Heroes and victims—these common roles are found in “The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me,” by Sherman Alexie, and in Azar Nafisi's, “From Reading Lolita in Tehran.” Both Alexie and Nafisi were shaped by the societies into which they were born, turning to literature to escape from the confinements of their existence. Sherman Alexie is an Indian who works with students openly in the Catholic school system to help the students of the reservation find their own way into the world, while Azar Nafisi, a native of Iran, works with her most trusted and brightest students, taking them "underground" for lectures in order to conceal her educational efforts from her country’s regime. Together, these authors might be viewed as dangerous by their cultures. Each is an example of individuals who took the lot they were cast in life and used their abilities and educations to help others. In the world we live in today, the concept of personal freedom is a matter of perspective, and the society that an individual is born into greatly influences their reality.
In Sherman Alexie's “The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me” the focus is on his struggle growing up poor on the reservation. Many people would have assumed that he was a child prodigy because he taught himself to read at an early age through his hero Superman’s comic book. Reading was the escape from his life of fences on the reservation. Despite the expectations for the children by their tribal elders, he demonstrated his love of the learning process and used the opportunities of the schools to free himself from the reservation; this made him a dangerous Indian. He dealt with the bullies of the school who made sure every Indian child followed the creed o...
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...he villains cannot be the victims, although I feel this is the case in both stories. For Alexie it is the very tribe he was born into and the bullies in his school, but for Nafisi and her students it is the crushing totalitarism of her country's strict military regime. Of all the characters in the books; I feel the greatest victims are the school bullies and the men of the militia for they do not see the opportunity that they could have to be free of their circles in life. The characters of both stories experience and echo their inner feelings and thoughts about their lives, which is generally hopeful but marred by the oppressive state of their worlds. The individuals in each story, as is everyone, are subject to the rules of the societies into which they are born and must find their own way to navigate within the confines of the circles in their worlds.
The idea of enlightenment and the feeling of liberation seem unattainable most of the time. However, once you discover a gateway, such as literature or meditation, it becomes easier to reach your goals of becoming open-minded. Azar Nafisi’s “Selection from Reading Lolita in Tehran” describes the struggles she and her students face and how they use literature to escape from their atrocious life. Similarly, “Wisdom” by Robert Thurman explores the idea of reaching a nirvana-like state where people become aware of their surroundings and the nature of themselves. Nafisi and Thurman state that once people have attained the knowledge to reach an utopian, nirvana like state and have unmasked themselves from a pseudo-self mask put on for society, they must share their knowledge with others. Both Nafisi and Thurman propose that in order to act out selflessly and become an honest, true self, an individual needs bravery and courage to escape from their comfort zone and reach a state of compassion.
Throughout other parts of the world, there are diverse cultures and customs that is foreign to what one is used to. However, some are beginning to yearn for change toward their culture for the good of their future. Such as a young Pakistani girl named, Malala Yousafzai who lived in Swat Valley. She chose to step up against her traditions of many not getting education equality by doing the contrary and persuaded others to join her in the revolt by, writing a novel known as, I Am Malala. She influences her wide variety of audiences by her serious and thankful tone and diction, vivid imagery, and the use of the theme, Struggle for one’s rights.
Alexie, Sherman. “The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me” Writer’s Presence: A Pool of Readings. 5th ed. Ed. Robert Atawan and Donald McQuade. Boston:Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006. 73-76. Print
...the story. By concluding in with a sulky mood, Alexie supports the idea that the Native American youth must continue to fight against injustice and to not let previous fights stop them. If they do not continue to fight for their rights, they will continue to live an impoverished life on the reservation.
In a world dominated by technology, reading novels has become dull. Instead of immersing into books, we choose to listen to Justin Bieber’s new songs and to scroll through Instagram posts. We have come to completely neglect the simple pleasures of flipping through pages and getting to finally finish a story. Sherman Alexie and Stephan King’s essays attempt to revive this interest in books that has long been lost. They remind us of the important role that reading plays in our daily lives. “The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me,” for instance, demonstrates how being literate saved the narrator from the oppressive nature of society. The author explains that even though he was capable of reading complex books at an astonishingly young
American Indian students make up less than one percent of college or higher education students, and less than one third of American Indian students are continuing education after high school. In his memoir essay The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me, Sherman Alexie recalls learning to read, growing up on a reservation where he was expected to fail, and working tirelessly to read more and become a writer. Sherman Alexie had to overcome stereotypes in order to be accepted as smart and become a writer, which shows that it is harder for people who are stereotyped to be successful because they have less opportunities.
