The central question of Sherman Alexie's "Superman and Me" is "how did the gift of literacy impact impact on Sherman Alexie's life? ". Alexie expected more from himself than from his culture. Literacy gave him a sense of individuality by separating him from stereotypes of Indians and he was able to “save his life” because of it. Literacy created a gap between him and his peers. Through his abilities, he was able to avoid being categorized by traditional Indian stereotypes imposed by outside cultures as well as by his own culture. He wanted to be the exception. Indian children were not expected, much less encouraged, to read and write. Indians were accepted only if they conformed to the social norm of unintelligence. He stood out from the crowd for his desire for change and his refusal to conform to society's expectations of what he could accomplish. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Sherman Alexie was able to “save his life” through the power of reading and writing. From the moment Alexie was born, he was expected to fail due to the circumstances he was born into: Indian, lower class, and living on a reservation. He knew that reading was the key to defeating his adversaries and creating a difference, not only in his life but also in the lives of other Indian children. Although Alexie loved reading, he also read out of desperation. Thanks to Sherman Alexie's constant reading, he was able to save his life. He never gave in to the stereotypes that his community imposed on him. He was able to become a writer, a career Indians don't usually pursue. Through all his hard work, he was able to not only save his own life from insignificance, but also work to save the lives of other young Indians through the gift of literacy during his visits to Indian schools. Throughout the story, “Superman and I,” the central question is fully answered. The author handles the central question with pride. He was proud of what he was able to accomplish through his drive at such a young age and knows he was fortunate to be born into a home where reading was normalized instead of looked down upon. He admits that he is lucky for that. It gave him the will to continue even when everyone in his culture as well as other cultures were telling him to stick with the status quo..