Friday, January 31, 2014

"Superman and Me"

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.

46 comments:

  1. Sometimes the most interesting reading material is nonfiction. The majority of young adults often lean towards reading mostly fiction, and admittedly it is rare for them to even consider reading nonfiction. However, it cannot be denied that reading about someone's experiences is enjoyable. Sherman Alexie's "Superman and Me" is no exception.

    Reading "Superman and Me" gave me conflicting feelings. Of course, the tale of a young boy striving to succeed in and environment where he is nearly required to fail is thrilling, yet it really makes you think of the environment itself. Why did all of those children decide to amount to nothing? Because it was what their peers expected of them? It is somewhat horrific to consider children playing dumb in school when in reality they have so much potential. Alexie defied the norm and prepared an escape via the path of reading.

    Alexie stresses the importance reading played in his life throughout his short essay. His love for reading stemmed from his love for his father who loved books. In paragraph 7, Alexie uses repetition in a very effective way. Again and again he wrote "I read..." followed by all manners of reading materials. If it had words, he would read it. The repetition grabs the reader's attention, highlights the importance of the sentences, and sets the stage for the end of the paragraph.

    While his use of repetition was skillful, there was another interesting strategy that caught my eye. In paragraph 5, Alexie speaks of his younger self in third person. This gives the reader an idea of how he would have appeared to others. He continues to speak of how once the boy grew into a man he would speak of his past in third person "as if it will somehow dull the pain and make him sound more modest of his talents". He thus explains in a nutshell why he wrote in third person and makes the audience wonder about the trials he has gone through and the pain he has suffered.

    In some ways Alexie's story is not all that unique. There are many children who face troubles such as his. Many children are intelligent and simply do not have the chance to show it. But that is where Alexie differs. He was pushed down, but he got up again. Unlike the others he ignored what the hypocrites had to say. He persevered and made something of himself. Perhaps that is why Alexie's tale entrances us so. Because he was just a poor, overlooked boy who became a star.

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    1. This is a good blog Meaghan. It is always so brave of you to go first. In the case of this week, it was an advantage. The repetition in paragraph 7 is very purposeful, and I think you did a good job pointing that out. Your second example is a little less obvious, but excellent just the same. He was hard core smart, which is close to impossible to ignore.

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    2. Meaghan, this was an excellent response. I did not even realize you posted this until I submitted mine and refreshed the page. I thought I was going to be first for once! Haha!

      I, too, noticed how Sherman Alexie used repetition to his advantage. You pointed out how he stated, "I read..." followed by "I read.." over and over again. That stands out to me a lot more now that you pointed it out. I explained how he repeated,"I was smart. I was arrogant. I was lucky." So I guess all I can say is, "Wow! He uses repetition a lot and it worked for him!"

      I just went back and re-read paragraph five. It is very interesting to see him talk about himself in third-person and then explain why. Now I am curious to know what other pain he went through in order to reach success.

      After reading your post, I am left wondering how often I have given into peer pressure. For some reason, while reading your last paragraph, the Stations of the Cross appeared in my mind. Jesus fell down and was willing to get back up again. At Saint Boniface, Father Kuzilla always talked to me about perseverance. Sherman Alexie's story was inspiring, just like you stated, because of his characteristics. I give him credit for acknowledging his potential rather settling for average.

      Nice work, as always, Meaghan!

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    3. Meaghan, I agree with Mrs. Messineo and Sam, you always do an excellent job going first even though I was going to try this week. By the time I finished my blog you and Sam already were finished! Anyways, nice job picking out the rhetorical devices. I also found repetition but in different examples. You did a nice job explaining both of your devices. Nice work!

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    4. Meaghan, I thouht it was interesting how you brought up the environment that the American Indian children were brought up in. You are right, it was like no one expected anyhting of them, so why should they try in school even if they are smart? I feel like that environment has caused many of them to not succeed in life because they never had the confidence to try.
      Also, I too applaud you on always being the brave one and responding first on the blog!

