“Superman and Me” Annotation

Author: Sherman Alexie

Brief Overview: Within “Superman and Me,” Sherman Alexie uses his experience learning how to read to draw attention to the more difficult realities he faced while growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in eastern Washington state.

Important Vocabulary: Powwow, meaning the Native American people’s way of meeting together, to join in dancing, singing, visiting, renewing old friendships, and making new ones.

Questions: What was the reaction of Sherman Alexie’s family, and his parents in particular, to his unwillingness to act submissively and defy the unspoken cultural norms? Were they proud, or disappointed?

Noteworthy Quotes: “We were poor by most standards, but one of my parents usually managed to find some minimum-wage job or another, which made us middle-class by reservation standards.” “If he’d been anything but an Indian boy living on the reservation, he might have been called a prodigy. But he is an Indian boy living on the reservation and is simply an oddity.” “A smart Indian is a dangerous person, widely feared and ridiculed by Indians and non-Indians alike.” “I read with equal parts joy and desperation.” “‘Books,’ I say to them. ‘Books,’ I say.”

Initial Reactions: Sherman Alexie uses an extraordinary aspect of his early life to highlight the differences between his actions and the expectations that were placed on the young men and women in his community. Alexie describes himself as smart, arrogant, and lucky, thereby emphasizing characteristics that directly oppose the unfortunate stereotype and expected personality traits of Native American youth.