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 Mrs. Ramsey,
ReplyDeleteCatlynn, Katie, Jay, and I are thankful to have you help us with our blog.
Blog #1
Being invisible is a bit unusual in the United States, but for Mahmoud, Isabel, and Josef, it was a way of life. Mahmoud, a twelve year old boy living in Aleppo, Syria in 2015, was rough; his country was in a war in 2015 and is still in war today. In the novel, Refugee by Alan Gratz, he explicitly stated on page twelve, “Random death from a fighter jet’s missile or a soldier’s rocket launcher might come at any moment, when you least expected it. To walk around getting noticed by the Syrian army or the rebels fighting them was just inviting trouble.” This textual evidence backs up our claim by proving that Mahmoud’s invisibility helps him during the Syrian war. We can infer that choosing invisibility was the best way for Mahmoud to survive in Syria. Common sense tells us that living a life such as Mahmoud’s seems so unreal because where we live it seems not as hostile and many do not live in the fear like Mahmoud.
Even further, Isabel is an eleven year old girl, living in Havana, Cuba. The year of 1994 was hostile for the Cubans and worse by the day. It was obvious Isabel wanted to be visible and stand up for her country. Gratz clearly stated on page twenty-six, “Some people fled from the chaos, but more people raced toward it, and Isabel ran with them.” This textual evidence backs up our claim by proving that Isabel wanted to be with the people who ran toward the chaos because she wanted to find her father and help him. Isabel could easily have ran home, but instead, she fought for her family. It seemed that the Cubans were losing their country to fear and chaos all because they may be too scared to stand up for themselves. But, that is not Isabel; she is a fighter, and invisibility is not in her nature.
Berlin, Germany was chaotic and dangerous for Josef, a twelve year old Jew. Josef was not the only Jew in Germany who was being terrorized. In the novel, Refugee by Alan Gratz, he explicitly stated on page five, “In the days to come, Josef learned that his family wasn’t the only one the Nazi’s had attacked that night. Other Jewish homes and businesses and synagogues were destroyed all over Germany, and tens of thousands of Jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps. They called it Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass.” Glass was not the only thing broken that night. Every person in the Landau’s household had broken hearts as they saw their beloved husband/father taken away from them. Josef was forced to be invisible to help his family travel to Cuba and start a new life; therefore, invisibility was a positive for him because it kept him alive...at this time.
Catlynn, Katie, Jay, and I look forward to reading your thoughts on this topic. Do you think invisibility can be both positive and negative too?
Hi everyone! I am excited to be a part of this experience and helping you to process Refugee.
ReplyDeleteI think it’s interesting that the novel chose these 3 historical times to bring to light the aspect of invisibility as a coping or survival strategy. I do not think we have to go back in time or go to war struck countries to find situations where people cope by becoming invisible. Nor do we have to do such to find a person who blends into the background and is in essence, invisible to those around them.
I know that there are many students in our district who make themselves invisible by staying quiet, avoiding people who are mean to them, not doing or saying anything that might bring attention to themselves. Perhaps they are avoiding a person who targets them with bully-like behavior or maybe avoiding a parental figure that acts abusively towards them.
Similarly to how the Cubans felt, sometimes we have students that feel like they are overlooked. For whatever reason, they feel like they are a nobody and that others do not truly care about them.
Your assigned question is how can it be positive AND negative to be invisible in these situations?
I think that the positive aspect of being invisible is survival. It is undeniable that in some situations it is in our best interest to be quiet, wait, “lay Low”, and just blend in. For some it brings a sense of security and anonymity, allowing them to survive their difficult situation.
I can see how at times, some people, might become too dependent on their quest for invisibility and let a fear of standing up for themselves rule. Which could, in fact make a person feel as though they are stuck in their circumstances, crippling them from rising above and seeking betterment.
So to answer your question, yes, I think invisibility can be both positive and negative depending on the circumstances.
I would encourage your group to discuss how invisibility can be seen at a local level, even within your school buildings and homes. Is there anyone that you feel invisible to? Is there a person in your life that you wish you could be invisible to? Do you overlook a particular person group intentionally?
Dear Mrs. Ramsey,
ReplyDeleteCatlynn, Jay, Katie, and I thank you for responding to our first blog. We hope to learn more and more with each response.
Here are the answers to your questions:
1. No, Jay, Katie, Catlynn, and I do not feel invisible to anyone at home or school.
2. Yes, everyone in group twenty-one wishes to be invisible when around certain people. It is very common to ignore people who dislike you or are rude to people you know and love. Sometimes, it is difficult to socialize with people you are not familiar with, but it is also very hard to grow as a person without getting to know the different types of human behavior.
3. Yes, everyone in the group has someone or a group of people he/she ignores. The majority of our group try to avoid “toxic” people or people who might affect our physical, emotional, or mental health in a negative manner.
Catlynn, Jay, Katie, and I look forward to working with you on blog 2.
Blog 2
ReplyDeleteDear Mrs. Ramsey,
Katie, Catlynn, Jay and I thank you for continuing to talk with us, and we hope to learn from your next response.
Gratz put these interactions in Refugee to show that not everyone in society is cold-hearted. Gratz explicitly stated on page thirty-four, “No. Not here. Not now. Not like this, Josef prayed-and the Hitler Youth boy pushed Josef on past. They came to the door of the Jewish train car, and the Hitler Youth spun Josef around. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was listening. ‘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. Thankyouthankyouthankyou.’” It is clear that the boy in the Hitler Youth does not follow Hitler or the Nazi party. He is most likely being forced into this uncomfortable situation because of what society may think of him. The boy’s actions do show that not everyone believed in Hitler’s rule of law. Gratz is telling us that there were Germans who disagreed, and some did all they could to help.
