In the beginning chapters of the novel, Refugee, Alan Gratz introduces his characters, Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud, as well as their current situations in their homelands at specific time periods. Gratz specifically writes about Mahmoud blending in as a cloak of invisibility to help him survive his situation. He writes about Josef and those who wear the yellow Star of David armbands as being invisible and how the Cubans were unseen, forgotten and starving. How could it be positive and how could it be negative to be invisible in these situations?
Throughout the novel, Gratz writes about interactions between the Hitler Youth and Josef, Mr. Nasser and the Bishara family, and the Fernandez family, the Castillo family, and the tourists at the Bahamas. Why did Gratz include these interactions?
Dear Ms. Sinclair,
ReplyDeleteKeyli, Zach, Emily, and I are so thrilled to be in your group! Thank you for taking time out of your day to help us.
Blog #1
To begin, it can be positive to be invisible because one may find himself/herself to not be in as much trouble; that is how some people survived and still survive today. In the novel, Refugee, by Alan Gratz, he explicitly stated on page twelve, “Mahmoud Bishara was invisible, and that’s exactly how he wanted it. Being invisible was how he survived.” This textual evidence backs up our claim by proving that when someone chooses to be invisible, it could save his/her life. This textual evidence backs up our claim by proving that invisibility is the better choice in this specific situation. Keyli, Zach, Emily, and I can guess that this way of life must be difficult because of the uncertainty of day-to-day life. From studying this, we understand how lucky we are to live where we live. It would be so hard to live in Syria even now.
For Josef, it could also be a plus to be invisible because he could be hidden from the Nazis. For example on page eighteen, Gratz wrote, “The bright yellow Star of David armbands the Landaus wore were like magical talismans that made them disappear. Yet no one bumped into them, Josef noticed. All the station attendants and other passengers gave them a wide berth, flowing around them like water around a stone.” Although it is terrible that the Jews were treated this way, if Josef and his family did not bring attention to themselves the way Josef’s father did by breaking the law, it seemed to help them take the opportunity to leave Germany and travel to Cuba. Keyli, Zach, Emily, and I do understand the importance of speaking up when someone is doing something wrong, but in this specific situation, it was probably the best thing to do.
On the other hand, invisibility for Isabel was a negative. If she did not become visible, Isabel would have possibly starved like many Cubans were at this time. In our opinion, Isabel made the choice to be first visible when she saved the cat. On page eight, Gratz explicitly stated, “But nobody was going to eat this cat.” This textual evidence backs up our claim by comparing the Cubans to the cat. Keyli, Zach, Emily, and I can infer that Isabel was talking about herself. Isabel seems to be going against what others were doing for survival, so feeding the cat was giving her strength to stand up and make a change. If no one speaks up or stands up for something, when will change happen? To us, Isabel is brave, and she is wise beyond her years. What do you think?
Keyli, Zach, Emily, and I look forward to your response.
Hi group!!I am very excited to be working with you! I think you did a fantastic job on your response. You have found some good evidence to support your belief that invisibility helped the characters more. Did you think there was a character that there was a character that was more visible than the others? Did you think that being invisible could be a negative? I thought out of the three characters that Isabel struggled with staying invisible. Did you think she always wanted to be as invisible as the other characters? I felt at times she took some careless risks.
ReplyDeleteIn Josef's situation invisibility was important, but he often tested his invisibility. When he took off his armband on the train? After his situation on the "German" part of the train (pg.21) Do you think he learned the importance of staying under the radar? Why do you think that the Hitler youth didn't punish him?
In today's world, do you think it is important to stay invisible or visible? Even though our situations we encounter here day to day are much different than the characters, do you have times when you struggle to stay visible or invisible?
I look forward to hearing from you soon!! Keep up the good work!
Blog 1 Response
ReplyDeleteHere are the answers to your questions:
Do you think there is a character that was more visible than the other? Yes,Isabel was more visible because she took it upon herself to feed the cat on her own when everybody else would have eaten the cat. Isabel is more of a problem solver.
Did you think being invisible could be a negative? Yes, invisibility could be a negative because problems may not be solved. If people want change, they may need to be visible.
Did you think she always wanted to be as invisible as the other characters? No, Isabel wanted to help and make life better for everyone. Isabel is strong, not weak. Yes, Isabel took some risks, but she had to in order to help her family. That is what family does.
