Read the following essay, "Superman and Me" by Sherman Alexie.
http://www.qcounty.com/SCC/Spring10/Eng305_10035/Readings/ShermanAlexie--Superman.pdf
It is both an eye-opening account of what life was like for an intelligent child on an Indian reservation and a skillful rendering of the moments surrounding language acquisition, the spark for reading and writing, and the influence on a child of a well-loved parent. Use any or all of these avenues for discussion of the essay.
Also comment on what rhetorical devices Alexie uses in the essay. For example, by using the analogy of a paragraph to a fence, Alexie is providing a visual connection that all readers can understand in order to express his moment of epiphany that opened him to the world of reading: an understanding that words "worked together for a common purpose". The use of this visual analogy between a paragraph and a fence lends meaning to the extension of his analogy in the remainder of paragraph 3. As Alexie explains his understanding of the reservation as a paragraph within the country, his home and neighborhood as paragraphs on the reservation, and each member of his family as a separate paragraph yet part of a larger "essay of seven paragraphs," the reader grasps Alexie's inherent desire to write and his identity as a writer. This is just one example. You should find and cite at least two. Do your best not to repeat the devices used by other students.
http://www.qcounty.com/SCC/Spring10/Eng305_10035/Readings/ShermanAlexie--Superman.pdf
It is both an eye-opening account of what life was like for an intelligent child on an Indian reservation and a skillful rendering of the moments surrounding language acquisition, the spark for reading and writing, and the influence on a child of a well-loved parent. Use any or all of these avenues for discussion of the essay.
Also comment on what rhetorical devices Alexie uses in the essay. For example, by using the analogy of a paragraph to a fence, Alexie is providing a visual connection that all readers can understand in order to express his moment of epiphany that opened him to the world of reading: an understanding that words "worked together for a common purpose". The use of this visual analogy between a paragraph and a fence lends meaning to the extension of his analogy in the remainder of paragraph 3. As Alexie explains his understanding of the reservation as a paragraph within the country, his home and neighborhood as paragraphs on the reservation, and each member of his family as a separate paragraph yet part of a larger "essay of seven paragraphs," the reader grasps Alexie's inherent desire to write and his identity as a writer. This is just one example. You should find and cite at least two. Do your best not to repeat the devices used by other students.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWe take so many things for granted in this life: friends, family, education. Especially in the position that all of us are in, how do we constantly pick out little inconveniences to complain about? We attend an amazing Catholic school with an excellent curriculum, yet we complain more than children with little to nothing when they take cameras or social media off of them. Seriously? Do we even realize what brilliant minds like Sherman Alexie could be capable if given similar tools? Alexie certainly fought for his education, and it honestly makes me feel as though I do not deserve to attend a school like ours when he was basically ridiculed for simply wanting to learn. This piece truly captures a feeling of helpless that is relatable even if you have not been in exactly the same situation. We all struggle in our educational journeys. However, where some may simply stop trying or even drop out of their programs, he persevered until he reached a point at which he was satisfied with his accomplishments. He then worked tirelessly to help others like him, even when they resisted. This inspirational message proves that anyone can succeed through perseverance and honest, hard work. The inspiration from his father started a mental revolution that would change Sherman’s life forever. None of this would have been possible if he had never bestowed a love for literature on his child at a young age. This is an example of just how instrumental parents are in the development of their children. While he his description of learning to read is certainly an understatement, it helps to show just how crucial this process was to Alexie’s educational story. Towards the beginning, in his description of the Superman comic book, he uses parallelism to show how unimportant the exact description of the book was. It was not the story that was important: it was what it made him feel and how he moved forward afterwards. Alexie’s story of struggle and triumph through humor invokes a great sense satisfaction as it proves that anyone can succeed if they truly wish to.
ReplyDeleteEmma, I think you did a great job in analyzing the way in which Alexie delivers his argument on education, specifically in regards to the sense of entitlement that is present within many students today. So many are unwilling to really take charge of their education today, and expect it to be handed to them on a silver platter; this idea is SO dangerous, and honestly, unbearable. Great work!
