English 098: English Fundamentals
Instructor: Sydney Brown
CHARTING SHERMAN ALEXIE’S “SUPERMAN AND ME”
ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY FOR EACH PARAGRAPH
Paragraph 1: The author, Sherman Alexie, introduces the concept that he learned to read from a Superman comic
book and describes how he grew up in poverty on a Spokane Indian Reservation.
Paragraph 2: Alexie describes his father’s love of books and how it causes him to love books as well.
Paragraph 3: Alexie explains how he learned the purpose and logic of a paragraph in books and then applied it to the
world.
Paragraph 4: Alexie details his steps in learning to read from a Superman comic book.
Paragraph 5: Writing in third person, Alexie compares the “oddity” of his advanced reading skills to the reality of his
painful childhood.
Paragraph 6: Alexie describes his painful childhood with regards to his classmates and Indian and non-Indian
expectations of them.
Paragraph 7: Alexie passionately illustrates how he refused to fail as a child by reading everything he could to save his
life.
Paragraph 8: Alexie concludes how he is committed as a famous writer to save the lives of children still struggling on
the reservation.
HOW PARAGRAPHS WORK TOGETHER
Paragraph 1: The author, Sherman Alexie,
introduces the concept that he learned to read
from a Superman comic book and describes how
he grew up in poverty on a Spokane Indian
Reservation.
Paragraph 2: Alexie describes his father’s love
of books and how it causes him to love books as
well.
Paragraph 3: Alexie explains how he learned
the purpose and logic of a paragraph in books
and then applied it to the world.
Paragraph 4: Alexie details his steps in learning
to read from a Superman comic book.
Paragraphs 1-4: Alexie describes why
he loved reading and how he learned to do so
despite poverty. Paragraph 5: Writing in third person, Alexie
compares the “oddity” of his advanced reading
skills to the reality of his painful childhood.
Paragraph 6: Alexie describes his painful
childhood with regards to his classmates and
Indian and non-Indian low expectations of them.
Paragraphs 5-6: Alexie describes the
challenges of being a smart kid in a system
with low expectations.
Paragraph 7: Alexie explains how he refused to
fail as a child by reading everything he could to
save his life.
Paragraph 8: Alexie concludes how he is
committed as a famous writer to save the lives of
children still struggling on the reservation.
Paragraphs 7-8: Alexie illustrates how
he saved his life through reading (education)
and is committed to saving the lives of Indian
children struggling on the reservation.
AUTHOR’S MAIN ARGUMENT/PURPOSE (THESIS, MAJOR CLAIM)
Sherman Alexie’s purpose for writing this essay is to describe his past and how it contributes to his commitment to
helping children on the Indian reservation.
Also: Education can save lives.