Jay, Catlynn, Katie, and I all agree that Mr. Nasseer helped Mahmoud and his family because he was a refugee too. In the novel, Refugee by Alan Gratz, he explicitly stated on page 126, “You are Syrian, yes? Refugees?” the man asked. “I know what it's like. I am a refugee too, from Palestine.” Also, on page 127, Gratz explicitly stated, “‘I will take you to it,’ Mr. Nasseer said, ‘and if it is not there, you can come back and stay with me.’” This textual evidence proves that people who can relate are more likely to help. Why? They know what it is like to go through certain situations. Mr. Nasseer knows what it is like, and he does not want the Bishara family to suffer.
Our group firmly believes that the people on the beach throwing necessities at Isabel felt badly for this stranded family and had felt as if they needed to help; they had compassion. The author clearly stated on page 176, “Before they could get the engine restarted, 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. ‘Aspirin? Does anyone have aspirin? For my mother?’ Isabel begged. Up on the dock, an old white woman understood. She quickly dug around in her big purse and tossed a plastic bottle full of pills to Isabel.” This evidence shows that there are people who have true compassion are willing to defy in order to help. This is what Gratz is telling us. Be visible and help those in need. We are all in this life together. What do you think? Katie, Catlynn, Jay, and I look forward to reading your response.
Hey everyone. I agree with your take on this question. I think Gratz included these situations to remind the reader that there the viewpoint was varied in these situations.
DeleteEmpathy is the ability to understand or share the feelings of someone else. The situations that you are referencing shout out EMPATHY to me! The individuals were able to empathize and as a result show compassion. I definitely think it is easier to empathize with someone when they are experiencing something you yourself have experienced. However, personal experience is not necessary for empathy. Empathy is just being able to imagine, relate, and understand.
There is a social psychology term called the “bystander effect”. It is the idea that people are less likely to do what they feel is right or help a victim if there are many people around. In fact, the greater number of people that are present, it is believed that a person is less likely to help. It makes me wonder if the Hitler Youth would have been so kind if someone else would have been present.
Similarly there is another social psychology term called “mob or herd mentality” where people are influenced by their peers or those around them to adopt a certain behavior or follow a trend. This is not always people acting in a positive way but I think we definitely see a positive version of herd mentality with the tourists at the Bahamas. One person stepped up and acted out in compassion and then others began to follow suit.
I like your interpretation that Gratz included this in his story as a way to encourage the reader to have empathy and show compassion to others.
Response #3
DeleteJay, Katie, Catlynn, and I agree that Gratz is not trying to reiterate that blending in and not drawing attention to yourself is not always a negative thing. The 8th grade students read a book this year called Ashes of Roses. It was about immigrants coming to America, similar to Refugee. When they had nowhere to stay, they stayed with their Uncle Patrick and Aunt Elsa. Elsa has two children of her own who were absolutely rotten. The reason for their disrespectful behavior is because of their mother, Elsa. The girls' role model, Elsa, contributed to their awful behavior. We thank you for your response and we look forward to the next one.
Blog 2 Response
ReplyDeleteThank you for your response.
Blog #3
ReplyDeleteGratz wants to show how diversity may be threatening to people who are unaware of someone else’s life. In the novel, Refugee, by Alan Gratz, he explicitly stated on page 214, “They were supposed to be on holiday, seeing ancient ruins and beautiful Greek beaches, not stepping over filthy, praying refugees. They only see us when we do something they don't want us to do.” This textual evidence backs up our claim by describing how the tourists viewed the refugees. The tourists had visibly shown their disgust towards the refugees by simply staring and using the tone of their voice. Logic tells us that if the tourists had been in a situation like Mahmoud and the other refugees, they’d be more sympathetic and compassionate towards them. We firmly believe that the tourists are simply unaware of the refugees’ situation and are a making judgement without much information.
It can be so difficult to empathize with someone when you have no understanding of where they come from or the purpose behind their behavior. I think the quote reiterates that our own backgrounds, experiences and moral judgments play such a big part in our ability to show compassion to others.
ReplyDeleteI also wonder if Gratz isn't trying to reiterate that blending in and not drawing attention to yourself is not always a negative thing. Many times in this book it is a life saving coping skill.
Blog #4
ReplyDeleteWhat does Lito see? Does he see the future? He must know what the future holds because he was willing to jump off a boat into the treacherous sea to save it. Lito is trying to rewrite a wrong to a right because he feels guilty for being invisible in the past. In the novel, Refugee, by Alan Gratz, he explicitly states on page 277, “ ‘Don't you see?’ Lito said. ‘The Jewish people on the ship were seeking asylum just like us. They needed a place to hide from Hitler. From the Nazis. Mañana, we told them. We’ll let you in Mañana. But we never did.’ Lito was crying now, distraught. ‘We sent them back to Europe and Hitler and the Holocaust. Back to their deaths. How many of them died because we turned them away? Because I was just doing my job?’” Lito just felt this guilt since the day he sent them back. He can now see what he must do. If Lito jumps out of the boat, the coast guard will come to save him from “drowning.” This selfless act will give his family enough time to row to Miami and be free. Lito was the life or death situation for Isabel and her family; he chose death to give them life.