Reading "Superman and Me" gave me conflicting feelings. Of course, the tale of a young boy striving to succeed in and environment where he is nearly required to fail is thrilling, yet it really makes you think of the environment itself. He was a young Indian child living on a reservation; however, he recognized that he was an intelligent person. Others around him tried to quiet him because Indian children were supposed to be dumb. Sherman Alexie wanted more out of life.
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.
In the text, “Superman and Me,”One main quote that explains everything you need to know about this article is when Sherman Alexie says, “I wasrefused to fail. I was smart. I was lucky.” Many people that have read this choose to believe that this quote is just an irritating repetition of how he felt about himself, however, closer examination shows that it actually develops his main claim and central idea, refines his claims, and shows the purpose of this text all in one quote. Alexie was a young, Indian boy who just wanted to know how to read in write in the aspiration of becoming emotionally closer to his father because he loved him so.
For Alexie, the connotation for superman breaking down the door would represent, his moment in life where everything would change. He broke down the wall that would limit his education and his ability to move up in this world. In comparison, Fredrick Douglas’s moment was not as glorious because he soon realized that he was a slave and that any hope of him being free where slim to none. Douglas lived in a different time where, even with the ability to read and write, a slave would still continue to struggle just because of the color of his skin. This is why he stated, “It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy” (Mcquade, Atwan, 109).
Annotated Bibliography Introduction: Examine different kinds of advertisements and the problem at hand with how they perpetuate stereotypes, such as; gender, race, and religion. Thesis: The problem in society today is in the industry of social media. In efforts to attract the eye of the general population, advertising companies create billboards, commercials, flyers and other ads with stereotypes that are accepted in today’s society. Because of the nations’ cultural expectation for all different types of people, advertisement businesses follow and portray exactly what and how each specific gender, race, or religion should be.
Box Theory: the theory of roles Who are we to decide who we are in society, more often than not society chooses who we are and others accept it as truth. Some would say that everybody is like a box and we have a certain place we fit into in the world, but then one question remains. Can we escape from the place society gives us or are we stuck in your place forever? In the short story “Breaking and Entering”, Sherman Alexie creates a sense of tension through his use of stereotypes, to suggest that society has a limited set of expectations and goals for individuals depending on their race.
Many stereotypes of African culture have emerged due to western literature and media and first hand accounts of explorers. Things Fall Apart offers a view into the truth and reality of African cultures, which are often misconceptualized by these stereotypes. Acebe shows how African society functions well without assistance from foreign travelers. In Things Fall Apart, Achebe counters the imperialist stereotypes of Africa by keeping certain words in the Igbo language, as opposed to translating them into English, to fight back against the spreading western culture and to embrace their own way of life. He also counters the imperialist stereotypes of Africa by using Igbo proverbs to show how their culture values many of the same things that western
It takes the average person under a minute to compose an opinion about someone they recently encountered. This opinion will be the image inside your head until you genuinely get to understand that person., but judgement with still occur because humans do this for an eccentric reason. People have stereotypes that go along with judging through age class, for example, adults stereotype judging teenagers as persistently staring at their phones all day, rarely interacting with anyone face to face. This exhibits irony; children and teenagers perceive their parents to be infallible. There are many differences between adults and teens.
Henri Tajfel (1979) anticipated that the “groups which people belonged to were an important source of pride and self-esteem. Groups give us a sense of social identity: a sense of belonging to the social world.” (McLeod, Social Identity Theory, 2008) Remember the Titans (2000) is an American sports drama film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Boaz Yakin. It is a true story which started with the integration of black and white students at T.C. Williams High School in Virginia. However further problems emerge as with tensions high, the well known and loved head coach at the school, Bill Yoast, is replaced by a new black coach, Herman Boone.
Lulu Asselstine Mrs. Olsen LA 8 5 November, 2017 Stereotypes and Perspectives When looking at a bunch of bananas in a grocery store, people tend to choose the perfect spotless bananas, since stereotypically food that is perfect looking, with no flaws, taste better. However, people soon realize that when you start to eat bananas that have more spots and are imperfect they turn out to be sweeter and better. This connects to stereotypes because people who follow stereotyped will always eat the perfect bananas; however, people who choose to look through another perspective can realize that the imperfect bananas are better. This connects to The Outsiders because Ponyboy realizes this after he talks with two Socs, kids from a rival group named Randy and Cherry. In The Outsiders, S.E Hinton presents the idea that teenagers can break through stereotypes if they look at life through another perspective; as shown in the book when Ponyboy starts to talk to Cherry and Randy and realizes the stereotypes about them are false.
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.
Stereotyping is an issue that affects all ages, genders, and races. Not all stereotypes are bad, but when you maliciously stereotype it becomes a problem. In S.E. Hinton’s young adult novel The Outsiders, stereotyping is a significant issue. There are two gangs in this novel, the “greasers”, and the “Socs”. The greasers live on the east side and are known as “hoods”.
Alexie uses repetition, metaphors and imagery to convey these feelings and support the main idea. Alexie teaches himself to read by interpreting a Superman comic book. Although he cannot remember which exact comic book it was, the plot of the book, or the means by which he obtained the book, he does remember a specific panel that resonated to him (Alexie 582-583). Alexie writes about a panel where Superman is breaking a door down. “Because he is breaking down a door, I assume he says, “I am breaking down a door” (Alexie 584).
The novel The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton illustrates a theme of stereotyping and its effect on the characters. The protagonist, Ponyboy Curtis is the most affected by stereotyping. Ponyboy is stereotyped as a greaser. He accepts this stereotype, but is negatively affected by it, because society views greasers as poor, bellicose, delinquents from the East Side.
Alexie used repetitive words to emphasize how Sherman Alexie and Superman have several characteristics. Superman can be seen in the second illustration standing triumphantly on a statue while braveness was shown on his face. Alexie believes that intelligence can save and change people's lives. He reads because he wants to save his life. He reads because he wants to save everybodys