Throughout history, reading has played an important role within every society. Nowadays, many if not all modern educators often emphasize the importance of reading in today's classrooms. Every child from first to twelfth grade is taught that to be a functional adult you must be able to read and write proficiently. However, there are cases where some children do not receive adequate education. In the essay “Superman and Me” Sherman Alexie details his upbringing and his path to literacy through his self-motivation and determination to make something of himself. Alexie lived in a world where children were expected to be stupid in class and to bow their heads in submission. However, despite all odds, Alexie managed to learn and is now very determined that learning to read by himself saved his life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayIn his essay, Alexie compares his experience to the expectations of most Native American students, who were expected to have no interest in school or education at all. He wanted to show how difficult it was for him to learn to read in an environment that discouraged kids like him from doing so. Using his story, he humanizes himself and his fellow Indians to allow readers to sympathize with their struggle. In the sixth paragraph he reveals the impact that racism and cultural expectations had on his desire to learn: “they wanted me to keep quiet when the non-Indian teacher asked for answers, for volunteers, for help. We were Indian children who were expected to be stupid.' Throughout his essay, Alexie paints a picture of those who live on his reservation surrounded by impenetrable walls on all sides; and just outside those walls are the tools needed for success: literacy and higher education. Alexie's purpose throughout the essay is to highlight that literacy and education are superpowers capable of opening doors of opportunity and breaking down walls of oppression; he does this by using figurative language. One specific technique that Alexie uses to develop his argument is a metaphor. Alexie compares Superman breaking down the door to his struggle to break down the door of illiteracy. However, through this metaphor, Alexie implies that for people growing up on reservations, it often takes superpowers and Superman's strength to become well educated by the standards of the outside world. The allusion to Superman, a fictional character with great power, illustrates how literacy and education can seem impossible for children on the Indian reservation. At the end of the essay, Alexie reflects that for some Indians “the door holds”; they are unable to experience the liberation and opportunities of education and therefore remain in the cycle of oppression and inequality into which they were born. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Literacy was a means to survive, and even though he had become special, Alexie's real goal was to change Indian society. In the last paragraph, as an adult, Alexie reacts by being one of the first guest teachers on the reservation. The Indian children had "crowded the class... writing poems, short stories, novels"; his presence and his story had inspired and set an example. He wonders where these teachers were when he was a child, intensifying the idea that yes, he is different, the first to give a guest lecture, 2019.