DeleteEmma, I hate to reiterate what Isaac said, but I think your analysis was great. The perspective shift from reading the essay is clearly present. As you said, he fought for his education, who are we to sweat the little inconveniences? Great job.
DeleteEducation — it is something so fundamental to our development and the formation of our character. It is something so essential to “making us more human,” but do we see it that way? Or do we see it as something to check off a list to say that we’ve done it, and then move on? Too often, we view education in the latter way, seeing it like everything else we do in life. We don’t hate it, but we don’t love it either. We don’t seek out knowledge, but rather, we demand it. While the collective we see it this way, there are those, such as Sherman Alexie, who see education for what it truly is (the first of the choices listed above). In his own personal account of his education, Alexie makes an argument for its importance and how it is the only way in which to bridge the gap that divides those of different backgrounds. Specifically, Alexie refers to his experience on the Indian reservation. Many acted the way they were supposed to — as “dumb Indians” who could never succeed in the non-Indian world. So, in this way, they never came to value education; on the other hand, Alexie, who refuses to accept failure, sees education as a way to deliver him from this failure, a way, in his words, “to save his life.” Through Alexie’s account, it is obvious that education is how it is “seen.” It cannot be assigned a rigid definition. It cannot be something that a teacher just gives away. It isn’t something given by a parent. Education must be defined by and sought by the individual.
ReplyDeleteOne way in which Alexie brings to life the idea that education is about mindset is through the use of the Superman comic in the final paragraph. In a prior paragraph, Alexie talks about, when learning to read, how he used the Superman comic, specifically referring to the panel in which Superman breaks down the door. Then, in the final paragraph, he relates this passage to him teaching the other Indian students when he states, “I throw my weight against their locked doors. The door holds.” He tries to change the mindset of the students who do not value education, but it’s difficult to break this barrier to learning when the idea is so instilled into one’s mind. Also, although I wouldn’t call it an overstatement, Alexie makes use of what many would consider overstatement, saying “I was trying to save my life.” When thinking about “saving,” most direct their thoughts towards a superhero or some other saving figure that light is radiated from. Who would think that radiating figure is education? Probably not many, but then again, it’s all in how you see it.
Then introduction to your blog was very intriguing because I wanted to continue to read the rest of your blog. Choosing the topic of education was a good idea because we really do take our education for granted which is such a sad thing to say.
DeleteIsaac, I really enjoyed your blog. You really broke down education into its core components. I also enjoy how you brought us into it. We are busy complaining about the quality of a single drop of water when we should be appreciating the ocean. We are taking education for granted and it is not good for anyone. Great job.
Delete“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” -Romans 12:2.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to be the odd one out. For some people who have a burning desire to do the seemingly impossible, it is easier to just give up than to continue to pursue their goals. But for others, such as Sherman Alexie, they do not let conformity to get in their way. Undoubtedly, the other children on the Indian reservation wanted to get as much out of their education as the students who came before them, which was not much. Most of these students progressed slowly, and they were content with it. Sherman Alexie was not. He was bound and determined to put his large amount of God-given brainpower to good use, and that is exactly what he did. Before he even started elementary school, he sought to be able to read and write. This desire to break the mold of conformity for the sake of bettering the mind serves as an example of what all students need to realize. If the student wants to get something out of what he/she is given, the student needs to take matters into his/her own hands. Most students just cruise through school, crossing their fingers and hoping for to reach their goals with minimal effort. It takes a desire to learn and transcend the status quo for anything to actually happen for the student, which Alexie understood and took full advantage of. I believe that everyone has the brainpower to do whatever they set their minds to, and it only takes a little bit of willpower to unlock all that brainpower.