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  2. "Superman and Me" by Sherman Alexie was a very inspiring story. He was a young Indian child living on a reservation; however, he recognized that he was an intelligent person. Others around him tried to quiet him because Indian children were supposed to be dumb. Sherman Alexie wanted more out of life than to just be able to memorize "a few dozen powwow songs." He was fortunate to have a father who was an avid reader. Alexie often states, "I was lucky" because his father was the one who ignited his interests in reading. Eventually, Sherman Alexie became a successful writer because he pushed through the boundaries created from stereotypes and recognized something about himself: "I refused to fail. I was smart."

    Sherman Alexie used many rhetorical devices throughout his essay. For example, he starts off his essay by establishing the fact that he learned to read with a Superman comic. Superman used his strength to knock down a brown door, and Alexie would say, "Superman is breaking down the door." He uses this as an analogy of the doors that Indian children often set up around their minds. These mental doors block the young Indians from becoming smart because they were "expected to be stupid." They refuse to answer the teacher's questions or volunteer as helpers. As Sherman Alexie got older, he took matters into his own hands. Near the end of his essay, he states, "I throw my weight against their locked doors."

    Another rhetorical device used by Sherman Alexie was repetition. He constantly states, "I am smart. I am arrogant. I am lucky." Alexie stressed the idea that he was not going to settle for the average way of the Spokane Indians. He uses these statements to make his point clear, "I was trying to save my life." Years later, when he visits Indian schools, he states, "I am trying to save our lives." He tied his entire essay together by creating a parallel between his youth and the future of the Indian reservation. He explains how he became successful from learning how to read and write, now he wants others to follow in his footsteps. These rhetorical devices are the reason "Superman and Me" was such a remarkable and influential essay to read.

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    1. Great examples of rhetorical devices! The visual of "the door" serves as an analogy that frames the essay. And his repetitions in "I am" statements serve as self affirmations reminding the reader of how difficult it must have been to remain self motivated throughout his life. Nice work.

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    2. Sam, great job finding rhetorical devices. I too saw his repetition. He used repetition a lot throughout his story, but it was always done really well. I didn't notice your first rhetorical device with "the door" but you explained it really well. So nice job! Overall, you did a really good job with this blog. Nice work!

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    3. Sam, I did not notice the first rhetorical device you mentioned, which made your blog all the more interesting. I thought you explained both of your rhetorical devices very well. I always enjoy reading your blogs and getting a different opinion on what we've read. Keep up the good work!

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  3. "Superman and Me" was a very cute little story written by Sherman Alexie. I thought Sherman did an excellent job in telling the story of how he began reading and learning. It most have been a difficult time back then for Indian children, but he learned how to read and write an extraordinary ways. The Native Americans were suppose to be unintelligent and rather dumb. Alexie was different. He knew he was smart and wanted to be able to gain knowledge no matter what.

    Sherman Alexie used many different rhetorical devices throughout his story. The number one device that caught my attention was repetition. Throughout the whole story he used repetition, but the major one I discovered was in paragraph three. He used "the purpose of a paragraph" and repeatedly used the word "paragraph" almost as a metaphor to describe several different people and things in his life. He said a paragraph was a " fence to hold words." The way he used the word paragraph really drove his point home. This was how he related everything to being a paragraph and really showed it by using such repetition.

    I also thought that Sherman Alexie used many anecdotes throughout his story. The whole article was basically one big anecdote, but I thought it was a good device to use. He allowed the audience to understand the life he was going through. Throughout the big anecdote he told other little stories. Each one of these anecdotes were able to give the readers a point of view from his perspective. This was a great way for Alexie to use pathos in his argument. He wanted the audience to feel for what he was going through and he did so with his anecdotes.

    I really enjoyed Sherman Alexie's "Superman and Me" story. I found it interesting to see how he was brought up to be a very intelligent boy. I also thought Alexie did a very good job of using rhetorical devices throughout his story to appeal to many viewers.




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    1. Jolene, I also enjoyed how he got his points across by using anecdotes. I agree using pathos helped the audience to understand his constant struggles; after all, he had to always remind himself that he was smart in order to push through the pain.

      I agree that Sherman Alexie did an excellent job of skillfully executing repetition throughout his entire essay. It made his points stronger and he was able to stress all of his ideas over and over again. In the long run, I think his essay can relate to all of us. We cannot fall into peer pressure or act according to stereotypes. The pain and suffering endured throughout the journey will be worth it when we reach our fullest potential. I agree with you that Sherman Alexie is an excellent writer, and he reached that point by doing what was unexpected.

