Sherman Alexie And Malcom X

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The short story “Superman and Me” by Sherman Alexie, and the excerpt “Learning to Read” from The Autobiography of Malcom X had similar themes, although they were written with different styles. The theme these two stories had alike was the power of learning through books and reading. Sherman Alexie and Malcom X both drastically improved their education by teaching themselves new things. They did this by reading books, dictionaries, and anything else that interested them. It is amazing what these two men have done for themselves, and very inspiring. Sherman Alexie became a successful writer, and Malcom X became one of the most powerful leaders of black America. The impact that books and other written pieces had on these men did not happen overnight, but in the end it was time well spent.
After reading “Superman and Me,” by Sherman Alexie, I was shown how the author learned to read, and how he used his love for reading to impact his life and the lives of others. Alexie grew up with his family on an Indian reservation, relying on irregular paychecks and government surplus food. Alexie learned to read, on his own, at the young age of three. His love for reading originated from his father’s passion for books, and reading whatever books he could get access to. Alexie’s reading level reached such a high level to where he was reading Grapes of Wrath in kindergarten. He knew he was smart, and he didn’t want to take on the stereotype that all Indians are stupid. Unlike the other Indian children in his class on the reservation, Alexie tried to become as educated as he could, despite being teased by the other kids. Alexie came to describe himself as smart, lucky, and arrogant. This attitude of who he was and what he was capable of allowed ...

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In one of my first courses at Middlesex Community College, I had a professor who inspired me, just like Alexie’s father inspired him, and Bimbi inspired Malcolm. My professor could tell I was unable to understand a lot of the words in our history text book. Without knowing what you are reading, there is no way you can understand events throughout history through a textbook. My professor encouraged me to write down every word I did not understand and define it in a notebook. By the end of my semester I had almost a full notebook of new words and an A in my course. With the inspiration of my professor, I was able to expand my vocabulary, and gain a stronger grasp on what I was learning. I have used this method in almost all of my classes since, and it has always worked to my advantage. The power of literature and knowledge truly can take you further in life.

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