Alexie’s essay uses a great deal of simple rhetorical devices that really bring his essay to life. One that sticks out to me is his use of hyperbole, particularly in the second paragraph of the essay. Alexie describes his father buying books “by the pound.” I wouldn’t think he’d buy that many books, because his family was poor, nor do I think Mr. Alexie weighed his books. But it does serve to emphasize the point that whenever Mr. Alexie would come into enough money, he would buy a book to quench his literary thirst. It also drives the point home that Sherman Alexie, being surrounded by books, was afforded ample opportunities to learn to read before his peers, and he was not about to let the opportunity pass. He, inspired by his father’s love of reading, broke the mold of conformity, picked up a book, and learned to read, taking full advantage of the opportunity. It really goes to show that the quality of one’s education is proportional to what he/she makes of it.
I really enjoy the quote that you added in. You picked a very good example of a hyperbole found in this short story. The description of how the hyperbole is used and what it symbolizes is stated very well. Great job!
DeleteI like that you mentioned that Alexie broke the mold. Nowadays, it seems like anyone can do anything and no one is allowed to think it’s strange; that certainly wasn’t the mindset then. Also, your biblical quote helped to set the scene for your argument. Good work!
DeleteThe quote you used was very applicable and was well used. It was great that you included how he sought to learn before he started elementary school, that really showed how much he truly desired to learn.
DeleteCould you imagine not being able to read your favorite magazine, book, or even the newspaper? I definitely would go insane if I could not do a simple thing such as reading. For the most part, we were all taught how to read since a very young age through the help of teachers and parents. We never had to actually think about the idea of how we were going to read, it just happened as we got older. We were all taught to read, but yet many people dislike reading. It is such a simple thing that we take for granted. This story really portrays the importance of reading and writing. The child on the Indian reservation was an extremely active reader. He read an abundant amount of books that he found throughout his house; however, he only read those books because his father did and thus inspired him. Everything that a parent does truly has an impact on their child. Children look up to their parents with everything that they do. That is why parents need to properly behave in order to help their children develop a well rounded character. It is completely ok to not enjoy reading as much as others, but reading really is only going to strengthen your brain. “I refused to fail. I was smart, I was arrogant, I was lucky” is repeated throughout this short story many times. The author really wanted the reader to understand the power of hard work and dedication. The only way to be successful in anything you do is through consistency and keeping a good attitude.
ReplyDeleteSherman Alexie did an amazing job in using many different rhetorical devices throughout this short story. One of the main devices he used was allusions. In the story is says, “He bought his books by the pound at Dutch’s Pawn Shop, Goodwill, Salvation Army, and Value Village.” This was said in order to represent what kind of life the Indian family lived on the reservation. They had little to no money so any extra money they did have it was spent wisely buying books. As stated earlier, Sherman uses repetition quit often for example, “I refused to fail. I was smart, I was arrogant, I was lucky.” “Our house was filled with books” is a hyperbole because a house can not be literally filled with books, but it helps the readers imagine what the inside of the house looked like.
Bethany, I really like how you talked about children looking up to their parents and doing things they love. I also think the rhetorical device you found was correct. That is how the Indians lived on the reservation. Great job!
DeleteReally great analysis. I think you make a lot of good points. One that I think is worth discussing is the responsibility of a parent to a child as a role model of sorts. While I agree with what you say on that particular point, I find it sort of ironic in a sense. It makes me think back to those questions we did before starting Frankenstein, which prompts an interesting conversation in and of itself. Overall, though, I think this was well done.
DeleteI found it a little ironic that we read this piece by Sherman Alexie. In theology this week we were practicing filling out sample job applications and we discussed how most companies make you fill out the applications right at the business in front of someone as a way to verify that the applicant was literate. We all looked around at each other, surprised and almost in disbelief, thinking like who can’t read? Then we read this and it really opened up my eyes. Everybody in that classroom assumed that almost everybody could read, and that someone who was illiterate would not try getting a job because they were not able to read. There is actually a large amount of illiterate, and quite honestly the skill of being able to read gets taken for granted so so so much. Without the ability to read, the ability to do so many other things is gone, one of the main ones being education. We really do not value the opportunities we are given at our school, someone like Alexie and his companions would kill for. Nevertheless, although being from an indian reservsation, Alexie did not let his lack opportunity rattle him and instead he created his own. Many acted the like “dumb Indians” they were, and never seeked knowledge at the level he did. Through telling his of his education and learning process, Alexie used some rhetorical devices.
