In “Superman and me”, author Sherman Alexie an Indian boy who learned how to read from a Superman Comics Illustrations at the young ago of 3 years old, he is from a very poor background, and lived on a reservation surrounded by his race; Indians. In this essay, He talks about the struggles of being a “smart” Indian and through the influence of the Superman comic he read as a child, Sherman Alexie being the only Indian Boy to knows how to read, he wanted to break the stereotype that Indians are bound to fail at everything and use his gift to save himself and others. The Author wants to use his talent to negate the stereotype about how Indians accomplish anything and influence people through his writing. In “The Movie that changed my life”, author Terry McMillan, who as an elementary school girl living in a small industrial town, in Michigan, with an unfortunate family history. Living with her sister and brother, parents always fighting, living in fear. Using the Wizard of Oz to tell us her life, comparing it to the main character Dorothy’s life. Sometimes wishing she was in Dorothy’s shoes. Terry always wanted to get away from reality. This movie influenced her to open up to her mother and wanting to improve her relationship with her family.

In Both Essays, “Superman and me” and “The Movie that changed my life”. Firstly, authors Sherman Alexie and Terry McMillan’s had many similar life experiences but in some ways were different. One major similarity was that they both were highly influenced by fictional characters. Sherman was influenced by the “Superman comic” that helped him to learn to read, it helped him to come to a conclusion that he should save others. But not only others also himself. Terry was influenced by the Movie “The Wizard of Oz”. She compared it to her life and used some of the scenes in the movie in her life. Like running away and going to a place with no worries. She also through, the influence of the movie became more brave, which leads to a better relationship with her mother. Secondly, the big difference between them is Sherman is unlike McMillan reading a comic book, whereas McMillan is watching a movie. As stated in the title of McMillan’s essay “The Movie That Changed My Life”, she is clearly talking about a movie. But, in Sherman’s essay he is talking about a Superman Comic Book. Though they both learn something from these fictional pieces of work. The work they learned from is different in many ways. In Conclusion, Sherman Alexie as a 3 year old boy and Terry McMillan as an elementary school girl both learned from fictional characters and where influenced in positive ways. They were similar in many ways and also different. But, both movie and comic shaped them.

Author Sherman J. Alexie, a member of the Spokane Indian Reservation, explains his struggle of living in poverty and breaking a barrier among his people in the passage, “Superman and Me.” Alexie begins by describing how he learned to read by illustrations in a Superman comic book, which influences him to continue reading. The author uses Superman as his role model, in his effort to save lives by preventing others from being prejudice and taking them off the stereotypical path of having low expectations, and influence them through reading and writing.

In “The Movie That Changed My Life” by Terry Mcmillan, the author uses the movie, “The Wizard of Oz,” almost as a representation of her life. Mcmillan describes the unfair childhood she had of being expected to sacrifice so much, and  often receiving disrespect from her mother. “The Wizard of Oz” had greatly impacted the author as she often uses certain scenes in different aspects of her life such as escaping to a trouble free place and using the idea of good always wins over evil. Mcmillan gains courage as well which opens a new door in having a better relationship between her and her mother.

Both Alexie and Mcmillan use unrealistic dramas, such as “The Wizard Of Oz” and the Superman comic book as representation of both of their lives. Mcmillan uses a movie and refers back to it often to overcome certain obstacles. Alexie uses Superman as a role model, as if the author wants to be a hero and save lives through reading and writing. In contrast, the goal they both set out to achieve are different. Alexie focuses on opening a new door in his effort to attain his goal of breaking a stereotype. While on the other hand, Mcmillan focuses on escaping to trouble free world and gaining courage, even though the movie is fictional.

