Super Man and Me

Superman and Me is an essay written by Sherman Alexie about his journey to becoming a writer. Because he is a Native American and was born on a Reservation with 3 siblings and was basically poor by our Americas standard, he wasn’t expected to contribute to society in any way or at all. By using rhetoric, Sherman Alexie argues that by basically reading or making an effort to learn more he will be a role model for those who do live in reservations to want more out of life and to break out of the stereotypes. After reading the essay I think Alexie used a lot of pathos to draw the reader’s attention for example he says “A little Indian boy teaches himself to read at an early age and advances quickly. He reads Grapes of Wrath in kindergarten when other children are struggling through Dick and Jane. If he’d been anything but an Indian boy living on the reservation, he might have been called a prodigy” (Alexie, 1997). By telling us about this moment in his life he want us the reader to understand that a Native American is not suppose to be an successful or educated individual it is not “the norm” and these are some of the challenges he faced as a Native American. Alexie did not use to much of Logos I assume it is because to convey his emotions to the reader and I had to re-read this essay a number of times to figure out where he might of used logos because I had a hard time telling how to spot it, I understand its logic and to me the whole essay is logical but I am thinking it has to deal more with a sort of… “Call to action” type of logic like did Alexie’s hard work and perseverance influence others in his situation to want more or do more or follow in his footsteps. “I visit schools as often as possible. The Indian kids crowd the classroom. Many are writing their own poems, short stories, and novels. They have read my books. They have read many other books. They look at me with bright eyes and arrogant wonder. They are trying to save their lives. Then there are

References: Alexie, S. (1997). Superman & Me. In Schakel, P. & Ridl, J. (2008). Approaching Literature, (2nd ed.) (pp. 4-6). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s