      Nice job, Jolene!

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    2. Jolene, I loved what you said about Alexie's use of anecdotes. The entire thing is an anecdote, but just like you said the multitude of side stories within the essay paint a picture of Alexie's past experiences in the reader's mind. Fantastic work!

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    3. Jolene, I really liked how you pointed out his use of anecdotes. It was so obvious, I didn't even see it. I also thought that was a very good way for him to allow his readers to experience his childhood. Nice thinking!

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    4. Jolene, like the others I am impressed with your rhetoric device of anecdote, it was so bunt that I did not even acknowledge it. Great job!

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  4. I throughly enjoyed reading this story. I always like stories about the underdog. In this story, Sherman Alexie was the underdog, because he was an Indian boy. Therefore no one expected or enjoyed his success. Even though it would have been so much easier to give up and fall into the stereotype that he was labeled as, he pushed through and became a writer. This is truly an inspiring little story.

    I really enjoyed the fact that his father was his inspiration to want to read and love books. This shows how much of an effect parents have on their children. Parents that set a good example, like Sherman Alexie's father, often find that their influence greatly impacts their children's life.

    During "Superman and me" Sherman Alexie uses rhetorical devices to better convey his story. Yes, he used repetition, but it is not only that it is Anaphora, because he repeats "I read..." to make his point. He also uses hyperbole when he said "if he'd been anything but an Indian boy living on the reservation, he might have been called a prodigy." He is exaggerating his point because he would not really have been a prodigy.

    This passage is both entertaining and teaches a very good lesson. As long as you are able to believe in yourself, you can beat the odds. Sherman Alexie teaches this lesson very well through his personal story.

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    1. Erin, great analysis of the article. I like how you were able to take the repetition a step farther and turn it into anaphora. That was also a good spot of hyperbole. It wasn't something I'd originally seen. Great work!

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    2. Erin, I like that you pointed out that this article teaches a good lesson, it truly does. Also, I did pick up on the repition while reading it, but did not make a connection to an anaphora.... great analyzing!

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    3. Erin, I always love your analyses of the stories we have to read, you have a very unique perspective. Your two rhetoric devices are spot on, great job!

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    4. Erin, I liked how you mentioned that he used not just repetition but how it was also and anaphora. It really helped to put things into perspective. Good work!

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    5. Yipppeeeee! Someone got the anaphora!

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  5. Reading "Superman and Me" gave me the same feeling as when I read "Gifted Hands." It made me hungry. Ben Carson made me long for knowledge, but Sherman Alexie made me yearn to read something, anything. It's because of the way he wrote, using rhetorical devices to portray his love for reading and how determined he was to read no matter what. But his essay hurt me, too. Because of all the technology these days I would never say that it's 'cool' to read. However, for Alexie, it seemed to be a downright offense that he was even capable of reading. The thought of a group of people being discouraged from reading terrifies me since I think that reading is the most wonderful thing in the world.

    Alexie could have written this essay a lot of different ways, but his rhetorical devices made it stand out to me. One of the most interesting parts was how he referred to the 'Indian world' and the 'non-Indian world' in paragraph six. Obviously, there's only one world, but in doing this Alexie managed to capture the extreme difference between the way Indians were treated and how they reacted in front of different types of people. Even though he gave clear examples of his lifestyle, the different world really says it all.

    Even though Alexie used quite a bit of repetition, his reuse of a few certain lines from the beginning and end of paragraph seven drew a connection between him and the next generation of Indian children. These lines, found at the end of paragraph eight, are as follows "I am smart. I am arrogant. I am lucky. I am trying to save our lives." The slight change from "my life" in paragraph seven to "our lives" speaks of his mission to offer these children what he did not have, encouragement from a source outside of his family.

    I applaud Sherman Alexie. I think we all know how it feels to be shot down by societies standards, to think that we can't do something just because other people don't. Alexis's point was that there are no boundaries. We should not let ourselves be restrained by race, gender, social class, or peer pressure. We should be as smart as we can be. We should be arrogant as long as it's necessary. And we should try to remember how lucky we are to be who we are no matter what anyone says.

