Superman And Me Analysis

The pressures of society and many factors against us can at times seem impossible to overcome, however, these limitations are only the ones we place on ourselves. Whether it’s during the adolescent years as Sherman Alexie explained in “The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me”, about the struggles of overcoming the stigma bound by his culture where “A smart Indian is a dangerous person, widely feared and ridiculed by Indians and non-Indians alike”, as well as having the courage to break free for his own benefit. In addition, this theme was also explored in the later years of adulthood as demonstrated in Malcolm X’s essay, “Learning to Read” where he’d become so frustrated while kept in prison, unable to quite express himself as he did

before being bound to a cell. Malcolm then decided to pursue his own journey to better himself through enlightenment, so to speak, and ignored the stigma placed on him and others. Upon further evaluation of both essays we can be certain that the journey to self-enrichment begins with our own will to do so, despite the limitations society places on us.
In “Learning to Read”, Malcolm X willingly expressed his frustrations as he slowly came to the harsh realization that he wasn’t quite the man he’d portrayed himself to be during his prolonged stay in the Charlestown Prison. Malcolm states, “In the street, I had been the most articulate hustler out there – I had commanded attention when I said something. But now, trying to write simple English, I not only wasn’t articulate, I wasn’t even functional.” (Pg. 273) With this in mind, Malcolm observed a peer by the name of “Bimbi”, and admired his sense of power through words. For instance, “Bimbi had always taken charge of any conversation he was in, and I had tried to emulate him.” (Pg. 274) This proved to be significant in the ways that Malcolm craved the same presence and opted to do anything that would help him attain the same status, which began through a series of writing and copying words from the pages in a dictionary he’d found. Malcolm was determined to be “well read” and as educated as possible because it was his passion to read and understand, unlike his freedom, something that could never be taken away from him and proved to himself that factors around him along with society could no longer chain him down. As a result of this newfound perspective on life, Malcolm ventured off unto an even further path of knowledge, demanding more of even the texts of which he’d grown to love and built a strong sense of pride in his culture because of it.
By the same token, Sherman Alexie experienced much of the same fascination through admiration, longing to be just as his father was.

For example, “I can remember picking up my father’s books before I could read. The words themselves were mostly foreign, but I still remember the exact moment when I first understood, with a sudden clarity, the purpose of a paragraph.”(Pg. 16) Despite Sherman’s young age, he also recognized the reality and upcoming challenges as a result of his passion. Sherman goes on to explain, “A smart Indian is a dangerous person, widely feared and ridiculed by Indians and non-Indians alike. I fought with my classmates on a daily basis.” The challenges of being an accelerated child had been ever apparent, but that only further motivated Sherman, “I refused to fail. I was smart. I was arrogant. I was lucky. I read books late into the night, until I could barely keep my eyes open.” (Pg. 17) Furthermore, Sherman had continued the path and was determined to succeed regardless of what society decided for him because after all, he’d recognized how society saw him and others alike. “We were Indian children who were expected to be stupid. Most lived up to those expectations inside the classroom but subverted them on the outside.” (Pg. 17) A statement that didn’t settle well with him and he’d known this wasn’t the life for

him.
When exploring both perspectives closely, the stages in life of the two authors were quite distant, although, the connection between the two was very clear. Regardless of age or even motives, the themes intertwined in the ways that self-empowerment was highlighted as detrimental. As Malcolm stated, “I had never forgotten how when my class, me and all those whites, had studied seventh-grade United States history back in Mason, the history of the Negro had been covered in one paragraph.” (Pg. 276) It was simply time to wake up. In addition, Sherman realized the same and went on to explain, “I read anything that had words and paragraphs. I read with equal parts joy and desperation. I loved those books, but I also knew that love had only one purpose. I was trying to save my life.” (Pg. 18) Thus, synthesizing its own entity, forcing even myself to realize the message underlined that I’ve come to know as well, that knowledge is power and can be as bitter sweet as we know it to be with the factors against us. And lastly, recognizing that these efforts are not all for nothing.
In conclusion, with the pressure of society’s expectations among us, it can be simple to be defeated and labeled as unbecoming of our character. However, the frustration along with the will to succeed motivated both authors in a way that they defied all odds. Whether it is in Sherman’s case, longing to be just as wise as his father was, or as Malcolm explained by his admiration for his peer’s ability to take control and freely express him-self in ways he couldn’t before, both authors had found their inner drive and excelled because of it, despite the barriers and factors placed on them by society.