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.
The story of his life in “Superman and me” by, Sherman Alex, expressed deeply of himself on how dedicated and content he was during his youthful life. As a young impecunious Indian boy, he grew up on the sides of Eastern Washington state following the path of his father’s dedication in the love of reading and writing. He self taught his way up to be an overachiever reader by constantly reading everything he saw in sight. Later in life, acting as a life saver, he taught those who lacked in reading and writing. He’s proud and prudent to this day, leading those who are inspired by his novels, poems and short stories.
Did you know that the United States ranks 17th in education performance? That is a huge drop from 1980 when the United States was ranked 1st. Clearly, our education system has gone in a downward spiral and is struggling to keep up with other countries. The documentary, “Waiting for Superman” by David Guggenheim, and the article, “Idiot Nation” by Michael Moore, discuss the weaknesses in our education system. Although both authors offer compelling arguments, “Waiting for Superman” contained a better argument because of its abundance of rhetorical strategies, whereas “Idiot Nation” contained some logical fallacies.
A Superhero is not judged by the power he has,but only by the choices he makes. In the essay,”Superman and Me” by Sherman Alexie, the author uses an extended metaphor to explain his relationship with the fictional character Superman. Alexie uses many things in his life to compare himself to Superman. Although Alexie may not be seen as a hero with actual superpowers, he demonstrates the qualities of a superhero in different ways. Alexie is seen as someone that almost resembles an alien in the eyes of his society.
In Superman and Me by Sherman Alexie, Alexie’s father’s love for books grew to make his self-love books ending up in Alexie teaching himself how to read. Alexie describes the stereotypes and what is expected of Indian children and how Indian children were expected to basically have no knowledge Many lived up to those expectations inside the classroom but invalidated them on the outside. While other children were doing this, Alexie’s father was one of the few Indians on the reservation who went to Catholic School on purpose and was also an devoted reader. Alexie grew up around books. His father had a strong love for books as he bought them by the pound from pawn shops, goodwill and the salvation army.
David Guggenheim 's state-of-the-art documentary, "waiting for 'Superman '," stops best an inch away from insisting upon the complete razing of the public institution system. Guggenheim stated that, with the release of this movie, he was "trying to attack... This intellectual block that quite a lot of american citizens have--which is that the problems with our schools are too complicated, they 've been damaged for too long: and it can be not possible [to fix]. " So he decided, in line with this author, to deconstruct the real problematic and assorted troubles threatening the futures of millions of kids locked into quite a lot of phases of the general public tuition system. He sought the "the tone of an op-ed" to explain in not up to two hours
Explanatory Essay 2 Reading is a beneficial thing in many ways and these two writers have benefited greatly from having experience reading it has given them want for more than just what is expected of them by others. When these two authors speak of the impacts reading has had over their lives they speak of how they have plans to strive and be their own person. During the first story of “Superman and Me” they author specifically talks of how the other Indian children around him “submissively duck their heads when confronted by non-Indian adults” this describes not only the fear they held but also how they were viewed. While non-Indian children could freely speak and be comfortable the Indian children feels out of place if they are not in the company of their people.
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.
The documentary relates to the United States in the way of that the public school system is broken. Government and political officials have repeatedly promised to correct the public school system and have failed to deliver. Programs such as the no child left behind act and standardized tests have been created to correct this system. But these programs and tests actually hurt this system since they are based on a narrow curriculum not measuring an individual student 's skills and talents. Other issues which are mentioned in the documentary and affect our country are teachers unions and tenure.
Gifted with incredible endurance and super strength, the ability of flight, and an impeccable moral compass, Superman is the quintessential superhero that Americans of all ages have admired and looked up to since his conception in 1938. In Brad Bird’s 1999 feature animation The Iron Giant, the fifty-foot metal protagonist is no exception. Hiding out in a barn, he peers at an issue of the Superman comic book like an amused child with his eyes wide and mouth agape. His closest human companion, nine-year old Hogarth, sits before the giant and explains to him, “Sure, he’s famous now, but he started off just like you! Crash landed on Earth…he only uses his powers for good, never for evil.”
What really stood out to me when I first saw it was the way the lettering for the title was. The way how he has the title “Superman” looking like it was going off into the book is really cool. The next thing that really stood out to me is how he drew superman sitting on a cloud overlooking the city. This part is really cool and pretty crazy how he was able to draw it. It really stands out because while he’s sitting on the clouds overlooking the city you have the sun setting in the distance which I also really thing helps the book cover stand out to anyone who is looking at it.
Superman’s Song, written as a eulogy, expresses more than respect for a fallen Superhero; it voices Robert’s grief, thereby creating pathos, at the passing of a great man: “And sometimes I despair the world will never see another man like him.” Roberts expresses not only his own “despair” but the “world's” despair of having lost Superman. Honest men are rare. Rarer yet are men of virtue, men of integrity, and men of compassion. Superman was such a man.
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.
Ever since the dawn of human life, humans have been trying to control everything. There is not a spot on the planet that hasn’t been affected by humans. With that being said, Bonnie Steinbock, the author of “The Appeal to Nature” also support the claim that humans is in control, she said, “All of human history is an intervention with the natural order in an attempt to improve our lives”. By virtue of the human intervention, what would usually deemed natural or unnatural seems to be little blurred as well. With that sense of control, humans would also want to control the existence of species if they are harming us.
