The final two paragraphs of Sherman Alexie's "Superman and Me" include the following three sentences: “I was trying to save my life,” “They [students] are trying to save their lives,” and “I am trying to save our lives,” all convey the meaning and purpose of the essay. The goal for his essay was to eliminate the Indian stereotype regarding education and provide hope to other Indians, informing them that they can be intelligent. All three sentences support these two ideas. For instance, the first sentence tells the audience that the author created a better life for himself and in order to do that, Alexie illustrates how reading and writing had such an effect on him. As an Indian himself, he claims that his race is faced with prejudice and is
Rhetorical Analysis: Going far away for college can be difficult. Many college kids tend to start missing home and their daily routines. For this reason, many colleges offer culture clubs where students can stay connected to their culture and feel less homesick. However, in the article, “Minority Student Clubs: Segregation or Integration?” by Gabriela Moro, she presents a compelling case for the importance of both cultural clubs and multicultural culture clubs. While she does acknowledge that cultural clubs that colleges have can help students, she also emphasizes the importance of multicultural activities and argues that it is more important.
Entry 1: “Superman and Me” by Sherman Alexie Part 1: Alexie’s purpose in his essay was to convey how reading quite literally saves children; more specifically, underprivileged children such as those living on Native American reservations. He begins his essay by discussing how he first learned to read. Alexie taught himself, and says if he was anything but an “Indian boy… might’ve been a prodigy” (216).This demonstrates that if he could teach himself to read and become a prodigy by non-native standards, then so can others. The author uses the simplicity of the superman comic to explain how it changed his life and turned him into a prodigy, and a successful man. This conveys the idea to his audience that one does not need a teacher to learn
“Superman and Me” involves the author, Sherman Alexie as an adolescent boy. Alexie lived in Washington on a Spokane Indian Reservation where he grew up with parents who were poor most of the time. Although, his parents “usually managed to find some minimum-wage job or another” (Alexie). The father of Alexie went to a Catholic school where he read whatever he came into sight with. Alexie looked up to his father; therefore, he wanted to be an avid reader just like his dad. Before he could even read, Alexie picked up many books. Although words look foreign to Alexie, he understood the purpose of a paragraph, and “realized that a paragraph was a fence that held words” (Alexie). Everything he looked at, he referred to it as a paragraph. Living a life inside of a paragraph, Alexie one day picked up a Superman comic book. This day became the day he learned how to read American literature. Looking at pictures in the comic book, Alexie assumes what he sees. This method eventually taught him the way of reading English. In the essay, Alexie states, “I was smart. I was arrogant. I was lucky. I read books late into the night, until I could barely keep my eyes open…” Not the typical student, Alexie would be told to be quiet in the classroom. Never did he expect being smarter would come with consequences. Is this the kind of American Dream Alexie wanted? Despite all the learning and being an outcast, the author became a writer, as well as
Alexie's principal claim declares that reading can bring about a major difference in a person's life. According to Sherman Alexie, reading and books helped him to achieve leaving the reservation and finding his way out in the world. However, "Superman and Me” comes alive for readers due it implies that all a person needs is courage to fly pass their current situation, and this story shows how the hostility of such bravery can be emphasized even in classrooms. In addition, the writer demonstrates to readers that all it takes is effort to initiate dreams actually coming true, and especially when living in a hostile world or environment. Although, Alexie uses rhetorical strategies to appeal to the reader in innumerable ways and his ethical appeal
I am trying to save our lives.” In this quote Sherman Alexie states that he is like Superman in a way because he says that he wants to help the Indian kids have a better life. Alexie talks about his life and all the things that happened to him. Alexie talks about how it was hard for him because he was an Indian kid. Three points for this could be:How did Sherman Alexie have a hard time growing up?,How did Sherman Alexie deal with everyone who was bothering him and/or teasing him?,and
Have you heard of Superman and his strange ways well here is a texet and how the
In the essay “The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me,” Sherman Alexie credits learning to read a Superman comic book with saving his life. As an Indian boy growing up on a reservation in Spokane, Washington, where being uneducated was not the exception but the rule, Alexie was given few opportunities to succeed. The Superman comic book was the book he taught himself to read with, which in turn saved him from going down a path that lead to a the life of inferiority and failure. Learning to read gave him the confidence to break down a door that had previously prevented Indians from succeeding as well as the driving force that allowed him to persevere against the adversity he faced. The significance of Superman is carried on
Throughout literature many pieces of work can be compared and contrasted to each other. In “Superman and Me,” Sherman Alexie discusses the challenges he faced as a young Indian adult, who found his passion of reading at an early age, living on the Spokane Indian Reservation. He challenged the stereotype of the young Indian students who were thought to be uneducated while living on a reservation. Likewise, in the excerpt from The Hunger of Memory, Richard Rodriguez shares his similar experience of being a minority and trying to break stereotypes of appearing uneducated. He shares the details of his life growing up learning a different culture and the struggles he faced becoming assimilated into American culture. In these two specific pieces of literature discuss the importance of breaking stereotypes of social and educational American standards and have similar occupational goals; on the other hand the two authors share their different family relationships.
