The Pawnbroker focuses on Sol, a man who is haunted by his tragic past and has become emotionless and vacant, as a result. He can’t forget all his suffering, which affects the way he treats those around him. As a Jewish man, Sol is unable to relate to anybody around him, either that’s the man he hates, Mr. Rodriguez, or Jesus, who works and cares for him or the three members of the gang, or Ms. Birchfield. Sol treats everybody equally but with hostility. He hurts Jesus’s feelings when he claims that he means nothing to him. He refuses to give the people who come to his shop a decent amount of money. He stands up against Mr. Rodriguez when he finds out that the money comes from prostitution. Regardless of whom Sol is dealing with, he has a harsh exterior. Mr. Rodriguez and the three gang members come off as strong and intimidating personalities but they don’t scare Sol. They treat Sol in a rude manner as Rodriguez threatens to kill him and the gang attempts to rob his pawnshop. However, he still stands up to them because of everything he’s been through, which causes a clash with them and results in the loss of Jesus. Jesus is the only character throughout the movie who gets along with everybody or at least he tries to. He idolizes Sol and really wants to learn business from him. He truly cares about him, which is why he sacrifices his life. He is somewhat friendly with the gang members but there is still some hostility on their part. Sol doesn’t welcome Ms. Birchfield’s interest and is hostile to her as she tries to get to know him but he wants her to stay out of his life.
The various ghettos that the film depicts are definitely related to each other. His past has defined the person he has become. As he lives his life, he is constantly reminded of his past by events that happen throughout his day in Harlem. The dogs barking remind the pawnbroker of when a man was trying to run away from a dog in the camp but instead runs into the fence. He is reminded of his wife being raped by the soldiers when the prostitute wants him to look at her naked. He remembers the crowded train heading toward the concentration camp when he’s traveling on the train. These memories have been imprinted in his mind and he can not let go of the horror that he went through 25 years ago. He associates everything in the present with something that happened in his past and caused him to lose those he loved. The connection between the past and present are crafted with the help of flashbacks. These flashbacks occur in a different style as no clues are given to the audience; the flashbacks are unexpected. The flashback starts out very quickly and the scene is very short, so short that the viewer is unable to understand what’s going on. Gradually, the flashbacks build up and become decipherable so the audience can make the connection between the current situation and Sol’s past.
