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. Wellum,
ReplyDeleteBrynn, Austin, Raegan, and I hope you enjoy our interpretation of the positive and negative values of being invisible.
In Josef’s Isabel’s, and Mahmoud’s situations how could being invisible affect them in both positive and negative ways in their daily lives? In the novel,
Refugee, written by Alan Gratz, all three young adults face persecution in their home country. Through these enduring times, they all discover their own path to freedom. Each one is made to feel inferior in his/her homeland by his/her dictators. Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud have to decide whether they want to step into the light or stay in the shadows.
Being invisible is positive for Josef by keeping him out of danger. In the novel, Refugee, by Alan Gratz, the character, Josef Landau, is a Jewish boy living in Germany during the late 1930’s. On page four of Refugee, Nazis are raiding Josef’s house and taking his father into a concentration camp. Josef tries to stand up against the Nazis, but it takes a turn for the worst. On page four, Gratz explicitly stated, “‘Perhaps you’re close enough that we should take you to a concentration camp too, like your father.’ ‘No!’ Mama cried. ‘No, my son is just twelve. He’s just a boy. Please - don’t!’” This textual evidence supports our claim by proving that since Josef did not stay invisible, he was almost taken to a concentration camp.
One can infer that Josef’s attitude will land him in a great deal of trouble later. He will have to be very cautious if he wants to take action and defy Hitler. Common sense tells us that Josef’s ability to be visible might also come in handy when it comes to his family.
ReplyDeleteIn Isabel’s situation, it would be positive for her to stay invisible. Being invisible would keep her out of trouble and even help her survive. The character of Isabel Fernandez is an eleven year old girl living in Cuba in 1994. During a riot in Havana, Cuba, Isabel began to be visible to try and help her family. On page twenty-eight of Refugee, Gratz explicitly stated, “The policeman’s eyes flashed from anger to surprise, then back to anger. He reared back again to hit Isabel, and she flinched. But the blow never came. Another policeman had caught his arm!” This proves the strength and bravery that one can show, even though he/she is following one of the many dictators. This textual evidence backs up our claim by proving that being visible can be treacherous. Even though this is risky, this Cuban decided it was time to step up and fight for something, even if it was a small victory, and she could possibly be punished for it because she was defying Castro. In spite of all this, Isabel shows perseverance and courage through it all. Gratz also gives readers a grasp of what all the Cubans are in this story, a kitten...young, brave, struggling and soon will have to find a path. But soon, when the time comes, they can fight for something, instead of living in fear.
Being invisible, in Mahmoud’s situation, could be positive due to the possibility of being bullied. In the novel, Refugee, written by Gratz, this idea is presented to us, on page sixteen, “With a battle cry that would have made Wolverine proud, Mahmoud launched himself at Khalid's attackers.” In the next paragraph Gratz stated, “And had been beaten up as bad as Khalid. From that day forward, Mahmoud and Khalid were marked.” On page seventeen, Gratz explicitly stated, “That is when Mahmoud and Khalid had learned how valuable it was to be invisible.” These statements are a true testament to the value of being invisible. They also verify that when Mahmoud was visible for a small amount of time, he was beaten up just as badly as his friend. Throughout these hardships in Aleppo, Syria, one needs to be logical about his/her choices.
ReplyDeleteDuring Josef’s predicament, being visible is negative, due to his dictator, Adolf Hilter. During this time, Josef and his family faced persecution and had to endure it all. This is explicitly stated on page three. “‘Aaron Landau,’ one of the Brownshirts said to Josef’s father, ‘ you have continued to practice law despite the fact that Jews are forbidden to do so under the Civil Service Restoration Act of 1933. For this crime against the German people, you will be taken into protective custody.’” Gratz tried to tell his readers that Germany did not accept Jews or any other religions in this time frame. Gratz attempted to explain the hardships of living in this era. Also, Gratz proved how being visible is not possible in Josef’s situation.
Being visible for Isabel is a negative factor, due to her having an outgoing personality. Isabel is brave, determined, and does not yet realize it. Without Isabel having the character traits she has, who knows where she would be throughout her lifetime. Strength, courage, hope, and being a protector makes up the Isabel we know and love. Due to her being brave and going after what she wants, she puts herself in danger. She represents her father in how they both want to take action and be visible at moments. She has a good head on her shoulders though, because she is deliberate when she does speak up. Unlike some Cuban people, Isabel has a burning love for her country, but desperately wants a better life for her family and herself. On page nine Gratz explicitly stated, “Yes, but they are all players for the Lions and she’s a little lion.” Having a lion instinct will affect her negatively by taking a punishment, or possibly putting someone else she cares about in danger, from both her actions and in her head.
ReplyDeleteMahmoud is affected negatively by being visible, due to him having a past record of being bullied. Gratz describes how Waleed and Mahmoud feel, and how they cope with the Aleppo war. Mahmoud feels like he can not stand up for himself and enjoys wearing the “invisibility cloak”. This war has broken his family piece by piece, and they do not know how to build themselves back up. On page thirteen Gratz explicitly stated, “The war had made Mahmoud nervous. Twitchy. Paranoid. It had made his little brother a robot.” As you have read, the Aleppo war has produced many “robots”. Waleed and Mahmoud are forced to choose to either become a “robot” or show their true colors.
As expressed in the novel, Refugee, Alan Gratz has passionately shared the hard times that Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud have experienced throughout their lifetime. As Gratz once stated, “I don’t weep for the future. I have hope for the future. That’s why I write for kids. I really believe that the future is always going to be better than it is today. That’s why I do it. If I can prepare them for what they are going to run into in the real world through fiction, then I have done my job. That’s why I write. I write to entertain, but I want to change the world and I can do that through helping kids.” This statement is living proof to live your life to the fullest no matter the hardships.