In his essay “Superman and Me”, Sherman Alexie details how he rose above the limits placed upon him because of his ethnicity. Alexie begins the essay by opening up to his audience and recounting how he taught himself to read by using a Superman comic book. Alexie’s family was living paycheck to paycheck, so he began reading anything and everything that he could get his hands on. The purpose of Alexie’s “Superman and Me” is to inform the audience of how one does not need to be affluent to learn. With pathos, repetition, and elaborate metaphors, Sherman Alexie evokes a change of mind from his audience.
In both personal narratives, "Superman and Me" by Sherman Alexie and "Straw into Gold" by Sandra Cisneros both convey the same theme: reading and writing are powerful tools that can help you overcome the stereotypes, boundaries, and expectations set by society. Both Alexie and Cisneros were discouraged by stereotypes and low expectations, but with the use of reading and writing they changed their future.
Cultures throughout the world encompass a diverse array of lifestyles by which societies are led by. These cultures, in a typical sense, are created by the subset of a population that follows a particular set of morals and ideals. An individual’s own identity, as a result, is dependent on many varying factors of their lifestyle in these culturally regulated regions. In the stories, “Selections from Reading Lolita in Tehran,” by Azar Nafisi, and “The Naked Citadel,” by Susan Faludi, the authors depict the impact made on an individual’s identity by male-dominated communities prejudiced against women. The discriminations described in these stories contribute to the creation of cultures that oppose the idea of seeing women as equals to men. Hence,
Archetypes are universal symbols found in all forms of literature. There was no shortage in Invisible Man as they aided in creating a deeper story. From the modified heroic journey to different colors used to enhance the setting, there were many different meanings to the story. Even though the narrator is anonymous, he proves to be the typical protagonist in the end. The narrator’s journey can be an archetype for anyone’s life when they are faced with adversity.
Adjusting to another culture is a difficult concept, especially for children in their school classrooms. In Sherman Alexie’s, “Indian Education,” he discusses the different stages of a Native Americans childhood compared to his white counterparts. He is describing the schooling of a child, Victor, in an American Indian reservation, grade by grade. He uses a few different examples of satire and irony, in which could be viewed in completely different ways, expressing different feelings to the reader. Racism and bullying are both present throughout this essay between Indians and Americans. The Indian Americans have the stereotype of being unsuccessful and always being those that are left behind. Through Alexie’s negativity and humor in his essay, it is evident that he faces many issues and is very frustrated growing up as an American Indian. Growing up, Alexie faces discrimination from white people, who he portrays as evil in every way, to show that his childhood was filled with anger, fear, and sorrow.
Reading a book is a great entertainment, but more importantly, it gives you more knowledge to learn. In a short story entitled “Superman and me” by Sherman Alexie, he discussed how it’s like to be in a minority, or an Indian in a non-Indian world, and how reading helped him get through it. Growing up, his father influenced him into reading books. Due to this he started to teach himself how to read and gained more knowledge. Though he is smart, it was hard for him to be noticed, “Indian children were expected to be stupid,” because of this he worked hard and proved the majority what he is capable of. Alexie’s passion in reading had helped himself and his fellow man rise against all the discrimination and be accepted by
In Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita, the overruling drive of the narrator, Humbert Humbert, is his want to attest himself master of all, whether man or woman, his prime cravings, all-powerful destiny, or even something as broad as language. Through the novel the reader begins to see Humbert’s most extreme engagements and feelings, from his marriage to his imprisonment, not as a consequence of his sensual, raw desires but rather his mental want to triumph, to own, and to control. To Humbert, human interaction becomes, or is, very unassuming for him: his reality is that females are to be possessed, and men ought to contest for the ownership of them. They, the women, become the very definition of superiority and dominance. But it isn’t so barbaric of Humbert, for he designates his sexuality as of exceptionally polished taste, a penchant loftier than the typical man’s. His relationship with Valerie and Charlotte; his infatuation with Lolita; and his murdering of Quilty are all definite examples of his yearning for power. It is so that throughout the novel, and especially by its conclusion, the reader sees that Humbert’s desire for superiority subjugates the odd particularities of his wants and is the actual reason of his anguish.
The second example is the character of Esther, she can be seen as the victim and as the heroine. The reason she can be seen as the victim is because of the many injustices she faces. For example when she is subjec...
Love, what is it? Love is a powerful feeling that is expressed in many ways throughout our society between men and women. Sometimes powerful feelings can have a negative ending, such as the ending in the novel Lolita.