We were confused what you were asking on the fourth question.
Do you think he learned the importance of staying under the radar? Yes, Josef learned the importance, but he also learned that there are people who did not believe in what Hitler was doing even if they were involved in his rule of law.
Why do you think Hitler youth did not punish him? The Hitler Youth did not punish Josef because he did not believe in what Hitler is doing. Most likely, he was involved in Hitler Youth in order to survive. Some people had to continue to be invisible to survive, but this particular Hitler Youth quietly helped because he knew what was happening to the Jews plus others was wrong. Sometimes, people quietly help and that can make a huge difference.
In today's world, do you think it is important to stay invisible or visible? It is important to be visible. In order to make change, people need to be visible. Just look at what happened to those who were invisible. We would never want to live that way.
Do you have time when you struggle to stay visible or invisible? Yes, it is scary sometimes to be visible, but it will not make the problems go away. Standing up and standing tall can be a struggle, but it is who we want to be.
Keyli, Zach, Emily, and I look forward to blog 2!
Blog #2
ReplyDeleteTo begin, Gratz included the interactions because he wants his readers to understand that there are people who may be willing to help in their own way during desperate times. For Josef, the Hitler Youth could have punished Josef for not having his armband on, but he did not because deep down, he did not believe in the poor treatment of Jews and others. In the novel Refugee, by Alan Gratz on pages thirty four and thirty five, he explicitly stated, “‘What were you thinking?’ The boy whispered. Josef couldn’t speak. The boy thrust the armband at Josef’s chest. ‘Put that on. And don’t ever do that again,’ the Hitler Youth told Josef. ‘Do you understand?’ ‘I -Yes,’ Josef stammered. ‘Thank you. Thankyou- thankyouthankyou.’ This textual evidence backs up our claim by proving that not all who followed Hitler believed in him. Our guess is that even though the Hitler Youth was trying to be invisible in order to survive, he quietly found a way to help. Gratz is probably telling us that when people try to help even in a small way, it can change the course of someone’s future, especially for the better. This was the case for Josef and his family.
For Isabel, Gratz included the interactions between the Fernandez family and the Castillo family with the Bahamian tourists because he wants the reader to understand that there are people who have compassion for those who struggle. For example, Gratz explicitly stated, on page 177, “Before they could get the engine restored, one of the tourists tossed down a bottle of water to Señora Castillo. Soon the rest of the tourists were hurrying back and forth to the café, buying bottles of water and bags of chips and tossing them into everyone’s hands on the boat.” This proves that the tourists cared about Isabel and the families. They sympathized with them and this sympathy propelled them to help.
For Mahound, Gratz wrote interactions between Mr. Nasseer and the Bishara family because Mr. Nasseer was a refugee himself in the past so he knew what the family was dealing with daily. Gratz explicitly stated on pages 127 and 128, “‘My name is Samih Nasseer’, the man told them, and Mahoud father introduced them all. ‘You are Syrian, yes? Refugees?’ the man asked. ‘I know what it's like. I am a refugee too, from Palestine.’ Gratz stated further on page 127, “You take a boat to Greece? Tonight? Mr. Nasseer asked. ‘Maybe,’ Mahoud’s father said. ‘ If it's there.’ ‘I will take you to it,’ Mr. Nasseer said, ‘and if it is not there, you can come back and stay with me.’” This proves that Mr. Nasseer was willing to help Mahmoud and his family out because he understood their struggle. Sometimes, when people who have gone through similar experiences, they may be more willing to help. This can make all the difference for people. What do you think?
Keyli, Zach, Emily, and I look forward to your response.
Hi everyone!! Great answers to the questions in blog #2! I agree with your perspective of these characters. I think Gratz grouped these characters together for a reason. I think he chose these character interactions to show sympathy and compassion. He tried to show that even in someone's darkest times there are still people out there that care and are willing to help. Sometimes groups of people are "forced" to believe and follow a certain way, because it is expected in their community. This happens the most with people's religious, political and social beliefs. It is always easy to follow what everyone is doing, so that you can stay invisible. It is harder to stay with the group when your beliefs do not match that of the groups. There are several examples of this happening in our world today. Have you ever been put into a group that you didn't necessarily feel the same way as the group? I think that Gratz put all these character interactions into the story to show that it is okay to show love and compassion to others in their time of need even if it is not considered socially acceptable. He uses these characters to show that sometimes in life you need to trust your heart and do what you feel is morally acceptable.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the great work!! I can't wait to hear from you again!!
