Knowledge is Power

These are the answers to the questions on the essay, "The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me".

1. Alexie remembers the clear image of Superman breaking down a door. As it is Superman, Alexie likely assumes it was to save someone’s life. This is an important detail to remember at the end of the essay, because Alexie “throws [his] weight against their locked doors” (page 18) to save the Indians’ lives.

2. The verb Alexie used fourteen times was “read.” The repetition of this verb helped emphasize the fact that for him to learn to read, he had to read everything and anything he could find. The repetition shows that there were many obstacles that he had overcome in this process, and the only way of learning was to practice as much as he could.

3. In comparison, Frederick Douglass’ quotation suggests that he is quite the opposite from Alexie. Douglass says he “envied [his] fellow slaves for stupidity” (page 129). Alexie, on the other hand, is reluctant in being “stupid,” and actually pities his classmates and wants to help them break out of the patterns of civilization at the time (he wants them to learn, to be educated).  Obviously, Alexie does not envy his classmates; he rather wants them to follow his example. His situation is different from the other aboriginals’ because he is one of the few who realizes that with knowledge comes power (or in his case, the ability to do something with his life).  This sets him apart from the others because he is willing to learn how to read and put a real effort into doing so.

4. There were countless thoughts running through his heads. The sun shone radiantly as the car left the hotel. He drowned in his muse of relinquishment. It was a day he’d never forget. That moment, in which he got in that car, was a sort of revelation to him. He was leaving. He was truly leaving. There was no stopping it; no amount of will power could change this. And, as he left the car, he was overwhelmed in the thought of loss, and the thought of rebirth. He walked through the airport with tears falling from his eyes. He was helpless. He took a look out the window, and made his way through the corridor. He stopped. He took a deep breath as he reminisced all the memories, as he recalled every moment of happiness and realized it was all over.

Writing about myself in the third person has a really powerful effect on me. By doing this, I am able to really concentrate on the emotion and the feeling behind a memory, rather than just saying, “yeah, I was there.” It’s interesting to do this and it really makes me understand myself better.