The Benefits of Repetition in Sherman Alexie's Superman and Me

Many Indian youngsters are forced to think at a very young age that because they are Indian, they can not accomplish significantly. Sherman Alexie wrote about this in his essay “Superman and Me”. He elaborate upon why and how he learned to study under the constraints of being a “little Indian boy” who is “simply an oddity”. Towards the end of the essay he discusses visiting schools to teach creative writing to Indian children. He gives tips to the “sullen and currently defeated Indian kids” in one particular basic word “Books,” which he says several instances. This is possibly the best suggestions he could give these children due to the fact repetition is the ideal way to reach these students and he communicated straight and clearly.

Although repetition can be annoying and appear redundant at instances, “repetition is the mother of understanding “ (White Mountain Apache Indian Archives). Alexie repeats the word “books” hoping that if “books” is repeated sufficient, the word “books” will be an echo in the kids’ minds. Alexie realizes that at this moment, they are afraid of that word. They had been always taught “I’m Indian, I’m not good enough” from classic racial stereotypes, so they believe that books are not to be touched. By hearing yet another Indian repeat the word “books” the little ones are finding out that books are theirs to use. Books have often been there, and Alexie is forcing them to open their minds to this possibility. He knows that if they continue to hear “books” they will feel about books throughout their next class, just before they drift into sleep, when their alarm clock goes off the subsequent morning, every single hour of the day will be filled with these thoughts. It almost certainly won’t be voluntary on their behalf, but this quick repetition will stay in their thoughts just like that catchy song from the Best 40 that was on the radio last week. Alexie is not beating his head against a wall, he is carving a future onto these students’ doors.

Direct communication is they only way anybody could be confident that their message was received. Alexie speaks straight towards the struggling students to convey his thought clearly and merely. “Books,” he says, “books,” providing them a resolution to save their lives. Some could say that saying just the word books isn’t sufficient to modify the minds of sullen, defeated young children, but it is nearly not possible to get little ones to listen if they do not want to. They simply can't miss the identical word being repeated. If any further explanation was placed in the tips he offered to these students, they might not hear what he has to say at all. Alexie speaks straight to the students, knowing that he is saying one thing that is vital to their education. Any indirect communication would be thrown away, and it would never ever even brush these students’ ears. He is not just telling a class that reading is fantastic, he is throwing his “weight against their locked doors,” fighting for not just the students, but also himself and the entire Indian population.

Alexie believes literacy is the crucial to battling racial stereotypes. He has been knocking down barriers in between Indian youngsters and education his whole life. He was when an Indian boy amazed at the quantity racism he saw. He knows what it is like to stand proud in a world of effectively trained submissive Indians oppressed by these they feared. He has one particular solution to fight with. Books. This remedy is not just shared with anybody who will listen. It is pressed onto the currently defeated, The little ones that feel there is nothing at all they can do. He pushes into their minds, and he forces open possibilities with a single single word. Spoken clearly, directly, and repeated. Books.