What is Superman and me by Sherman Alexie about?

Category: books and literature young adult literature
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Sherman Alexie tells a story about growing up as an Indian, learning to read at a young age, finding fascination in everything he read, becoming a writer, and teaching his experiences to help young Native Americans. Alexie describes how society held a stereotype that Native Americans are stupid.



Correspondingly, what is the purpose of Superman and me by Sherman Alexie?

The major argument Sherman Alexie makes throughout "Superman and Me" is that he believes that Indian student's lives can be saved by learning how to read and write. The purpose of this personal essay is to express the impact of reading in Alexie's life.

Likewise, does Alexie need to read why Superman and me? Alexie emphasizes books because reading is what set him ahead of all his Indian classmates and advanced his ability to excel in life. As a man Alexie has written many popular books and poems. Throught Alexie's Superman and Me he is continually reminding the reader how important reading is.

Also question is, what is the thesis of Superman and me?

In Sherman Alexie's article Superman and Me , the author conveys a message that he wants the Indian children to understand and advert the importance of education can make a big difference in life. Alexie uses an indirect thesis statement in his essay “I am smart. I am arrogant. I am lucky.

When was Sherman Alexie Superman and me published?

List of short stories

Title Year Notes
Superman and Me 1997
What You Pawn I Will Redeem 2003
The Human Comedy 2010 A six-word story.
Idolatry 2011

13 Related Question Answers Found

What Alexie worth?

What is Alexie's purpose in writing the text? Alexie values education and supporting others in fighting against low expectations. The reader knows this because it is part of the central idea that Alexie develops in the text.

What is the main idea of Superman and me?

Main Idea. by being a prosperous, reservation born, Indian. Instead of being weak and caving to peer pressure by acting 'stupid' in school, Alexie defies the standard by reading high grade level books and even spending recess studying. Another main aspect of the piece is the importance of family in the reading process.

What You Pawn I Will Redeem?

"What You Pawn I Will Redeem" is the story of a financially strapped Spokane Indian man faced with the task of coming up with nearly one thousand dollars in twenty-four hours in order to reclaim his grandmother's stolen powwow attire from a pawnshop.

Who is the audience in Superman and me?

Alexie's “Superman and Me” is intended for that same audience: the kids, on Indian Reservations, that are struggling in school and life in general and think all hope is lost.

What is the tone of Superman and me?


The tone is reminiscent in a way at first when he is recalling his memories of his first book. Then it changes to determined to change the ways of the new generation who is not into reading as much as he was.

What does Alexie mean when he writes a smart Indian is a dangerous person?

A smart Indian is a dangerous person, widely feared and ridiculed by Indians and non-Indians alike. I fought with my classmates on a daily basis. They wanted me to stay quiet when the non-Indian teacher asked for answers, for volunteers, for help. We were Indian children who were expected to be stupid.

What is the effect of Alexie's analogy of a paragraph to a fence?

He's making a similarity between a fence and a paragraph to show that both "work together to form a common purpose." The effect for Alexie's analogy is that it helped him mature way before his time and that when he was in "kindergarten other children were struggling through Dick and Jane", while he was reading Grapes

What is Superman doing in the comic book panel Alexie remembers why is it important to remember this detail at the very end of the essay?

In the comic book panel Alexie remembers, Superman is breaking down a door that shatters into many pieces. This is very important to remember at the end of the essay because it symbolizes Sherman Alexie trying to break down the doors of the students he speaks to.

How do you cite Superman and me?

Alexie, Sherman. "Superman and Me." [Los Angeles Times 19 Apr. 1998.] The McGraw-Hill Reader: Issues across the Disciplines.