In The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me by Sherman Alexie, Alexie states “A smart Indian is a dangerous person, widely feared and ridiculed by Indians and non-Indians alike” (Alexie 364). I would have to disagree with this statement. He is making it sound like just because he is a minority that received somewhat of an education, he should be feared by others. I believe that anyone who is smart and forceful in a community is dangerous because they have the willpower to go to any lengths to uphold their beliefs. On the other hand, I also believe that just because you are smart, you don’t necessarily have to be feared.
I especially enjoyed the pictures throughout the book. The pictures are of Sara, and have captions relating to that part of the book that say what Sara is thinking. The pictures really added to the book allowing me to fully understand what life was like in New York during the 1920’s, and how Sara was feeling during different parts of her life. I especially liked the image used between page 166 and 167, it is a picture of her looking sad and hungry, with the caption, “ I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the food.” The pages around this image talk about how she didn’t have enough money for food at the time, this picture really enforces how hungry and desperate she
Alexie, Sherman, “Superman and Me: The Joy of Reading and Writing.” Los Angeles Times, 19 April 1998. Sherman Alexie shared how his childhood of reading helped him become a better reader and a leader for others. He first read a Superman comic and then went on to bigger and better books. Alexie explains that in his Native American reservation it’s okay for children not to excel in school.
The journey I was taken on while reading the novel had a beneficial effect on myself, expressed significance to the world about a common topic and showed how the main character gradually changed throughout the story. I felt
The memoir has a linear structure, going chronologically through her life. I felt like I was definitely more interested in her story as it went farther along, however there was never a spot where I wanted to stop reading. Her teenage years and on were quite gripping, seeing her coming into her own as a young woman while trying to keep the family together emotionally and economically. I cringed at times, and at others I was truly inspired by her unconditional love for her family even when they treated her so poorly. As the reader you can really see the strength she gained as a child and it inspires.
One time, after a day picking cotton the man they were selling to just took their haul without paying. Being black, they had no recourse, they just had to accept it. They often could not afford basic necessities like shoes. In spite of this, his dad was extremely resilient man. He raised his children with the attitude that nobody owed them anything and whatever they want in life they needed to get themselves.
The novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian is not simply written. The author Sherman Alexie, uses several words like articulate, hormonal, and decrepit which displays that the novel could be read by people of all ages. This novel is wonderfully written so that people of every socioeconomic status can relate to real-world problems like poverty, racism, death and substance abuse. Alexie uses simple language to convey the thoughts that are actually inside people’s minds. For instance, in the first chapter of the book, the author introduces Arnold to the world (Alexie, 2007).
This book was interesting for me because it allowed me to relate to a character. I love reading novels that not only allow me to feel a connection with a character, but allow me to relate to their personality or
Life is full of doors, some are open and some are closed. There comes a time when sealed doors need to be broken open so everyone can reach their maximum potential and goals in life, just like Sherman Alexie did in “Superman and Me.” An example of Sherman Alexie breaking down doors is one of his quotes from “Superman and Me,” “this might be an interesting story all by itself. A little Indian boy teaches himself to read at an early age and advances quickly. He reads Grapes of Wrath in kindergarten when other children are struggling through Dick and Jane.
Mental illness is a complicated and mysterious subject for most of the world. Depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and OCD are a few common mental illnesses. Nancy Xia takes you through her journey with severe depression in the book Leap. She reveals how depression effects her entire life including the lives of the people that love her the most. Throughout this short book, I felt Nancy Xia's pain and despair as well as her parent's stress, love, and sadness.
Most people have an interesting story about their past,learning about it lets you get to know the person better. I am interviewing my aunt, Ana Marie Lastimosa Macadangdang. I chose her because I wanted to know her experience about .In 1985 Ana was born and raised in Philippines. She lived with her father ,mother,and 6 sisters until her mother died from sickness.
In the story the joy of reading Superman and me Sherman Alexie tells an emotional story of both hardship and success. He shares his struggles of being a poor Indian kid destined to fail, but he had a desire to be persevere he wanted to be more than the stereotypical uneducated Indian on a reservation and was determined to do so. He was inspired by his father to love books, and with the love for books came the ability to escape from the boundaries of the reservation and the dream to be more. Alexie shares how he taught his self to read with a superman comic book and with his witty metaphors how it shaped his life. I found Alexis story to be emotional, but yet very interesting.
In the essay “Superman and Me”, the author, Sherman Alexie recalls the time he first learned to read. He talks about his Indian culture and the perception of people like himself. He also discusses his childhood and the outcome of learning to read. The reoccurring theme of the essay is the love of reading. The author used various literacy devices to express the feelings of empowerment, happiness and the necessity that came with learning to read.
Certainly, growing up in poverty is a strength I hold dear to my heart. Surely, it was a struggle my parents, myself, and my brothers, however, my challenging past influenced me to be a hard worker, show up to work 15 minutes early, and perform my duties so I can have a job. Lastly, growing up in this financial condition has taught me how to value life instead of personal belongings.
Sherman Alexie’s text, “Superman and Me”, is an inspiring passage about Alexie himself. Within the text, Alexie has a few quotes that help the development of the main claim, or main idea, of the text. One of such quotes is “ I throw my weight against their locked doors. The doors hold. I am smart.