In the essay entitled "Superman and Me", Sherman Alexie describes his difficulty but eventual success in learning to read at a young age with the limited resources in the Indian reservation he grew up on, compared to the privileges white children had in terms of education. Alexie recognized at a young age the stereotype of Indian children expected to fail in a non-Indian world that is both reinforced by society and its educational preference towards non-minority groups, as well as among the Indian community and children. Despite of this stereotype, Alexie was motivated to become a self-taught child and learn how to read and write not only for the love of it, but for the desperation to have the opportunities for success that minorities don't have. When Alexie grows up to become a successful writer, he goes back to the Indian reservation to instill the same motivation to become educated in those kids to be able to pull themselves out of the cycle of poverty and lack of opportunity available.
Sherman Alexie at the Texas Book Festival, Austin,...
English: American author, poet and filmmaker Sherm...
Sherman AlexieAlexie tries to show the audience of how cyclical and oppressing it can be to grow up as a minority that provides no opportunity for growth or success from the outer world as well as within the community, but how it is possible to break away from the cycle as he did and better yourself through achieving an education.
The strongest piece of evidence Alexie uses to achieve his point is his account of his own experience growing up on a reservation. The authentic fact that Alexie was able to break free from the restrictions of his educational system and went on to become a successful writer strengthens his argument that it is possible to become self-educated and become stronger than the system you were born into. The power and...