ReplyDeleteOne device used was a certain type of style of writing used. Alexis uses anaphora when saying “I was smart. I was arrogant. I was lucky. I read books late into the night, until I could barely keep my eyes open. I read books at recess, then during lunch, and in the few minutes left after I had finished my classroom assignments. I read books in the car when my family traveled to powwows or basketball games. He repeats “I was” and “I read” at the start of each phrase, helping him define a style. Another example would be when he says “Our house was filled with books. They were stacked in crazy piles in the bathroom, bedrooms and living room.” Surely this is an exaggeration or hyperbole, it would not be possible for someone to live with that many books covering their house.
Erick, I thought that the connection you made between your theology class and Alexie’s work was a great addition, as it really shows that we do take our education for granted. We just assume that everyone must have the same opportunities as we do, so, because of that thought, we don’t value what has been given to us. Also, the rhetorical devices you pointed out were important, as they show where Alexie really wanted the reader to focus their attention. He obviously read constantly, and this want for knowledge attained through drive is what allowed him to learn and grow; he wants the same for others, not just the Indian children on the reservation, but for us as well.
DeleteYour example of Theology was great. That’s really interesting! I had no idea that that was a thing. It helps to understand that these kind of struggles are more common than we think, especially being from a little town in PA.
DeleteLearning is a matter of the heart. It takes more than simply the space between two ears to truly acquire knowledge imparted—it takes drive. The prompt put forth describes the short story/essay “Superman and Me” by Sherman Alexie as “an eye-opening account of what life was like for an intelligent child on an Indian reservation...”, something I cannot deny after reading the story for myself. The author and subject is a model of prodigious nature and extraordinary intelligence. However, I cannot read this piece without acknowledging what truly sets Alexie’s story apart. He is driven. Alexie is driven to subvert expectations regarding his own intelligence and presents several interesting dilemmas concerning that intelligence. In one particular passage, Alexie says, “A smart Indian is a dangerous person, widely feared and ridiculed by Indians and non-Indians alike...We were Indian children who were expected to be stupid.” It is in moments such as this that Alexie lets experience dictate his writing in such a way to create something profound. He describes the double edged sword of his own pursuit of knowledge juxtaposed against that of his peers. He uncovers prejudices apparent. He acknowledges how his heritage puts him at a disadvantage despite his ability. The line continues in an unexpected way, with Alexie saying, “We were Indian children who were expected to be stupid. Most lived up to those expectations in the classroom but subverted them on the outside.” Here, Alexie raises a rather interesting and important point concerning bias and predisposed notions of what constitutes intelligence and education. Too often in this age we take too narrow a perspective on intelligence. We convince ourselves that only those with the best educations can be successful. We refuse to acknowledge that resourcelessness is not synonymous with stupidity or laziness. We blind ourselves to the fact that other cultural lifestyles and faiths are not inherently primitive. We subject others to arbitrary ideas of civility. This line conjures up all of these ideas in the minds of readers. It points out flaws in thinking and flaws in society. Sherman Alexie does not simply acknowledge the heart in learning; he presents the heart in the unconventional.
ReplyDeleteSherman Alexie’s final paragraph best encapsulates his drive through a variety of stylistic choices and rhetorical devices. Throughout the essay, Alexie describes his experiences as a Spokane student, but the final paragraph changes in perspective from young Alexie to adult Alexie. He speaks of teachers and assumed abilities of students like him. He asks a string of rhetorical questions about these teachers, questions that truly have no real answer except to Alexie himself. He presents three contrasting ideas serving as antitheses: the educational opportunities of children living on reservations today against Alexie’s own past opportunities, Alexie’s presence against the absence of guest teachers, and the engaged students against the defeated. He ends with a metaphor comparing the guarded children to doors he will try relentlessly at in the hopes that they will one day open.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAnna, your analysis of the story is amazing. You really captured what the author tried to share with the audience. I also like how you found the rhetorical questions he asked at the end and used this in the blog. Also, your conclusion is amazing!! Great job!
