For this assignment: Read Sherman Alexie’s “Superman and Me” on p.412-5 in Grassroots. Then answer the Discussion and Writing Questions on p.415:
- Why would a smart Indian be a “dangerous person, widely feared and ridiculed” (paragraph 6)? Why would non-Indians adopt this opinion? Why would Indian children adopt this self-defeating idea?
- What does the author mean when he writes in paragraph 7, “I was trying to save my life”? What point is he making about books and educating oneself?
- Based on Alexie’s story, what inner characteristics or outward support does a person need to break free of stereotypes and dead ends and forge a a path to success?
- In paragraph 3, the author uses the metaphor that “a paragraph was a fence that held words.” Does this metaphor help you understand what a paragraph does? How would you explain a paragraph?
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1. He was dangerous because he was a threat to their way if life. He was different and it could be seen as challenging the system if others followed suit and began to learn and read and be educated. There way of life would have to change. It was a threat to the customs and beliefs of their time and belief system.
Other non Indians could also see this as a threat because as long as the Indians were uneducated, the white people would not be challenged. Educated Indians would begin to question their treatment by the white people and figure out ways to have an upper hand. Thriving was not something white people would have taken to.
Other Indians children could have adopted this same idea because some may have felt inferior, scared, and because their own people, at the time, shared and promoted beliefs that were meant to keep their own people uneducated. So, there was no motivation or encouragement from either side to live in the white man’s world. Staying uneducated was another way to reject the white man’s world that they were forcing on them in ma y ways.
2. If he could read then he would learn how the world worked and how to maneuver it. He would learn better ways of doing things. Educated people have more options. They have more opportunities for better higher paying jobs. Being educated would allow him to build a life for himself free of poverty and small minded ideas that just create hardships and a cycle of defeat.
It was as if the more he read the further away he saw himself from drowning in that mindset amd life. It was like he was piling on life jackets for extra buoyancy. Maybe he thought the more the better to ensure his freedom from those stereotypes
3. Breaking free from stereotypes is not easy. In his case his father was intrumental in creating an environment of chnage for him. He has an active constant example lived before him daily and he had the inner desire to want that as well. The fact he fought opposition and yet kept the path, demo states just how effective the influence of his family and the books in his home played.
4. I actually felt this was perfect analogy. The word paragraph for children is a big word and may sound complicated however explained in this manner, children would be able to understand it well.
I have at times thought paragraphs ( and sentiences) as houses. Each home has a specific area and function. Certain attributes to be what they are and be complete.
1. Why would a smart Indian be a “dangerous person, widely feared and ridiculed” (paragraph 6)? Why would non-Indians adopt this opinion? Why would Indian children adopt this self-defeating idea?
He was considered a dangerous person because he was smart, ambitious, and wanted to learn more. Many felt threatened because he was trying to break the mold. He should be stupid and struggle in school; however, he was doing quiet the opposite. Those non-Indians that felt threatened by him, were merely scared that he might become smarter than they were. Those that were Indians felt threatened by his knowledge and his desire to learn more, because that was not the norm. They were not supposed to be capable of learning at that level.
2. What does the author mean when he writes in paragraph 7, “I was trying to save my life”? What point is he making about books and educating oneself?
“I was trying to save my life,” is a sentence he used to show just how important education was to him. He had a strong desire to be more than what the Indian culture wanted him to be. He used every opportunity to learn more. With his growing knowledge in every category from the books at the library to car manuals, he felt that the more he read the more it would help him to become a man not held down to cultural beliefs. He was going to do something with his life and reading would get him there.
3. Based on Alexie’s story, what inner characteristics or outward support does a person need to break free of stereotypes and dead ends and forge a path to success?
Alexie’s story is one of desire and determination. He wanted so bad to break free of the stereotypes that his culture had created. With the help of his father’s strong love of reading he created his own love for books. Thankful for his family support he had several opportunities to continue his love for reading. Alexie from the young age of 3 pretending to read comics never stopped trying. He continued with such perseverance and succeeded by becoming a writer.
4. In paragraph 3, the author uses the metaphor that “a paragraph was a fence that held words.” Does this metaphor help you understand what a paragraph does? How would you explain a paragraph?
“A paragraph is a fence,” this is such an accurate description. While I have never thought of it this way, this metaphor opened my eyes to a new way of thinking. A paragraph in my explanation would be a group of sentences that are all about one topic. However, thinking it as fence is more helpful for me as I am going to be teaching younger children. This description is one I will be carrying with me as I feel it is a perfect metaphor.
A smart Indian would be a dangerous person, widely feared and ridiculed because a smart Indian could learn about one’s own history and the things his ancestors had gone through. A smart Indian would be capable of educating not only himself, but other Indians. Non-Indians would adopt this because their outlook on Indians was that they are savage and if able to wield the power of knowledge, could threaten the comfortable society of those non-Indians. Indian children adopted this idea probably because of fear of consequences. Fear can drive whole populations to do unwise things are allow them to be subject to control and manipulation.
What the author meant when he said he was trying to save his life is that he was trying to build the foundation for himself that would enable him to not just succeed in a career but to ensure he would be able to exist in the society he is apart of. When someone is unable to read or kept from learning how to read, they are severely limited in what they can achieve, who they can interact with, how they are able to function in the world surrounding them. The social interaction with others suffers. Their ability to attain knowledge and learn about anything becomes blocked off. Someone who can’t read would not be able to grow in a modern society at all.
In order to break free, one must possess the characteristics of bravery and determination. They must possess hope and the desire to achieve greatness and to rise above others. They must have arrogant fueled determination. The “I will do this” attitude. They must also be given an opportunity by life. If he had never gotten that Superman Comic Book, life may have not given him another opportunity until maybe, maybe later down the road. By then, he may be too far behind to have achieved anything.
The metaphor for what a paragraph is does not help me understand. Perhaps if this were told to me when i was learning about paragraphs in elementary school, then yes. I would explain a paragraph as a containment of a particular topic that holds within it details and words that pertain to this topic. It is like a different setting when writing. Not drastically different, but different enough to be deserving of it’s own private borders that help focus in on what is being said.