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    1. Ann, you had some great thoughts about this article that really evoked my thoughts. I liked how you related the way he was treated for being able to read and how people treat reading now. Also, your rhetorical devices were great observations. Wonderful work, Ann!

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    2. Ann, I liked how you pointed out the different worlds Sherman said he lived in. The way Sherman contrasted the "Indian world" and the "non-Indian world" made one think about how different and shunning our society can be. It also put things in perspective, making one think about how hard it must have been on him. I also love how you related the "I am smart. I am arrogant. I am lucky." quote into your last paragraph.

      Nice job Ann!

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    3. Ann, I didn't even catch the rhetorical device with the two worlds. Also, I thought it was great that you related your reactions to this essay to Gifted Hands. Good work!

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  6. "The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me" is a very interesting article written by Sherman Alexie. He discusses his development as a child on an Indian Reservoir, and what it was like for a child who wanted to succeed in the non-Indian world. It was very intriguing when Alexie mentioned that his fellow classmates would hide their intelligence from their teachers, so as to fit into the mold that was created for them. These children would much rather be accepted by their own families and communities than the outsiders who came to teach them. But Alexie breaks this pattern and is determined to succeed and escape from that world. Through his father's love for books, he began to do just that.

    Because his father had such a love for reading, his love transferred onto his son. Especially since he was a good father it seems, his son wanted to be just like him and quickly began to learn to read. He taught himself to read, and he began to discover the rules of grammar and literature. He learns of paragraphs first, making them into fences which he begins to compartmentalize his life into. Each family member and other things each have their own paragraph in his novel or life. But, he faced adversity when his classmates put him down for reading and working hard in school, as it was not what was the normal behavior in their area. Though, if he had not worked so hard to teach himself to read, he might have easily followed their path of complacency. Through his father's love for books, he was drawn to books, and they became his closest companions taking him on adventure after adventure.

    And because of his desire to read and read and read, he is finally able to become an Indian novelist and poet. He then returns and tries to rescue the other children from the lives they have been handed by teaching them about novels and poetry. He believes that through this, he will be able to help these children become their own personal Supermans, busting through the door that had been closed on them for so long.

    As with any good writer, Sherman Alexie utilizes many rhetorical devices in his article. Repetition, anecdotes, and anaphora are a few examples. But one of my favorites that he used was induction. He mentions that all of the children in his class teased him for answering questions. All of them refused to do the latter themselves, or try any way in school. They would all choose instead to fail in the non-Indian's eyes and succeed in their own community's. He makes this generalized claim through these sentences, making it seem as though no one but him did these things to surpass expectations.

    And, another rhetorical device that he uses is a series of questions that are specifically for drawing thought. He asks three questions in a row of the whereabouts of the traveling teachers and their actual existence. He makes you wonder if there had ever been any that came to his school, and if he had been so caught up in reading and learning that he never noticed the different faces that came and went.

    Sherman Alexie did a magnificent job with this article and I believed I learned something from it. You can save yourself from something, but if you have the ability, you should always return and try to rescue others from the same fate.

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    1. Han, I was really interested by the thoughts you had about "Superman and Me". I completely agree with the fact that a parent can influence a child so much. What I really enjoyed was how you pointed out the use of induction. It's neat how we each took a different lesson from this very short story. Great job!

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  7. Reading "Superman and Me" was a life changing experience. It made me realize how lucky I am to have such great educational opportunities that will help me succeed later in life. The story was also very inspiring.

    Sherman Alexie realized at a young age that God gave him a wonderful gift and that the power of his brain. He had a sharp and bright mind, and he knew he wanted to go far in life. He knew that he did not want to be stuck on the Indian reservation his whole life, barely making by. However, it was a struggle because it always seemed that American Indians were destined to fail. Against all odds, he became a great writer and and is inspiring the next generation of American Indians to make something our of their life. He credits much of his success to books. He loved to read anything he could get his eyes on.

    Sherman also used many rhetorical devices to really drive home his story and purpose. For example, he uses pathos quite often to get the reader's emotions and make them feel for what he went through growing up on the American Indian Reservation. He said, "I read with equal parts joy and desperation. I loved those books, but I also knew that love only had one purpose. I was trying to save my life."