DeleteAs Sami said, I really think you captured the essence of this piece. Conformity is not a good thing when it comes to education, and Alexie knew that, in order to succeed, he had to break the mold of the stupid Indian kid. And, he did succeed. Good work!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSherman Alexis’s “Superman and Me” is a great essay that provides powerful insights on education. Alexie tells the story of himself as a young boy, and touched upon the many struggles that come with growing up as a Native American. The main focus, however, is about education. When Alexie was very young, he learned to read through a Superman comic book. This opened his eyes to the world of literature around him, and captivated him with books, magazines, or anything else he could get his hands on that involved reading. Alexie’s dad provided an environment where this could happen, with numerous bookshelves and constant reading. After all, every young boy wants to be just like their father.
ReplyDeleteAlexie is trying to convey feelings of perseverance and discrimination throughout his essay. He conveys discrimination through his Indian lifestyle, and he takes that one step further by being an educated Indian. He emphasizes the point that he was brought up in a world where people like him were not supposed to be smart, yet he was. This made him an outcast among the outcasts. Around this point is when Alexie starts to display perseverance. Alexie is determined not to give up, so he keeps reading. In fact, he starts reading even more. He knows he is doing what needs to be done. He is breaking the mold here, showing all other Indian children that they should not agree to fit in to the stereotype society has given them. Through strong perseverance in all the hard times, Alexie achieves his goals. This is something truly special.
Alexie uses many rhetorical strategies throughout his essay. One of the most prominent one he uses would be anaphora. You can see anaphora at use when he says, “I read the books my father brought home from the pawnshops and secondhand. I read the books I borrowed from the library. I read the backs of cereal boxes. I read the newspaper. I read the bulletins posted on the walls of the school, the clinic, the tribal offices, the post office. I read junk mail. I read auto-repair manuals. I read magazines. I read anything that had words and paragraphs. I read with equal parts joy and desperation.” The repetition of the words “I read” provides emotion to Alexie’s words. Another tool used by Alexie is the rhetorical question. He poses many questions when talking about the lack of Indian teachers, “There must have been visiting teachers. Who were they? Where are they now? Do they exist?” These questions are not meant to be answered, but rather to make the reader think.
This is a great dicussion of Alexie's essay. I agree with many of your points. Also good choices for his rhetorical devices!
DeleteIn today’s day and age, there are many many things we don’t think twice about. One such thing is the ability to read and write. We learn it at such an early stage and generally without a massive amount of difficultly, through our parents and teachers. This story simply highlights another of our privileges that we, as Americans and educated human beings, take for granted. There are entire nations that cannot read, and this story opens the door to seeing that. For rhetorical devices, when Alexie says “I was arrogant. I was smart. I was lucky.” He insinuates that even with his knowledge of reading, something many of the others didn’t have, he may have been arrogant with it, but he also realized how incredibly lucky he was to have this knowledge. Another is when he draws an elaborate picture early in the story about his father and the books he read. It’s simple for us to see a Native American man surrounded by piles of books. I think this sets up the story in many ways, including beginning Alexie’s passion of reading. Overall, this is an amazing story, and one I think everyone should read
ReplyDeleteI think when you used “Americans” incorrectly. The man in the story was American, just Native American. I also think you should have gone into the analysis deeper and better.
DeleteKristen, I’m going to split with you on this one. Yes, Native Americans are citizens of the United States, they have been since 1924. However, I think we could maybe make a bit of an excuse for Luke in this case if his words were to be interpreted as representative of the separation and isolation of Native American people from the rest of the United States from a cultural standpoint. I will agree with you that it could be longer, and a more articulate analysis would have avoided this misunderstanding.
