Sherman Alexie Thesis

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Pages: 5

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a minority of people that made you feel less than what you are? To be a part of a culture that does not accept you as an individual? Author Sherman Alexie felt these pains growing up as a child. Biographical information about Sherman Alexie: Sherman Alexie was born 1966 and is a member of the Spokane and the Coeur d’ Alene tribes. Alexie grew up on the Spokane Reservation in Washington State University, and he published eighteen books. The claim that Alexie makes to his audience is how it was a struggle for him, as an Indian child, to learn to read. He and his family were poor people that knew the value of working hard. His dad did not have much money, but he found a way for Alexie to read by …show more content…
Alexie wants to show everyone that just because you are poor does not mean that you can have goals and dreams, and that you cannot learn. Alexie probably experienced some type of negativity from other Indian families that did not have the determination and motivation to succeed. These people Alexie classified as the people who did not believe in him. Alexie was an individual who took education very seriously and became a successful writer. For example, Alexie states, “I loved books, always, but I didn’t know Indians wrote books or poems…it was like understanding human language for the first time; it was like hearing the first time words ever spoken by a human being, and understanding for the first time the immense communicative power of language”. What is unique about Alexie’s arguments is that they convey a message to the readers and the message is about the power of reading. Alexie knows that it took both books and reading to make him a writing success. Alexie came from a tough life, and the positive impact he had gained was not only his success as a writer but his ability to care for others. Alexie’s concern for other Indians made him strive to teach others about writing, reading, and poetry. Alexie