Inside the Brains of the Defeated Many Indian children are forced to believe at an early age that because they are Indian, they cannot accomplish much. Sherman Alexie wrote about this in his essay “Superman and Me.” He explained why and how he learned to read under the constraints of being a “little Indian kid” who is “just an oddity.” Towards the end of the essay he talks about visiting schools to teach creative writing to Indian children. He offers advice to “grumpy, already defeated Indian kids” in one simple word “Books,” which he says several times. This is perhaps the best advice he could give these kids because repetition is the best way to reach these students and he communicated directly and clearly. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Although repetition can be annoying and sometimes seem redundant, “repetition is the mother of learning” (White Mountain Apache Indian Archives). Alexie repeats the word "books" hoping that if "books" is repeated enough, the word "books" will have an echo in the children's minds. Alexie realizes that they are afraid of that word right now. They have always been taught “I'm Indian, I'm not good enough” by classic racial stereotypes, so they believe books shouldn't be touched. By hearing another Indian repeat the word “books,” children learn that books can be used. The books have always been there and Alexie is forcing them to open their minds to this possibility. He knows that if they continue to listen to “books” they will think about books during the next lesson, before falling asleep, when the alarm goes off the next morning, every hour of the day will be filled with these thoughts. It probably won't be voluntary on their part, but this brief repetition will stick in their thoughts just like that catchy Top 40 song that was on the radio last week. Alexie isn't banging his head against the wall, he's carving out a future on these students' doorsteps. Direct communication is the only way anyone can be sure their message has been received. Alexie speaks directly to struggling students to convey his idea clearly and simply. “Books,” he says, “books,” giving them a solution to save their lives. Some might say that just saying the word books isn't enough to change the minds of grumpy, defeated children, but it's nearly impossible to get kids to listen if they don't want to. They simply cannot miss the repetition of the same word. If further explanation were inserted into the advice he offered these students, they might not hear what he has to say at all. Alexie speaks directly to students, knowing he is saying something vital to their education. Any indirect communication would be thrown away and would not even reach the ears of these students. He's not just telling the class that reading is great, he's throwing his “burden against their closed doors,” fighting not just for the students, but also for himself and the entire Indian population. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Alexie believes that literacy is the key to combating racial stereotypes. He broke down barriers between Indian children and education his entire life. He was once an Indian boy amazed by the amount of racism he saw. He knows what it means to be proud in a world of subjugated, well-trained Indians oppressed by those they feared. He has a solution to contend with. Books. This solution.