Reading response English 121G PDF

Preview

Summary

Download Reading response English 121G PDF

Description

Option A: “Superman and Me.” (Sherman Alexie) Reading Response: “Superman and me” is an autobiographical essay written by Sherman Alexie that discusses the significance of reading and self-education as well as the importance of dedication and resilience in the face of obstacles and struggles. The essay is an inspirational story about the author’s personal experience with being a part of a marginalised community, where he had to defy the odds and prove himself in the judgmental eyes of both members of his community and people outside it. The struggles of poverty is a main concern of the text and how due to the marginalisation of native American communities, children in those communities like the author himself, were not given equal opportunities and were isolated from mainstream society. Alexis highlights how Indian children were expected to conform to the deeprooted societal expectations of them to be “stupid”. For example, the author states, “they wanted me to stay quiet when the non-Indian teacher asked for answers, for volunteers, for help.” This idea is central to the text where the author reinforces his impediments of being an Indian who “refused to fail” and was “arrogant and smart” as he was derided and belittled by members of his community and outside his community as well. Therefore, the author’s purpose of this text is to demonstrate and inspire others to subvert the very institutionalized beliefs that disparage them. He wants to better the stigma put on kids in his community and is trying to tell his audience that everyone should have the means for education no matter where they are from. Another central idea that the author explores is the remarkable role that his passion for reading and self-education has played in allowing him to defy the odds and solidify his identity as an Indian native American author. Therefore Alexie conveys to his readers the importance of will power and resilience in the face of obstacles, where he refuses to be defined by the stereotypical expectations of him. He demonstrates this by the repetition of simple sentences in his argument. “I refuse to fail. I was smart. I was arrogant. I was lucky. I read books late into the night, etc.” He also uses anaphora in “I read” as he lists all the different types of books that he read. His tone is urgent and insistent as he urges Indian children to break themselves free from the unjust and prejudiced societal constructs that have been set for them. As a result, the author feels a personal responsibility and mission to inspire others and provide the very same resources and opportunities that he was unfairly deprived of. In conclusion, through Alexie's masterful use of repetition, anaphora, and simple sentences he can attract and reach a large audience, which is fitting for his argument of the importance of reading. By including all readers with his simple style of writing and making the tone of the essay relatively accessible and engaging, he is not alienating or excluding any poor readers, for whom the essay may be targeted for. Furthermore, I believe that Alexie has formed a comprehensive argument through his use of anecdotal evidence, first-person narrative, and simple, informal style.

Through the masterful and clear use of language features, the essay succeeds in its aims and its purpose is achieved. This allows the author to effectively communicate his intent for the essay which is to reconstruct the stereotypes around marginalised communities and thereby free Indian communities from the stereotypes to which they have been confined to. It serves to educate non-Indian Americans to be more aware of the detrimental effects of alienation on marginalised communities and how this has ongoing effects on the education and upbringing of those communities. Alexie also, more importantly, writes this to inspire young Indians to not be disheartened or discouraged by the boundaries placed on them but instead fight for their right for an education and not let societal stereotypes impede them from reaching their goals.

Notes: *The vocabulary or ‘lexicon’/ argument in each paragraph Para 1: the use of nouns such as “middle class” and “minimum wage job” and the listing of nouns in “irregular paychecks, hope, fear and government surplus food” demonstrates the poor living conditions of the spokane reservation where the author lived. This demonstrates the struggles of poverty and the environment that the author grew up in which didn't allow him an opportunity for a fair education as the resources to the marginalized community where he lived where limited. Para 2: the use of hyperbole in the exaggerated nouns such as “by the pound” combined with the repetitive use of the listing of nouns of all the places that his father brought books, and using the adjective “avid” to describe his father’s reading habits, establishes the deep rooted love the author has for books from his father and how it has been embedded in him since childhood. Para 3: the author uses the extended metaphor (visual analogy?)of paragraphs where he compares them to “a fence that held words”. Sherman uses the term “paragraph” to help describe different aspects of life, and how paragraphs are not just organisational but visual markers. Sherman saw everything around him in terms of paragraphs and it shifted his perspective on how he saw the world and how people fit into different paragraphs with different purposes. The reservation he lived on is a part of the paragraph in the United States. Each member of his family represented a paragraph in an essay. This again goes to show the power of reading and words which is a key idea in the text and how the author was able to apply simple concepts from reading books to the wider world and his surroundings. It made him more perceptive, and knowledgeable which in turn pushed him to be self motivated and elicited his passion for learning and reading even more. Para4: the use of simple sentences “in one panel, superman breaks through a door” and “his suit is red, blue and yellow” and “the brown door shatters into many pieces. Alexie compares himself to superman through anecdotal storytelling and how through reading superman when he was younger inspired him to become his own

version of a superhero. It is as though alexie himself is breaking through and trying to transcend the prison of the reservation (life) and restrictive economic conditions. Para 7: Use of verbs such as “read”, “loved”, “save”, combined with the use listing of nouns of all the places the author used to find things to read effectively portray the author’s fervour for books and reading. *Register and tone. (Is it formally written? Casual?) The essay although is formally written but uses very simple language and simple sentences and tenses. The lexicon is basic and straightforward and the tone of the essay is engaging and ardent. *Point-of-view (First, second or third?) For most of the essay, the author writes in first person as he delves into personal details about his childhood and upbringing. The first person perspective includes Alexie’s own experiences, allowing his readers to connect with him on a personal level. Point of view shifts in the fifth paragraph where alexie switches to third person narrative. The switch to third person narration marks an important turning point/critical change in the text and is sudden. The author steps out and looks back on his childhood and upbringing, because rather than just looking at it as a hard time “dull the pain”, it is a reminder not only to his audience but to all the other indian kids who were told that they are “stupid” or arent good enough. He also shifts from a first person point of view to a third person in the fifth paragraph to emphasize how unconventional it is that a little Indian boy is educated or knows how to read because he will be ridiculed and deprecated in the real world. In paragraph seven he says, “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”....