Essay on The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me

The writing the Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me, was very interesting for me. I found this reading real, and fascinating due to the fact of how hard was to be an Indian American. I truly respect Alexi’s actions because showed us how good he became by saying to himself “I am smart, I am Arrogant, I am lucky, I am trying to save our lives” (18). So far, I cannot relate exactly to him but I have faced many obstacles in my life. For example, after I finished my English course at Colorado I tried to apply to a very prestigious University in which they were going to give me a good scholarship, however, to enter to that University was very hard, you had to do certain type of texts and I was not that good in English yet; I applied and I

Throughout this essay, Alexie uses an extended analogy. Alexie’s analogies help the reader understand the purpose of a paragraph. He realized that “a paragraph was a fence that held words. The words inside a paragraph worked together for a common purpose.” He compares a paragraph with a fence which brings clarity to his understanding of a paragraph. From this understanding, he began to think of everything in terms of paragraphs. For example, “Our reservation was a small paragraph within the United States. My family’s house was a paragraph, distinct from the other paragraphs of Labrets to the north, the Fords to our south and the Tribal School to the west.” He uses this idea that each paragraph is an identity and inside those identities are smaller ones. Alexie even says that his family is like a seven-paragraph essay, each different but linked by genetics and common experiences. This allusion allows the audience to see Alexie’s point of view on the world.

Superman and Sherman Alexie both have unique qualities about them. The passage states that Sherman Alexie could read complicated books at a young age while other kids had a hard time. Superman

In “Superman and Me,” Alexie uses repetition for this purpose throughout the story, for example, when he talks about how much he read, by saying, “I read books late into the night, until I could barely keep my eyes open… I read books at recess… I read books in the car… I read the books my father brought home… I read the books I borrowed from the library… I read newspapers… auto-repair manuals… magazines… I read anything that had words and paragraphs.” The long use of the words “I read” shows how much he valued reading, and shows that his experiences with books were important to him. Alexie continues his use of repetition when he is talking about how he is, “trying to save [his] life,” and when he is “trying to save [their] lives,” when he is talking about himself and the other Indian kids. Again Alexie uses the concept of “saving lives,” as a connection between the reader and the intensity and value of his experiences. Sherman Alexie repeats himself in, “Indian Education,” when he kisses a white girl on the reservation, he say that he “felt the good-byes… I was saying good-bye to my tribe, to all the Indian girls and women I might have loved, to all the Indian men who might have called me cousin, even brother.” His use of repetition here shows

As he grew up to become a writer, we see pain in the story he tells. “I loved those books, but I also knew that love had only one purpose. I was trying to save my life” (pg.18). Alexie wanted to be someone greater than what others expected him to be. People would put him down constantly, but he fought back just as much. He tried to save himself from the stereotypes of being just another dumb Indian. He had more determination to prove others wrong when it came too exceeding in reading to further excel in his daily life.

To improve literary skills, lower class citizens should take the initiative outside of the education system to increase the likelihood of breaking through their class’ economic barrier. In the essay, “The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me”, Alexie says that he grew up as a part of the lower class on a Native American reservation. His parents often had to find different jobs that only paid minimum wage, which made it difficult for his family to live comfortably. Even though his family was part of the lower class, his father continuously read books. Alexie began reading to follow his father’s passion. He looked at novels and eventually understood their composition. Alexie’s firsthand experience allowed him to learn how to read in a much more efficient manner than if he learned through the reservation’s mediocre schooling system. Outside reading also motivated him to learn more. Alexie loved the feeling of gaining more information on how to have a positive impact on society. If he did not dedicate time for reading outside of his

Sherman Alexie illustrates a subtle sarcasm that is very consistent among his stories. He conveys many of the current social issues that seem to be constant among those of Indian heritage. His main characters all have very similar characteristics: very laid back and socially conscious. An important characteristic that his characters share is a sense of wit and cynicism which helps convey Alexie's ideals in many regards.

2. The verb that Alexie repeats is “read.” He is emphasizing his determination to overcome the standards of the past. Through the repetitions, you come to learn he loved reading, and you learn of the mountains he climbed to stay with

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

Otherwise they would be considered dangerous. However, Alexie refuses to live like that and starts to read at a young age, which eventually gives him the courage to face the outer world and escape the miserable life on the reservation. Alexie’s reading skills not only assisted him, but also assisted other children in the reservations. “They have read my books … They looked at me with bright eyes and arrogant wonder ... The door holds.

At an early age Sherman Alexie was exposed to all types of literature because of his father “westerns, spy thrillers, murder mysteries, gangster epics, basketball player biographies and anything else he could find.” Alexie’s father was one of the few Native Americans that went to a Catholic school. You can say that his father was a influence to him learning how to read. Alexie’s first reading encounter was with a Superman comic. He couldn’t read any of the words, but assume what superman was saying.

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

“Superman and Me” includes the author, Sherman Alexie as an adolescent boy. Alexie lived in Washington on a Spokane Indian Reservation where he grew up with parents who lived in debt most of the time, although his parents, as he states, “usually managed to find some minimum-wage job or another.” The father of Alexie went to a Catholic school where he read whatever he came into sight with. Alexie looked up to his father, and therefore, wanted to become an avid reader just like his dad. Before he could even read, Alexie picked up many books. Although words originally looked foreign to Alexie, he understood the purpose of a paragraph. He says that he “realized that a paragraph was a fence that held words” (Alexie). Everything he came upon, 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 the pictures in the comic book, Alexie assumes what he sees. This method ultimately 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…” Because Alexie outsmarted his class, he could not answer any questions in class.. Never did he expect that his brilliance would come with consequences. Is this the kind of American Dream Alexie wanted? Despite all the learning and

In his article, Alexie faced continuous struggles as a child, being a Spokane Indian boy. He ends up following his father's footsteps in developing a love for books. When he becomes older, he begins to read almost anything and everything that has words drawn or printed on it. For example, he read things such as junk mail, cereal boxes, manuals, magazines, and just anything that had words he could get his hands on. This also included all of the new books his father would bring home with him and the ones that his father already owned. Alexie read out of desperation to save his life from the unknowing and the reality that he lives in, he also read out of joy. He gives a well developed argument which was him explaining how he had to teach himself

In contrast, “Superman and Me “ by Sherman Alexie tells the story of Alexie, as a young Indian boy, fighting his way through life. Alexie’s autobiography tells a story of how tough life can be as a Spokane Indian boy. He lived in Eastern Washington State on the Spokane Indian Reservation, this is where he and his brother and sisters resided. Alexie stated that, “ We lived on a combination of irregular paychecks, hope, fear, and government surplus foods”(Alexie 1). Poor, below the poverty point, but managed to find a job here and there making them middle-class. With the money Alexie’s father makes he provided them with their every needs. Additionally his father buys books because he is an