Education is something that is often taken for granted in this day and age. Kids these days rebel against going to school all together. In the essays “The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me” by Sherman Alexie and “Learning to Read and Write” by Frederick Douglass, we learn of two young men eager for knowledge. Both men being minors and growing up in a time many years apart, felt like taking how to read and write into their own hands, and did so with passion. On the road to a education, both Alexie and Douglass discover that education is not only pleasurable, but also painful. Alexie and Douglass both grew up in different times, in different environments, and in different worlds. They both faced different struggles and had different achievements, but they were not all that different. Even though they grew up in different times they both had the same views on how important of education was. They both saw education as freedom and as a way of self-worth even though they achieved their education in different ways. They both had a strong mind and a strong of sense of self-motivation.
Many children will be born in poor regions and low income areas around the world and may not ever be presented with the opportunity for a decent education. Sherman Alexie brings this fact to the reader’s attention on a personal level in his short story “Superman and Me”. This story follows a young Indian boy into his struggle of illiteracy and acceptance from his peers and friends. Alexie was able to focus the reader’s attention and convey much of his feelings into his written words because the story was about him and his own personal experiences. “Superman and Me” projects a message to the reader, that when faced with adversity, and when all odds are against you, willpower and determination can overcome even the toughest of obstacles.
Sherman Alexie read anything and everything he could , the only reasons he could is because he read superman comic books . Even though he went through the worst he somehow remained positive and still learned to develop skills of learning to write and read. He never gave up on himself. He didn’t stereotype others. He learned how to read and write from Superman comic
Sherman Alexie the author of the essay "The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me" was born and raised on a Spokane Indian Reservation. Growing up his family did not have a lot of money, yet today Alexie is known as one of the most prominent Native American writers. Alexie reminisces on his childhood when he first taught himself how to read. In the essay "The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me" Sherman Alexie suggests, that for Native Americans reading is the key to education and education is the key to prosperity in life.
History and Analysis: Hansel and Gretel The first book that Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm also referred to as the Brothers Grimm ever published in 1812 was “Kinder- und Hausmärchen” also known as “Children’s and Household Tales” it contained eighty-six stories, including such well-known tales as Rapunzel, Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel. Hansel and Gretel is an intriguing and entertaining fairy tale of Germanic origin written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. The Brothers Grimm targeted audience centered around the middle class of the 19th century. Their fairy tale reflected the European worldview and the cultural norms of that period.
Sherman Alexie the author of the essay "The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me" was born and raised on a Spokane Indian Reservation. Growing up, his family did not have a lot of money, yet today Alexie is known as one of the most prominent Native American writers. Alexie reminisces on his childhood when he first taught himself how to read. In the essay "The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me" Sherman Alexie suggests, that for Native Americans reading is the key to education and education is the key to prosperity in life.
In the passage, “Superman and Me” Sherman Alexie explains to the readers the life of an Indian and how he defeats and tries to help others defeat the stereotype of an Indian. As a kid, Sherman Alexie dealt with stereotypes about reading and writing based upon the values of his tribe; however, he taught himself how to read from Superman comic books. Throughout the text, he uses figurative language, and quotes that mean way more that what they look like when you read them. One quote that really stood out was, “ I throw my weight against their locked doors. The door holds.