    Another rhetorical device used was the idea of symbolism. He used symbols to compare and contrast things in his life. For example he said he saw his life as a big essay filled with many paragraphs. His family was one big paragraph, but each member also had a smaller paragraph as well. By Sherman describing this to the reader, it allows us to create a mental picture of how he thought and classified his life.

    Overall, I really enjoyed reading "Superman and Me" by Sherman Alexie. It is another great example of how someone that came from a lower class can work their way up the ladder with hard work and perseverance. America is a land of opportunity and prosperity and I think Sherman Alexie is a prime example of that.

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    1. You're second line is perfect, we are so lucky! And I never even thought of pathos, I used that same line for a different example. I also loved how you mentioned God giving him his talent because he has used it to inspire people and that could've been the plan for him all along. Excellent job!

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    2. Tori, I really liked both your examples of rhetorical devices. I, like Ann, did not even think about pointing out the extreme pathos that Sherman used in his essay. His language was very passionate, and you could tell that he really wanted people to know about his story. I also liked how you pointed out the symbolism he used. The use of paragraphs as symbols for his family and each member of his family helped me understand how important reading became for Sherman. I also agree that "Superman and Me" was very uplifting. It is nice to hear about people who make it out of a tough situations and become really successful.

      Nice job Tori!

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    3. Tori, I thought that your example of rhetorical devices were really good. I did not realize it at first, but Alexie does used a lot of pathos during his essay to move the readers emotionally. I also liked your example of symbolism. He truly simplified his life by breaking it into separate pieces. Good job!

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  9. "Superman and Me", by Sherman Alexie, made me realize how important reading skills are to youth. As a young boy living on an Indian reservation, Alexie was expected to fail at the things non-Indians were good at. Despite these expectations, Alexie was driven by his father's love for books to create his own passion for reading. Soon, Alexie was reading anything he could get his hands on. I believe that is very inspirational: he wanted to expand his knowledge and love for something most of his people thought to be ridiculous, and he never gave up. I think this is why he considered himself lucky growing up. I also think it was important that his father shared the same passion, and he didn't try to stop Alexie from furthering his education.

    Alexie used several rhetorical devices throughout "Superman and Me". One that really popped out to me was his ethos. He did a great job at describing what all of his reading did for him, and that made it easier to feel impacted by the story. Also, Alexie portrayed ethos when he discussed how the Indians were suppose to act during school. It was sort of heartwarming to read that he was going against what his people considered normal and acceptable to follow what he thought was right.

    Alexie also used the rhetorical strategy of a hyperbole when he talked about the books his father had in the house. For example, he wrote, “Our house was filled with books. They were stacked in crazy piles in the bathroom, bedrooms, and living room." The way he expressed the exaggerated amount of books spread throughout the house clarifies how much he was able to read while growing up. It was obvious that books were a major factor in his life.

    Overall, I was deeply impressed by Alexie's essay. It helped me realize that I am lucky to have the opportunities and advantages that I have. I also thought it was cool that Alexie portrayed himself as the Superman from the comic book in his last sentence: he's breaking down the doors of stubborn, Indian students.

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    1. Natalie, I really liked how you talked about ethos. I think because we spent so much time learning them, and now "own" them, we don't necessarily think about ethos, logos, and pathos as being rhetorical devices. Good work!

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  12. Everyone has a role model, for some it may be a beloved actor or athlete, and for others a family member they look up to. Sherman Alexie's role model turned out to be someone in a position of great importance in his life, his father. The greatest aspect of his father that inspired Alexie was his father's love for books and reading. From a young age, Alexie looked at comic books and made up his own story to go along with the picture, from there on he was hooked. It was not until much later that he understood the importance books would have on his life. In school, he realized the knowledge he gained from books was powerful, that he would use it to better himself as an individual, and not become another typical Native American student. Because of this he changed his life for the better.

    In the short story, Alexis uses many different rhetoric devices to develop his story, one such device is ethos. He first gains the favor of the audience by opening with the background of his life and family being poor on the reservation. This gives the reader background into the fact Alexie did have a rough life growing up and he truly knew what it would have been like to purposely fail. He was given the choice like many Native Americans before and after him and like very few he chose to take the hard path and fight for his education because of his love for books.

