Superman Saved my Life

Superman Saved my Life
The best feeling in the world is overcoming an obstacle, especially one when people say it can’t be done. Sherman Alexie talks about this in his writing “Superman and me,” where he tells us his life story about how he started out as a poor Indian boy living on a reservation and overcame many racial barriers to become a writer. Alexie uses rhetorical strategies such as ethos and pathos to pull the reader in and make them understand his life story. He also uses writing strategies like repetition and syntaxes to really make the reader latch onto what he is talking about.

“A little Indian boy teaches himself to read at an early age and advances quickly, if he’d been anything but an Indian boy living on the reservation, he might have been called a prodigy” Alexie states. He is using pathos and talking about how unusual it was that he was more accomplished than any of the kids his age. He tells us that he fought with his classmates on a regular basis because it was unexpected for an Indian boy to become successful and well-educated. Alexie says “those who failed were ceremonially accepted by other Indians and appropriately pitied by non-Indians.” He uses ethos and gives us proof that no one will be upset if he doesn’t succeed, but the fact that he might succeed causes arousal. Alexie gains our trust by establishing himself as not only struggling in his childhood but also as a writer and novelist.

Alexies predominant audience for “Superman and me” is Indian children living on reservations. He wants to speak to them and tell them that they too can make something of themselves. He repeats many times the words “I am smart. I am arrogant. I am lucky. I am trying to save our lives.” He repeats this so that it sticks in their heads and that they remember they can be whoever they want to be, not what anyone or any stereotype tells them they have to be. They should strive to learn now in their lives when they can so they can leave their reservations and make jobs and lives for themselves. Alexie had motivation which got him out of his reservation and he is trying to give to the kids so they can do the same.

Alexie uses certain syntax in his writing. He uses a lot of short sentences followed by long sentences so that you get the idea about what he is talking about in the short sentence and then get all of the details in the long one. He gives his readers a short rhythm to follow when they are reading his work.

The main idea of Alexie’s work was to show how hard work and determination can save lives. People can do simple things like reading and that will save their lives. It doesn’t matter if you are poor or rich, dumb or smart, Indian or not you can do anything you want with your life. He speaks to his readers using ethos and pathos, repetition and syntax. He makes it easy for his readers to read and understand and it really makes them take it to heart and understand that they are more than just children living on a reservation.