Sherman Alexie's Superman and Me is an autobiography that shows the author's personal childhood experience as a vehicle to express the challenges faced by a Spokane Indian boy growing up on the reservations. The text shows the author's journey from learning to read and his experience growing up and overcoming the stereotypes faced as an Indian (Native American) in Washington. The key argument of the text is to inform the reader of the stereotype that Indians were unable to meet Western standards. Therefore, they were pushed to the margins of society to experience a specific type of poverty on reservations. The standard of living was generally lower for those on the reserve, it was a closed world on the fringes of society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay An important point made by the author is that his father purposely attended Catholic school. This has a strong historical connection. At the time his father attended school, Catholic schools were a place of abuse for indigenous people, especially Indians. Therefore, there was a lot of reluctance on the part of Indians to attend Catholic school. However, the author's father went on purpose. This shows the reader that the father valued education. This is an important point because since the father valued education, this gave the author a greater push to get an education and overcome the stereotype than other Indians in his class. This is why the author chooses not to conform to the stereotype within the classroom like other Indian students, but instead actively acquire an education even if it means not being accepted. The author draws on his kindergarten experience and his ability to read “Grapes of Wrath” at a young age. The stigma against Indians is evident here because if he had been a Western boy, he would have been called a genius. However, since the author was an Indian boy, he was not seen as a genius, in fact, this was because Indians were expected to not be able to meet Western standards, the author uses Superman as a metaphor to overcome this stereotype. Superman comics are usually an origin story. Superman is a metaphor for the author's origin story, growing up an outcast in society and overcoming the stereotype he faced. This is shown in the text when Superman comes described as "breaking down the door", this represents the author breaking down the stereotype and showing that Indians can be intelligent too. Keep in mind: this is just one example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Superman and Me succeeds in its goal of informing the reader about the challenges faced by an Indian growing up. The author shows the reader his personal experience in fighting the stereotype and how he managed to overcome it and become a successful writer. However, the author also shows the reader that this stigma still exists today. As the author teaches Indian children, he sees children who are just like him struggling to overcome the stereotype. However, he also sees others conforming to the stereotype within the class to fit in.