    A second device is parallelism, an example of this is extended throughout the story. It begins when Alexie first talked about Superman in his comic book breaking down the door in attempts to save someone. As a young child, Alexie read that panel as "I am breaking down the door" at that point in the story the reader believes he is talking only as Superman but later realizes the passage also refers to Alexie as an adult. As a teacher, Alexie is troubled with getting some students to open up and learn that they are worthy of an education. As he puts it in the end of the story "I throw my weight against their locked doors. The door holds." Alexie is trying to be Superman, trying to save his students from a life of believing they are not worthy, he is trying to save their intelligence before it is too late and they give up on it. Alexie is a real-life superhero trying to save Native American children from a life of believing they are the lowest ranked, just as the title says both Superman and Alexie are trying to save lives.

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    1. Erin, I also recognized his use of ethos. Great minds think alike! Also, I was really impressed that you talked about parallelism. I hadn't even thought about that. Nice work!

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  13. “Superman and Me” was an interesting read. It was very uplifting. It told about a little Indian boy named Sherman Alexie who found a passion for reading. But the essay was more than just a story about an inspiring kid who makes it through some tough times and becomes successful. The story had a message. A message that speaks volume about the power of reading. Books and reading took Sherman out of a tough life, and elevated him into writing success. The story does not even stop there however. It tells about how Sherman went back to his roots, and about how he strived to teach other Indian children about poetry, writing, and reading.

    Alexie uses an interesting rhetorical device at the end of his first paragraph. The line I am referring to reads, “We lived on a combination of irregular paychecks, hope, fear and government surplus food.” The sentence is a rhetorical device called a zeugma. A zeugma, by definition, means a word that applies to two or more words in different senses. Alexie said he “lived on irregular paychecks, hope, fear, and government surplus food.” The phrase “lived on” has different meaning when applied to “paychecks and food” and “hope and fear”. In other words, his family lived off the paychecks and food, but necessarily did not live off of fear and hope. They probably lived in fear, and lived to hope. Alexie also uses the zeugma to create an emotional connection with the audience.

    Alexie also uses abstract diction and language to draw together a common point. In paragraph four, Alexie talks about “breaking down the door”. He tells a little story about how he would read the words “I am breaking down the door” aloud, just like Superman would. In the very last paragraph, Alexie hints back to “breaking down the door”. He talks about his experience teaching other Indian children and how he “threw his weight at their locked doors”. In a way, Alexie was like Superman, “breaking down the door” to get at the children’s mind and strike their heart.

    Alexie also uses a hyperbole in his essay when he says, “Our house was filled with books. They were stacked in crazy piles in the bathroom, bedrooms and living room.” Alexie’s house was not actually “filled with books”, but through this exaggeration, it paints a picture in the mind of the reader about how big of an influence reading had on his life. Exaggeration really helps make things clear.

    I think something that stuck with me the most about this story was Sherman’s love for his dad and the influence he had on him. He says, “My father loved books, and since I loved my father with an aching devotion, I decided to love books as well.” I, like Sherman, am extremely influenced by my dad. I highly value his opinion and I always look to make him proud. It was really nice to see that Sherman shared the same passion.

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    1. Ian, I also noticed that exact same hyperbole and was going to use it, but you beat me to it! I liked how you talked about it painting a picture of just how many books there really was in their house. I also greatly enjoyed the relation you made between the father and son in the story to your own personal relationship with your dad. Great work!

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    2. Ian, I truly enjoyed reading your blog. Your example of the hyperbole when he explained about how many books were in his house was really good! I also thought that your first rhetorical device was unique. This was the first time that I have ever heard of a zeugma. Finally, I liked how you explained your relationship with your dad. I also seem to be influenced by my dad! Great work!

