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.
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.
As he opened the exit door, he seen a big crowd of people yelling his name and congratulating him for what he did. Flasher seemed extremely happy for saving the people. His friend Aaron was so happy as well. They both went back home safely and happy. A year later had gone by and the “Superman” ride was ready and fixed.
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.
Having a character like Superman that could fly around saving people like Mattie and killing villains like Lucky Ned Pepper would have made the story completely unrealistic and people would not think this could possibly be a true
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).
William T. Sherman William Tecumseh Sherman was born in Ohio in 1820. He was named after Shawnee Chief Tecumseh. After graduating school William served in South Carolina and Georgia during the Mexican War. He later resigned from the army but then became superintendent of the military academy. Sherman joined the Union army during the Civil War.
Waiting on Superman follows the struggles of Anthony, Francisco, Bianca, Daisy, and Emily, where Emily is the only white student from a well funded suburban neighborhood (Guggenheim). The others come from communities where “failure factories” are common. Because of financial burdens, most of them cannot attend a private school so they rely on charter schools to get good educations (Guggenheim). Their cases exhibit the disproportionate rate at which good schools are available for their differing neighborhoods. The film only shows only two are accepted to their perspective charter schools;
Sherman Alexie would go to the school and share stories, making learning fun. He has now opened up doors to millions of other kids, even kids who are not on the reservation. In “Superman and Me” Sherman Alexie reached his maximum potential by breaking down the doors that stood in his way. Just as in real life and “Superman and Me” there are many closed doors, blocking the paths of kids all over the
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.”
The New York Times, from https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/opinion/13iht-edgoodman.4.15244232.html Alexie Sherman, (n.d.). Essay Alexie Superman and Me - University of missouri–St. Louis. Superman and Me, from
Alexie states that he doesn’t remember much about what he read, but he remembers one important detail. He remembers when he learned to read. The panel that first taught him how to read was a scene of Superman breaking down a door. I believe this detail is important because Alexie is beating the odds, or breaking down a barrier, when he learns how to read so well. Because of his love of reading, Alexie wants to share the art of words with other Indian children.
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).
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.
“Superman and Me” by Sherman Alexie In Sherman Alexie’s autobiographical essay, he uses an extended metaphor to compare and contrast himself and a fictional character Superman. Illustrations that was used by Alexie made a huge impact on this essay. It helps the readers better understand what is being said in Alexie’s “Superman and Me”. On this essay, Alexie mentions how he can see his family being a paragraph. Also, one of an extended metaphor that was used is how Superman and Alexie broke down the doors.
