The Importance Of Literacy In Superman And Me

Remember when we used to sing the alphabet song, letters resonate in our ears for the entire day. With those letters, we learned how to express ourselves and understand the idea of someone without actually hearing from them in person. Today, I am able to write this essay because I valued my education since I started to sing that song. Literacy is the most powerful weapon for a human being because it allows us to see the world not just from our own perspective but also from other people’s as well. There are millions of people like me who are able to make a difference in their lives under the light of literacy. Some people like Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X, they didn’t just change their lives, they also influenced many other
people along themselves and enlighten these people to discover their potential like Douglass and Malcolm did. Douglass was a slave but his mind was wandering around the country, sharing the suffering of other fellow slaves with the books he reads. “The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my enslavers. “It had given me a view of my wretched condition without the remedy” (Douglass, 348). Knowing more about slavery was only hurting him, there were many other slaves that in a worse circumstance than his, which motivated him even more to educate himself. No matter what his condition was, he always found a way to improve his reading and writing whether inside of the house or out for running an errand. “This bread I used to bestow upon the hungry little urchins, who, in return would give me that more valuable bread of knowledge” (Douglass, 347). He was aware that knowledge is more important than the bread, considering bread is a basic need for people to survive, he understands you can’t survive without the knowledge. Douglass knew literacy was his one-way ticket to his freedom. “For the hope of being free, I have no doubt but that I should have killed my myself, or done something for which I should have been killed” (Douglass, 348). Reading was one of them, at that time, slaves weren’t allowed to read or write because people knew being able to read and write will make them smart and conscious. Literacy is so powerful that it has the potential to change people’s lives, even save them from being a slave. Similarly, in “Superman and Me” by Sherman Alexie, touches on the same particular concept with Frederick Douglass.
The importance of literacy is explained by Alexie through his Native American experiences. His father was the reason why he started on reading, his admiration of his father helped him to discover his future potential. As he read he realized that he was doing much better compare to his classmates in school. The joy of success, encouraged him to read more so that he can be freed from being “native American”. The stereotypes about natives were limiting and underestimating their potential, “We were Indian children who were expected to be stupid” (Alexie, 357). However, he refused to carry this identity, ignored the obstacles and focused on continuing what he was doing best. Because he had one of the strongest motivation to achieve his goal. “I loved books, but I also knew that love had only one purpose. I was trying to save my life” (Alexie, 357). Sherman didn’t have a choice, he had to read if he wanted to have good life standards. To make a difference in life, you need to think different and that was what he
did. Comparatively, these two narratives were written by people who know the possible positive changes can be created by literacy. Both Douglass and Alexie had a common motive to learn how to read and write also, they were seeking for the same goal throughout their stories; the hope of being free from their past. Books gave them the opportunity to find their purpose in this life and they decided to be the one that everybody admires. “Those who failed were ceremonially accepted by other Indians and appropriately pitied by non-Indians I refused to fail”(Alexie, 357). The society they lived in was never on their side, they always saw the empty part of the glass. Douglass and Alexie had every reason to give up if they listened what they have been told but, they stood up to all the difficulties they faced with and eventually, they found a way to take an advantage of the power of literacy and used to light up their future. From my side, it took me while to understand the importance of literacy until I know about people like Alexie and Douglass.
These type of writers always enlighten me, with their determination comes from their heart. Surely, there is something special and unique about their style which I always find admirable. My academic life was ordinary until I realized I deserve much better than my current position. That is why I decided to study abroad because now my expectations were higher from myself. When I mentioned first, everybody laughed at me, they didn’t believe I can be successful. I started to focus on my English, whenever I had the time I spend it for studying, I listened in English I spoke in English, in school people were ignoring me because they taught I was living in a dream. I knew my ticket to the USA was English, so I hold on to it and now today I am writing an essay in English in the United
States. Books change the way we approach events in our lives. They are like a 3D glasses, when you wear them you see the world more alive and meaningful. “As I see it today, the ability to read awoke inside me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive” (Malcolm X). As we read more we have a better understanding of analyzing our decisions we make. Unfortunately, we born as a different people, not everybody has the same conditions in this life but literacy is the way to ensure that equality we need to give ourselves a chance to make our dream come true. At the end of the day, it feels good to be more knowledgeable than yesterday. As long as we keep our passion for putting ourselves in a next level, we will learn something new every day. The importance of literacy is hard to explain, the best way to understand is being part of the awakening. As we read we will realize the difference both in mentally and verbally in ourselves.