Charles Blow and Sherman Alexie have similar aspects on reading and books. For instance, they both believe and think that books are important and powerful. While they both do believe this, Charles Blow thinks that books were transformational and powerful. On the other hand, Sherman Alexie thinks that books can shape ones identities, give one opportunities for education, and help to fight oppression. These are their beliefs or take on books.
Charles Blow believes that books can be powerful and transformational. To further elaborate, he thinks that books can shape some into a better person and connect people with the world and the people around them. This is stated in Charles Blows, 'Reading Books is Fundamental', it states, ' That is the inimitable power of literature, to give context and meaning to the trials and triumphs of living.' This means that through all struggles and hardships books can help you to understand and connect with things around you everyday. Saying that books have the power to show you reason why and help you to understand things when they get tough. Charles Blow says that the strong power of literature can help someone to open up and look at things differently. Books connect people that never knew each other because books provide the power to show someone that they aren't going through something alone, and if they take a closer look they would realize many of their peers were experiencing the same things too. In short, this is why Charles Blow believes that books are powerful and transformational.
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Sherman Alexie believes that books have the power to shape ones identity, give one opportunities for education, and help one to fight oppression. To explain in greater detail, Sherman Alexie thinks that for him books can help someone to find out who they are and what they want in life, give them the chances that without books they wouldn't have been able to obtain, and beat the statics and rise above poverty and find a way out of it. This is stated in Sherman Alexie's, 'Superman and Me', it states, 'I read equal parts joy and desperation. I love those books, but I also knew that love had only one purpose. I was trying to save my life.' This shows how Sherman Alexie feels about books because he uses the words, save and life. Meaning that he feels strongly enough about this topic to save it is life saving. To say or mean that something is life saving is saying that without you would fail or not have power. To Sherman books helped him out of poverty, it says also, 'We lived on a combination of irregular paychecks, hope, fear, and government surplus foods.' This is explaining that for Sherman Alexie he didn't have much to really look forward to as a kid. He was basically poor and he didn't necessarily have the access to more expensive things, but he figured that books could help him to open his eyes and become smarter. This made him feel as if he had more opportunities and chances in this world to show others what he got from books that were just like him. To sum it up, this is how Sherman Alexie feels about books and their power.
Lastly, both authors have their own perspective of books and the impact it had on their lives. While having their own perspective they both believe that books are powerful and transformational. Charles Blow and Sherman Alexie both talk about how books can help them to connect with the world around and open their eyes to more in this world. Charles Blow says that, 'I thought the book fascinating in part because it was a tale of hardship, to which I could closely relate,' and Sherman Alexie says, 'I visit schools and teach creative writing to Indian kids. In all my years in the reservation school system, I was never to write poetry , short stories and novels.' Both of these pieces of evidence show that books were powerful to both of the authors. For Sherman books connected him with other Indian kids who have it just as bad as him. So, for Sherman he finds books to connect with the people. This is the same for Charles books helped him to connect with the people around him through the hardships shared in the books, that he shared with the books and others. Both authors believe and show that books help them to connect with the world and the people around them in many different way, either for friendship or just trying to help one out, so that they too can learn to succeed in this world. This is the similarity between Charles Blow and Sherman Alexie and the power of books.