DeleteAs you walk down the hallways of Elk County Catholic, the most often complaint is about homework. It doesn’t matter what age group it is, people do not like homework. But we grew up in a great educational system that provides a sturdy background for higher education. Many people in underdeveloped areas do not have education like we do. They thrive for the ability to be educated. They want to learn as much as they can from whoever they can learn from. We take our education for granted, especially because we have a Catholic education. To learn and prosper with other Catholics is the greatest thing we could ever ask for. We also have the ability to go to church while being at school which is often not possible for schools across the country. During the Dominican trip, people wanted to praise God and learn but did not have the guidance to do so. They beg and plead for education, to learn English and many more things that are present during our everyday life. For how a man learned to read himself and to have the opportunity to teach other people how to read is remarkable. He did not take for granted the idea of reading, such a simple task we often learn by second grade. Of course his father helped him by supplying the books, but being able to teach himself is amazing. Other schools around the country may have a different pace than Elk County Catholic, but everyone in school across America still learn how to read. Some people do not have enough money to attend school, or they are discriminated and denied their opportunity of schooling. This may open eyes around us. Maybe this story should be apart of school curriculum to show other people in or school that we are so fortunate and blessed with the opportunity of a Catholic education. When he says, “I am smart. I am arrogant. I am lucky. I am trying to save our lives,” is an example of amplification for emphasis. He also uses a hyperbole for when he said, “our house was filled with books.”
ReplyDeleteI really do agree with you that our school system should add this story into the curriculum, it would show us how good we really do have it, and maybe motivate us a little bit to put in some more effort.
DeleteAs Evan said, this is definitely a story that all students should read. I thought your discussion about the Dominican children and their desire to learn really drove home your point that we need to have that desire for education in order to succeed.
DeleteI love how you compared this to the Dominican trip. It's a great example and I agree that we need more motivation as students. Great job!
DeleteAs students, learning and writing is a necessity so we are taught it from a very young age. We take this education for granted and do not appreciate the work and time others put in for us to be able to continue our path in life. Education isn't available everywhere, though. There are places around the world that do not have the resources to teach children. These children who have never had the opportunity to learn strive for knowledge that we have and take advantage of. Sherman Alexie’s essay is a great example of determination to learn. People go through school their whole life just following the routine without truly understand the amazing things they learn. Sherman uses his first experience with a comic book to explain how reading changed his life. He was a curious and smart student that was put down by his classmates for taking full advantage of his education. Students should be doing this now and fully enveloping themselves to learn. Sherman recalls the times that he felt like it was normal to fail in the non-Indian world. He did not let this feeling take him over. He continued to read and learn everything he could to save his life. He did not settle for failure. As students, we should not settle for the basics required at our school, yet we should invest our time to learn. Education should not be taken for granted, rather, it should be expressed fully. Sherman explains this by showing how his determination and slight arrogance made him smarter. The best part is that Sherman did not do it all for himself. He read for his dad, his family, his reservation. His education was spread when he wrote and showed others that anyone can be educated. One major goal of education is to educated others. If we learn and learn and keep it to ourselves, what is the point? Sherman expressed this feeling when he stated he wanted to save the lives of the Indian children who were told they couldn't do it. He calls everyone to take advantage of their lives through education for the better of themselves and others.
ReplyDeleteSherman’s essay would not be so powerful without his use of imagery and style of sentence structure. He is able to create the picture of a young Indian boy reading. He shows us his memory and helps us engage in his story. Another style he uses is the short sentences, such as “I refused to fail. I was smart. I was arrogant. I was lucky.” These short statements make it easy to understand and also makes it seem as if he is speaking directly to the readers. Another style he uses is how he describes the Indian children. He knows they want to save their lives as he saved his own, and he relates his youthful arrogance to the children he talks to. Sherman creates a connection to the kids he is trying to save and himself which creates a feeling of understand in the readers. His essay, overall, is a call to appreciate education and take advantage of the opportunities we have.