Ms. Sinclair
ReplyDeleteBlog 2 Response:
Yes, we have been put into a group that we did not necessarily feel the same way as the group. Everybody has a different perspective on what your group is talking about, and it is hard to get your point across because everybody has a different opinion.
Blog 3
ReplyDeleteThe point Gratz is trying to make is some people may only accept what is considered correct to them. On the ferry, the refugees were dirty and disheveled, and they also were practicing their religion in a way that others may not understand or approve. On page 214, Gratz explicitly stated, “But when refugees did something they didn’t want them to do- when they tried to cross the border into their country, or slept on the front stoops of their shops, or jumped in front of their cars, or prayed on the decks of their ferries- that's when people couldn’t ignore them any longer.” This textual evidence backs up our claim by proving that some people do not tolerate others. We can infer that this is what Gratz is telling us because we need to understand the situations people are in before we judge. We all need to treat people with respect and understanding. Treat others the way you want to be treated. What do you think?
I agree, I think Gratz is showing that the refugees are not being accepted. The people would ignore or tolerate the refugees until they did something to make them lose their invisibility. Gratz is showing us (the reader) that everybody struggles and has hardship and you shouldn't judge someone until you have walked in their shoes. Keep up the great work!!!
ReplyDeleteDear Ms. Sinclair,
ReplyDeleteThanks for responding to our blog #3. We are looking forward to your response to blog #4. We appreciate you taking time out of your day to respond to our blog answers.
Blog #4
ReplyDeleteIs Lito regretting what he had done? In the novel, Refugee, Lito’s character portrays regret. He understands that he let Josef and everybody on the ship down by not helping them. But now, Lito is a refugee, and he knows how it feels to be betrayed like that. In the novel, Refugee, by Alan Gratz, he explicitly stated on page 221, “;I wish from the bottom of my heart that you will land soon, Little Man,’ Officer Padron said again. ‘I’m sorry. I’m just doing my job.’ Josef looked deep into Officer Padron’s eyes, searching for some sight of help, some hint of sympathy. Officer Padron just looked away.” This textual evidence proves that Lito did not try and help Josef out; he just looked away. Lito wants Isabel to make a change because he did not. On page 277 Gratz explicitly stated, “‘I see it now, Chabel. All of it. the past, the present, the future. All my life, I kept waiting for things to get better. For the bright promise of Mañana. But a funny thing happened while I was waiting for the World to Change, Cabela: It didn't. Because I didn't change it. I'm not going to make the same mistake twice. Take care of your mother and baby brother for me.’ ‘Leto, what are you doing-?’ ‘Don't stop rowing for shore!’ Isabel's grandfather yelled to everyone else. He kissed Isabel on the cheek, surprising her, and then stood and jumped into the ocean.” Lito is very selfless now, but on the St. Louis, he was selfish. Lito has been mentally and physically broken down by his decision he made on the St.Louis by not helping Josef and the other people on the ship. Now, he is trying to fix everything he has done wrong by telling Isabel not to make the same decisions he made on the St. Louis. It is a decent message to us all. Stand up, be visible, and help others. Do not regret helping anyone...ever.
Lito's point of view on life has changed throughout this novel, What do you think made him change his mind and sacrifice himself t become visible to the coastguard? If he had decided years ago to be more visible, could he have made a change in Joseph's life? Could he have saved them? I agree that Gratz is telling us to be responsible for our lives. We need to make situations better by doing all we can to be visible and help others. I love your "Do not regret helping anyone...ever" comment. Now we just need to remember this and try to do it daily.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think made him change his mind and sacrifice himself to become visible to the Coast Guard?
ReplyDeleteWe think Lito changed his mind and sacrificed himself so his family would not get caught by the Coast Guard. He also wanted Isabel to make a change because he did not.
Could he have made a change in Josef’s life?
Yes, he could have done something to change Josef’s life. We do not want to spoil the ending, but we found out that Lito will make an impact on Josef’s life.
Could he have saved them?
Yes, we feel that Lito could have saved Josef’s life had he been visible. He might not have been able to save the entire ship, but he maybe he could have saved Josef and his family.