In “Superman and Me” author Sherman Alexie, a Native American writer who grew up in a poor complacent reservation, used the superhero’s comic book as a tool to veer away from the futures of those around him. Superman’s comic book inspired Sherman to be different from the racist nature of his reservation. Now, he is a writer who enjoys getting his fellow Indians to engage in creative thinking and reading and “breaking down doors” for opportunities.

Growing up in Port Huron, Michigan, Terry McMillan was fed up with being a poor kid who was treated like a slave by her mother. However, after watching “The Oz, Terry learned that the only way to change her life was to take action. Now, even 30 years later, Terry still thinks of a better view in all situations, and aims towards that goal, just like the movie taught her.

One important similarity between the two authors was the delivery. Both authors began his and her respective essays with remembering where he and she grew up and how a poor and underachieving childhood prompted change in his and her lives. Moreover, the art forms used in both essays werethe gateway to bringing about this change. One important contrast between both essays is that Alexie’s thesis was more specific, crediting Superman’s comic book as the reason he can read and uses creative thinking. In contrast, McMillan’s thesis is more broad, saying that “The Oz” showed her a way to think about anything, not just reading.