In his essay superman and me, how does sherman alexie. Alexie is an awardwinning and prolific author and occasional comedian. His writings draw on his experiences as an indigenous american with ancestry from several tribes. He elaborate upon why and how he learned to read under the constraints of being a. Summary of superman and me, by sherman alexie melissas blog. First he, talks about the stereotypical living on an indian reservation and teaching himself to read. Discuss sherman alexies use of rhetorical strategies and. It began with his love of books and reading and continues through his fight to help the native american children living on the reservation today. Jun 05, 2017 alexie begins his essay with an anecdote about his introduction to reading, as he learned to read through a mixture of superman comics and his fathers books alexie, 1997, and quickly transitions to the thesis of his essay. By using an extended metaphor to state how certain objects are. The essay superman and me by sherman alexie and stone soup by barbara kingslover have a multitude of differences, but similarities between the two can be revealed by understanding the overall themes of the essay. Sherman alexie s superman and me uses rhetorical strategies to present the argument that by reading he can become an model for indians on reservation and fight the stereotypes associated with native americans. The major argument sherman alexie makes throughout superman and me is that he believes that indian students lives can be saved by learning how to read and write. This is evident in his examples, as well as his style.
The theme of superman and me sherman alexie, essay. Superman and me sherman alexie 762 words 4 pages the two essays, superman and me by sherman alexie and an indian fathers plea by medicine grizzlybear lake, are written by american indian men with different perspectives on the education system within and outside of the indian reservation. Alexie plays with the complexities of autobiography. His love of books came from his love and adulation of his father. Superman and me bom in 1966 and raised on the spokane b1dian reservation in wellpinit, washington, sherman alexie is one of the foremost native american writers. Superman and me with the purpose of informing his readers of the challenges he faced as a young native american boy who, by societys standards, was not supposed to be educated. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Sherman alexie wanted more out of life than to just be able to memorize a few dozen. Instead of discussing paragraphs in a formal sense, he describes them as being a fence that held words.
Reflective writing a deliberate shift making connections background. While most people wouldnt consider reading a way of saving lives, alexie makes a strong argument that teaching himself how to read when most people didnt know how saved his life. Superman and me sherman alexie i learned to read with a superman comic book. Sherman alexie uses rhetorical strategies such as, ethos, pathos, and logos, to appeal to the reader. Born on an indian reservation with little to no money and three siblings, sherman alexie was not provided a bright future.
In sherman alexies article superman and me, the author conveys a message that he wants the indian children to understand and advert the importance of education can make a big difference in life. Sherman told me that he could have sex with me if he wanted to, she says. The theme of selfeducation in superman and me by sherman alexie. Sherman alexies superman and me analysis and outline.
Sherman alexie learned how to read at a very age and read at a greater reading level compared to his classmates when he was a child. Discuss sherman alexies use of rhetorical strategies and his. Superman and me ap english language and composition. Through all his childhood obstacles that obstructed his. I enjoyed reading his personal story and how he overcame obstacles growing up. Sherman alexie grew up on an indian reservation in spokane, wa. Sep 05, 20 sherman alexie learned how to read at a very age and read at a greater reading level compared to his classmates when he was a child. Sherman alexies principal claim in superman and me is that reading books saved his life and that he is now trying to use books to save the lives of other indian children along with his own. The story begins with him teaching himself to read using a superman comic book. Sherman alexie wrote about this in his essay superman and me. In the essay superman and me by sherman alexie, the author, a native american from the spokane indian reservation in eastern washington, writes that. He was expected to be unsophisticated and unsocial in school because that was the general discernment of native americans at that time. In superman and me, the underlying issue throughout is the problem of prejudice in a society. Just like superman, alexie saves the life of other people as well.
Sherman alexie wrote the joy of reading and writing. Verdelle english 101 author sherman alexies short story superman and me demonstrates how growing up on the reservation restricts his resources for learning though he was able to teach himself to read. Framing the reading sherman aexie was born in 1966 ano grew up on the sookane indian reservation in wehpirit, washngton. He was a young indian child living on a reservation. In the final sentence of the essay, sherman alexie says, i am trying to save our lives alexie 50. The benefits of repetition in sherman alexies superman and me.
Sherman alexies superman and me analysis and outline from. He is best know11 for his fiction, fmm his first collec cio11 of stories, the lone ranger and tonto fistfight in heaven. I cannot remember the plot, nor the means by which i obtained the comic book. We revisit things because we need to refresh or remix them. The main ideas of this story are sherman alexie s experience of learning to read, the power of words, sherman alexie s experience overcoming diversity and his path to success. I cannot remember the plot, nor the means by which i. Sep 10, 2015 summary superman and me zakiyah archbold dr.
