though their lives are constantly in disarray and it leads to them feeling emotionally overwhelmed. Jackson Jackson definitely feels this way because his life has no schedule. He goes through life with no agenda which leads to chaotic events and feelings. The narrator in “Chaos” also depicts chaotic feelings that occur due to overwhelming noises and events. “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” by Sherman Alexie relates to “Chaos” by Ravi Kiran through the underlying theme of chaos.