You did a great job giving insight to his process of educating himself and expanding his knowledge, and clarified that he did it for others, rather than himself.
DeleteEducation is one of the greatest gifts we receive in life, but also one of the greatest gifts that we take for granted. As students at ECC we receive an excellent education. But as students we often complain about our school work and say how it’s seemingly pointless. Instead of saying “I get to this in school today, or I get to do that,” we say “I have to do this, or I have to do that.” People who do not ever receive an education would do anything to be able to come into our school and learn. They do not have books, or desks, or IPads. They have next to nothing, and how would we feel if we were in that place? Like Sherman, kids like this do the most with what they have, when we do the least. We often invest the minimal amount of time we have into learning. We often focus on the less important aspects of our lives instead of putting real effort into receiving knowledge from our school. We go through our everyday lives never looking at the big picture, our education is what is going to get us places in life. Without it, no one would be nearly as successful as they wish to be. Alexie never takes anything he gets for granted. He is so thankful for his ability to read and learn. He wants to help save his people, and make them believe that they can learn just as anyone else can. Alexie is the change this world needs, and his work is truly amazing. It seems as if Alexie is comparing himself to super man in his piece. He first starts reading with a Superman comic and then goes on to say “Im trying to save us.” Save could be understood as a hero trying to save his people. Also when Alexie says, “Our House was filled with book,” he is using a hyperbole to show how much opportunity he had to read and how much he enjoyed it. Alexie Sherman created a masterpiece in “Superman and Me.”
ReplyDeleteYou statement that education is one of the greatest yet most under appreciated gifts we receive in life is so true. Also I really liked the comparison you pointed out between Alexie and Superman, I never really thought of it that way.
DeleteYour discussion on education and how we need to appreciate it more is great. Also, great job pointing out the styles, and I liked how you related Superman to Sherman.
DeleteHow has life been going? It is a question everyone asks themselves at some point. Has life been satisfactory to the standards that have been set? Life and the quality of that life are dependent on perspective. For instance, one who grew up in a mansion being babied their entire life might think the prospect of living in a normal home to be a fate worse than death. However, a homeless man who has been living under a highway his entire life might think that same life to be heaven on earth. It is always a strange experience hearing what life is like from a different perspective.
ReplyDeleteNative American author Sherman Alexie sought to provide such a perspective in his account, “Superman and Me.” The essay focuses on his early life and his love of reading. He did not know how to read, so he taught himself. That very act of teaching oneself to read is something very few people have to do, and Alexie broached the subject as if it were perfectly normal in reservation life. With a few simple paragraphs, Alexie illustrates the differences between himself and most of the world. He had no early formal education. The kindergarten he attended was not helping him. He had already achieved greater heights than naming colors and connecting the dots. He taught himself what he needed and advanced. He fought for his education himself. Most of today’s normal students are complaining over the little things. One subject is too difficult, or they are not in the mood for studying. They were not in the position Alexie was. Alexie knows the value of education, he drilled it into his head as he wondered what Superman could be saying on the next page.
Alexie used the rhetorical devices to bring his essay to life. His metaphor with the fence illustrating how he breaks down a paragraph was particularly astonishing. The hyperbole he uses to describe his early life, with him guessing that Superman is saying, “I am breaking the door down.” In all likelihood, that is not what the passage said, but that goes to show the extent of Alexie’s education. He did not know what Superman was saying, and he only had his best guess to back him up. Alexi poured his heart and soul into education, and he received knowledge in return. Alexi’s life really shows that education produces exactly what one puts into it.
Your introduction is just amazing. Not many people think that way or point it out for others to see. I think your analysis is also great but you used the same device as Mrs. Messineo and I think you should have found another.
DeleteI agree with Kristen, your introdcution was great by bringing in the audience. Also, great job explaining how Sherman had nothing but did everything he could to get the best education, even if it meant doing it alone.
Delete