In alexies tribe, indians were expected to fail, or be intellectually miniscule in the eyes of nonindians, but be the contrary when they were amongst indians. Second, he talks about when he becomes a teacher helping his students. It was a way for him to explain how learning and knowledge is looked at in his society and why it needs to change. In the case of sherman alexies superman and me, we see that selfeducation is not only just learning what a word is, and what a few letters thrown together looks like. Sherman alexie grew up on the spokane indian reservation. Mar 05, 2018 sherman alexie s accusers go on the record. Superman and me reading the joy of reading and writing. Alexie was hungry for knowledge and it all started with a superman comic book from which he learned to read. Through the medium of past experiences as a minority with a strong hunger for learning, alexie reminds everyone of the potential for an individual to overcome adversity through. In the article superman and me, sherman alexie gives a biography of his life as a poor indian boy who successfully selfeducated himself through literature. Quotations by sherman alexie, american writer, born october 7, 1966. The theme of superman and me sherman alexie was quite appealing to me at first, but when i read the entire story, i got to observe a few negative aspects and had liked to share them here. He grew up on the spokane indian reservation and now lives in seattle, washington. Alexie uses an indirect thesis statement in his essay i am smart.
Framing the reading sherman alexie was born in 1966 and grew up on the spokane indian reservation in wellpinit, washington. I cannot recall which particular superman comic book i read, nor can i remember which villain he fought in that issue. Allen july 10, 2012 superman and me analysis and outline a preliminary response as i read this essay, i have come to find that sherman alexie was trying to explain how his childhood was. Despite the fact that my history is very different than that of author sherman alexie, in his essay superman and me, alexie describes the importance of reading that we both hold dear. A spokanecoeur dalene indian, he grew up on the spokane indian reservation in wellpinit, wa, about 50 miles northwest of spokane, wa. In sherman alexies essay, superman and me, he uses repetition and extended metaphors to transition from a personal to social level as he illustrates his poor childhood, and how reading saves his and others lives. Paragraphs the most memorable part of sherman alexies essay is the section where he talks about paragraphs. Purpose the purpose of this personal essay is to express the impact of reading in alexies life. Superman and me born in 1966 and raised on the spokane indian reservation in wellpinit, washington, sherman alexie is one of the foremost native american writers and the recipient of the native writers circle of the americas 2010 lifetime achievement award. It is basically the story of a poor indian boy who decides to follow the footsteps of his dad in developing an interest in novels and books. The theme of selfeducation in superman and me by sherman. Green 16 september 2012 analysis on sherman alexies superman and me 1.
Sherman alexies superman and me sherman alexies superman and me pg. Sherman alexie and the tricky art of memoir in a new book inspired by his mothers death, you dont have to say you love me, mr. Mentor text superman and me by sherman alexie writing techniques. Sherman alexie, who grew up on the spokane reservation in wellpinit, washington, explains his life as an indian boy, and how reading and writing helped his life to succeed. Others around him tried to quiet him because indian children were supposed to be dumb. Purpose the purpose of this personal essay is to express the impact of reading in alexie s life.
Second, he talks about when he becomes a teacher helping his. His books included the lone ranger and tonto fistfight in heaven and the absolutely true diary of a parttime indian. Sometimes, its because we teach the same texts or units of studies, the same courses. Enjoy the best sherman alexie quotes at brainyquote. Superman and me, by sherman alexie and learning to read, by malcolm x i have gained a better understanding of what literacy does for us. There are many different components of what it takes to be selfeducated. Sep 15, 2015 sherman alexies article, the joy of reading and writing. A funny thing about teaching is how we revisit things.
Superman and me sherman alexei, author superman and me, by sherman alexei, is the inspiring story of the authors rise from a poverty stricken childhood on a native american reservation. The main ideas of this story are sherman alexies experience of learning to read, the power of words, sherman alexies experience overcoming diversity and his path to success. In the essay superman and me by sherman alexie, the author, a native american from the spokane indian reservation in eastern washington, writes that he learned to read by reading a superman. In sherman alexie s essay, superman and me, he uses repetition and extended metaphors to transition from a personal to social level as he illustrates his poor childhood, and how reading saves his and others lives. He says that he was trying to save his life alexie 1.
He tells us in the beginning of the story that he learned to read ith a superman comic book. Alexie was trying to save his own life by reading indian children were not encouraged to learn how to read and he didnt want to become the stereotypical indian. Superman and me superman and me is a brief overview of sherman alexies path in becoming a writer. This is made evident by alexies argument that reading was a way of. This line, just like the one mentioned earlier, has great. Through all his childhood obstacles that obstructed his literacy learning he is now a critically acclaimed writer. The essay is introduced with the superman comic books that taught alexie how to read. Sherman alexie, native american writer whose poetry, short stories, and novels about the lives of american indians won him an international following. In all superman comics, television shows or movies, superman saves the life of at least 1 other person. Alexie begins his essay with an anecdote about his introduction to reading, as he learned to read through a mixture of superman comics and his fathers books alexie, 1997, and quickly transitions to the thesis of his essay. Superman and me, sherman alexie tells his readers about his pain and suffering growing up in an indian reservation.