Dorothy L Sayers once said, ‘Those who prefer their English sloppy have only themselves to thank if the advertisement writer uses his mastery of the vocabulary and syntax to mislead their weak minds.” Syntax is a set of rules in a language that dictates how words from different parts of speech are put together in order to convey a complete thought. In Superman and Me by Sherman Alexie, combines simple sentences and enumeration in order to initiate understanding of his difficult Native up bringing with his audience. In the essay, Superman and Me by Sherman Alexie, syntax is utilized to reflect his purpose by communicating meaning and keeping the reader's attention throughout his descriptions of struggle that he endured while learning to read. …show more content…
This can mean the selection of a word or the word's tense, the arrangement of the words and the selection of the punctuation. Another utilization of syntax used by Alexie, is enumeration. “In a fit of unemployment- inspired creative energy, my father built a set of bookshelves and soon filled them with a random assortment of books about the Kennedy assassination, Watergate, the Vietnam War and the entire 23-book series of Apache Nation. By listing these examples, Alexie is putting emphasis on the books overall, instead of only giving one example which would have a less powerful effect on the reader. Enumeration also helps to merely provide the audience with more information, as he does on page 110, “We lived on a combination of irregular paychecks, hope, fear, and government surplus food.” Without this listing method the reader would be left without crucial detail of Alexie's harsh life as a Native.
The syntax used in Superman and Me by Sherman Alexie achieved meaningful writing and powerful message. The use of simple sentences and enumeration in his essay accentuates his true struggle and drive to overcoming