If the odds are not in one’s favor, it does not mean that he or she cannot accomplish his or her goals. Sherman Alexie proved this by overcoming the barriers and the doubts to become a writer. In his essay Superman and Me Alexie conveys anyone can accomplish their goals, he does this by using the rhetorical devices anecdote, ethos, and anaphora.
Alexie utilizes personal anecdotes throughout the essay to demonstrate how he has overcome the odds. In the beginning he discussed how he was introduced to reading, then conveys the extent of his effort towards reading and how it has assisted him in becoming a successful writer. Anecdotes are used effectively because the reader can see examples of how working hard can help them overcome barriers. It supports the claim with first hand evidence. The
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In the seventh paragraph, 98% of Alexie’s sentences started with the word “I”. This emphasized all that he had done, everything he did to become a writer. It showed how persistent he was and how he had refused to give up. In most of these sentences the “I” was followed by “read”. This shows the extent of how much reading he did; how committed he was to reading. It show the importance of reading in writing and education. He implicitly states that he worked so hard on reading in order to prevent himself from failing in society. The anaphora emphasizes how repetitive he was and the extend of what he read. Anaphora was effective because it shows the audience how hard one must work to achieve his or her goal.
By using anecdotes, ethos, and anaphora, Sherman Alexie convinces the audience that anyone can achieve their goals even if the odds are against them. He does so by placing the audience into his childhood to display how he has worked hard and surpassed the barriers that worked against him. Therefore proving, when people work hard they can accomplish marvelous