Java Programming

I have been trying to re-use a method that accepts an Object parameter and handling the different types within it. Everything works as expected until I get to arrays. I have had very limited success in getting any useful information out of them. Ultimately, I would like to be able to use the following methods:

Arrays.asList()
Arrays.deepEquals()
Arrays.deepToString()

I can determine if the object is an array by using this:

obj.getClass().isArray();

I have tried to cast the object as a Object[], but I get a ClassCastException unless the actual type is an Object[]. I can determine several things about the array with this code:

obj.getClass().getCanonicalName();  // returns the array type; ie: boolean[], int[], java.lang.String[], etc.
obj.getClass().getComponentType();  // returns the actual array type; ie: boolean, int, java.lang.String, etc.
Array.getLength(obj);  // returns the number of items in the array

The Array.getLength() happily accepts an Object as the parameter. However, the Arrays methods I want to use only accept array-based parameters. I have tried accessing them by forcing a cast, like this:

Arrays.deepToString(obj.getClass().cast(obj));

But I get this error message in Eclipse: The method deepToString(Object[]) in the type Arrays is not applicable for the arguments (capture#19-of ? extends Object)*

I have also tried looking in the Array class to see how things are handled, but they are all native functions. I tried looking at the code in the Arrays class and came across something I thought might be able to help, but I really have no idea how to use it. The cloneSubarray() method seems to be working with arrays in an untyped manner, but retains a reference of the actual type.

private static <T> T[] cloneSubarray(T[] a)
{
  int n = to - from;
  T[] result = (T[])Array.newInstance(a.getClass().getComponentType(), n);
  System.arraycopy(a, from, result, 0, n);
  return result;
}

Having never used this designation before, I am not certain I fully understand it, but I believe it accepts any array type, creates a new one of the same type, populating it with the items from the original, and returns it. What I don't understand is the *<T>* after "static". I am not even sure if this could help me, but it looked promising.

So, my ultimate question, is it possible to take an Object and convert/cast it so that it works with the Arrays methods, without the need to check instanceof for each possible type?