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  14. I’m not a very big fan of nonfiction, but many teenagers and young adults are not either. However, I find some accounts of nonfiction rather enjoyable to read. I particularly like reading stories about the underdog For example, “Gifted Hands” is, at this current moment, one of my favorite books because Ben Carson went against the bad odds and became very, very successful.
    While reading “Superman and Me” I took a lot of pleasure in Sherman Alexie’s love and devotion for my father. I know that ethos, logos and pathos, are almost one of the most basic rhetorical devices, but Alexie uses them throughout the tale. He used pathos the most. There was something about the entire story that pulled at my heart the entire time I was reading.
    The second rhetorical device that struck me was the comparison of Alexie himself to Superman. He wrote about how Superman was a normal person by day that did chores and worked an average job, but became a hero by night. This is an example of an analogy. I believe that he compared himself to superman because of that first comic book that he read.
    “Superman and Me” was a very exciting story where the underdog, Sherman Alexie, came out on top feeling like Superman. There were other rhetorical devices used throughout the story that I did not mention such as repetition and hyperboles. This narrative made me realize that just maybe nonfiction is not so bad after all.

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    1. Jessica, your blog was very interesting to read. In the end it was cool how you explained how the narrative made you think nonfiction isn't so bad after all. Good work.

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  15. Sherman Alexie grew up in a rather difficult situation. He was an intelligent kid that lived on an Indian reservation. His family did not have much money, but his parents found a way to somehow get a minimum-wage job. Alexie had many siblings which made life even more of a challenge with the financial situation that they had to work with. It is remarkable the courage that Alexie displays when other Indian children become shy when there is a non-Indian teacher or adult. They tell Alexie to not speak, but he usually does not listen because he realizes that he is smart, lucky, and confident in himself. He credits the majority of his knowledge to his father who made sure that books would be involved in his life. Sherman Alexie’s father was in love with reading books, and he liked his father so he figured that he would also become very interested in books. Alexie set the standards for other Indians, and tried to demonstrate that while being an Indian if you wanted to be successful, you would have to overcome adversity.

    He uses multiple rhetorical devices throughout the entire essay. One of the rhetorical devices that I quickly noticed was repetition. He starts about six sentences in a row with “I read..” Alexie made it very clear that he spent almost all of his time reading because he knew that in the end it would make him a more intelligent person. He also realized that without the ability to read, he would be nowhere near the person that he is today.

    Another rhetorical device that Alexie implemented into his essay was an anaphora. An anaphora is when the same word or phrase is used to start a few sentences in a row. Alexie repeats the same couple sentences in the essay multiple times. “I refuse to fail. I was smart. I was arrogant. I was lucky.” Alexie starts of each sentence with “I was..” These few sentences were like his motto during his life.

    Alexie displayed how reading was so crucial to the success that he has had. He used the rhetorical device ethos by doing this. Ethos is when something that the author uses in their essay has a great deal of credibility. Reading provided credibility for Alexie. Whenever he had free time or was having a difficult time, he would always go read something. I feel that the reasoning for this was that, although Alexie began to read at a young age, each and every time it would help him stay focused and ambitious.

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    1. Drew, your entire blog was very good. You were extremely right about all your rhetorical strategies and about Alexie's life. Great work.

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  16. When I read the essay "Superman and Me" it became clear to me that it was hard for Sherman Alexie to become smart and to enjoy himself under his circumstances of living. Many children living under this circumstances never are able to find success. Alexie was the exception for the many who never amounted to anything. Alexie had to work extremely hard to prove he was smart. In following in his fathers shoes by reading and studying he became the successful person he is today.

    One of the rhetorical devices used in the essay is commonplace. A commonplace is any statement or bit of knowledge that is commonly shared among a given audience or a community. Commonplace is I believe commonplace is used when Sherman Alexie talks about how all the Indian children were okay with not ever really becoming big success. The Indian community all shared this idea of somewhat hopelessness, which is why it is an example of commonplace.

    Another rhetorical device that was used is invective. Invective is denunciatory or abusive language; discourse that casts blame on somebody or something. I believe invective is used when he accuses the Indian of people of being somewhat lazy and does not really care if they get any smarter. The Indian community is somewhat ridiculed by Alexie and that is why I believe that invective is used.

    Sherman Alexie's story is truly amazing. It is astounding that he would be able to overcome poor circumstances and find a way out of a troublesome place. It really drives the point to me that with a good family anything can happen.

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  17. Good tips for application essay. However, proofreading your essay is an important activity to make your essay great! Check this site out. DigitalEssay.net You write it, we right it!

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