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Sherman Alexie shows his readers of how stereotypes greatly affect his people. How one man(superman) a huge role model changed his life and gave him the motivation to become a person who won’t let his people stereotype affect him from being great and helping others. Alexie superman comic was his first step into the world of literature or knowledge. It gave him the courage he needed to step away from his people stereotype to be failures, to become something amazing.  From the time, he picked his first reading material which was the superman comic he has learned so much and from there he kept on reading. Reading from mail letters to cereal boxes to chapter books, not only give him courage to help himself but to help his people. Terry M c Millan wanted her readers to understand how life is hard and there would be challenges in life or how she puts it there are “knots”. But these are things you need to triumph over or it would eat you up and make you miserable. The wizard of oz for Terry made her understand that it’s okay to be an idealist, “that you have to imagine something better and go for it. That you must believe in something, and its best to start with yourself and take it from there”.

For both author to get where they are now they both had to go through hardships. Sherman with his stereotypical people who disliked him for pushing to be greater than just a failure and terry with her violence in her family and the people around (mostly adults) who shown her the hardships of people of color in those times. But they still had their differences, Sherman became who he is and went in literature to help his people come up to as he put it “I am trying to save our lives”. While Terry on the hand wanted to understand, what is around the “corner” what obstacles were coming. To put it “understand what or see what life is going to throw at her.

In “Superman and Me” Author Sherman Alexie was a native American who had faced racism during his childhood time. He talked about how superman in this superman comic as his hero that broke down the door and saved other. It result that this comic book taught Alexie the ability to read and write, and he view it as the way to help other native American from racism.

In “The Movie That Change My Life” Author Terry Mc Millan was a woman who had suffer by poor childhood condition and slavery life by her mom. At that time that movie “The Wizard of Oz” was her own way to escape because the character Dorothy had the similar condition like her. Dorothy’s escape home experienced taught her to be courage, and even how difficult the life were , you just need to believe yourself and that will be your  way out.

The similarity between two authors Sherman Alexie and Terry McMillan were both had facing difficult situation during their childhood time in order to became what they are now. During their childhood time, they both rely on something to help them learned imagination. This help them both became more strong  and had the ability to got out of their situation. Also, they both have been a writer base on their childhood experience. They learned how to read, write and express themself. In addition, the different was Sherman Alexie used superman comic as the guided to help. He imagined that he knew the word and pretend to read it out loud. This way let him learned faster them other child, and let him felt interesting about reading and writing. For him, reading and writing like superman that will help broke down racism and help other. The author Terry McMillan used the character Dorothy that in the  movie as her guided  to escape her unhappy world. During Dorothy ‘s escape, Terry McMillan was always there with Dorothy together. Dorothy taught McMillan to be courage, brave, imagine and take action. Of course, there may be all kind of difficulty or problem during the road, but just believe yourself. It will be your way. Both authors have similar situation made them what they are, but different experienced.

In “The Movie that Changed my Life” by author Terry MacMillan, a poor black girl brought up in Port Horun, Michigan carried an unhealthy view of the world due to how her childhood household which consisted of an authoritarian mother, numerous responsibilities, and the only source of “happiness” for people around her was to get intoxicated. Fascinated by “The Wizard of Oz”, MacMillan developed a fresh perceptive composed of how to demand respect from her mother, become a better person, and to stay positive because while the road to success may seem a bit bumpy after we overcome our obstacles we are then transformed and enlightened by our experiences. It’s not the challenge that defines us but how we overcome the challenge.

In “Superman and Me” by author Sherman Alexie, a Native American viewed superman as an inspirational role model in hopes to save the lives of him and his people from his unjust world of racism and illiteracy which was deemed as blissful. Alexie viewed superman as a hero who physically breaks down doors to save the lives of people. Wanting to accumulate these heroic traits he hopes to break down the wall of illiteracy and open up a new world of possibilities in which these are acceptable.

These authors relate because of their optimistic view points that developed from childhood revelations. They differ because Alexie’s main concern was promoting change within his community as opposed to MacMillan who was focusing more on internal growth in changing her life for the better. Alexie learned to read and write in hopes to show his people with knowledge they can advance. MacMillan was able to achieve here internal growth by relating her life to The “Wizard of Oz” by convincing herself if Dorthy can make it so can she.