ReplyDeleteBrynn, Austin, Raegan, and I look forward to your response.
https://www.fatherly.com/play/books/alan-gratz-refugee-childrens-book/
ReplyDeleteHello Alexia, Brynn, Raegan and Austin!
ReplyDeleteWhen I read your group post I can hear how much thought has been put into the post. The concept of invisibility that Gratz writes about is a difficult and mature concept to grasp and I can see that your group has spent time thinking about and discussing this concept. Nice work!
In speaking of Josef, your group states that Josef’s ability to be visible may help his family. In what way do you foresee his visibility as helping his family? Also, when speaking of Isabel, your group describes her as brave, and having a lion instinct. However, your group states that these character traits will lead to her putting herself or someone else in danger. Could you think of a way that these character traits could help Isabel or her family?
Your group explained a lot of ways in which invisibility is helpful in keeping Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud out of trouble and alive. Survival is instinctual in humans and humans will do almost whatever it takes to stay alive. However, does your group think that there may be a cost to the concept of invisibility? Imagine if you had to stay hidden in order to survive. How would staying hidden affect your mentality? Do you think that there are people in your community or class that use this survival instinct and if so, why?
Thank you for responding! Brynn, Austin, Raegan, and Alexia look forward to discussing the rest of the novel with you!
ReplyDeleteIn the first blog, our group stated that Josef’s ability to be visible could help his family. Josef may not have the lion instinct like Isabel, but he is a problem-solver and thinks of ways to keep his family out of harm’s way. Josef’s ability to stand out could also benefit his family by protecting his family and being the father figure for his mother and Ruthie. Isabel is brave, like a lion, and is the glue that keeps her family together. Isabel will stand up and fight for others when none of her family or friends will. Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud will decide to be invisible or visible, but either way there will be a cost, whether it is in a positive or negative way. Invisibility could affect them in a negative aspect by allowing Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud to think less of themselves, but also changes their mindset and way of life. If you had to stay hidden to survive, it could affect your mentality by causing you to lose yourself in your own mind. People everyday use the art of being invisible to survive the hardships of life. They may do this to avoid failure, disappointment, and letting friends and family down. They also might do this out of fear and pressure. They feel this pressure because they are being forced to become someone or something they are not.
Blog 2
ReplyDeleteDear Mrs. Wellum,
Brynn, Austin, Alexia, and Raegan appreciate the feedback regarding the last blog and are looking forward to your perspective on the following blog.
In this blog, Brynn, Austin, Alexia, and Raegan write about the interactions throughout the three character stories… Josef and the Hitler Youth, the Fernandez, and the Castillo family, between the tourists at the Bahamas, and Mr. Nasseer’s interactions with the Bashara family. These interactions are beneficial to each and every character throughout the novel, due to the strangers showing compassion. This simple act of kindness can change one's life.
Gratz included the interaction between the Hitler Youth and Josef to show that everyone is human. Even though the Nazis are portrayed as monsters, some are only following Hitler to survival, not by choice. In the novel, Refugee, by Alan Gratz, he 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.” This textual evidence supports our claim by proving that some individuals follow Hitler out of fear and did not believe in his teachings. On page thirty-five, the Hitler Youth goes on to let Josef go while only taking the piece of candy Josef bought for his sister. This evidence backs up our claim by showing that some Nazis or Hitler Youth can be kind. One can infer that Gratz wanted to show that even if it feels like it, no one is ever alone. Everybody has allies somewhere. Gratz showed the readers that a little bit of kindness can go a long way. If any other Hitler Youth or Nazi had caught Josef, he and his family would have been kicked off the train or even sent to a concentration camp. Like Gratz expresses in his work, one must always live his/her life to the fullest. Tomorrow is not promised.
Gratz included the interactions between the Castillo family and the tourists in the Bahamas to portray how some people’s reactions are different than the Nazis’ in the aspect of being a refugee. This picture is created on page one hundred seventy-five of Alan Gratz’s novel, Refugee. Gratz explicitly stated, “‘The Bahamas,’ the man said. The Bahamas? Isabel’s mind went back to the map of the Caribbean on the wall of her schoolroom. The Bahamas were islands to the north and east of Havana, directly above the middle of Cuba. A long way east of Miami. Had the storm really taken them that far off course? ‘ I’m sorry,’ the officer said. ‘ But you are not allowed to land. Bahamian law forbids the entrance of illegal aliens to the Bahamas. If you set foot on Bahamian soil, you will be taken into custody and returned to your country of origin.’ Behind the officers, one of the tourists who knew Spanish was translating for the others. Some of them looked upset and started arguing with the authorities.” As you have read, not every free or captive person will snarl at one just because of their religion. These tourists are a perfect example of this very rare occasion of not caring about the consequences and defending someone you love or a complete stranger. These strangers were not about to be responsible for someone else’s tragedies. To revise, we truly do believe that not everyone agrees with their dictators. Also, not everyone turns down refugees and just hides in the shadows. This is proof that it only takes a simple act of kindness to change a person’s attitude or life.
ReplyDeleteGratz included the interaction between the Bishare family and Mr. Nasseer to show that all throughout the world, some people are still friendly to every race and religion. Gratz explicitly stated in the novel, Refugee, on page one hundred twenty-six, “‘My house is too small for all of you,’ The man said, ‘but I have a little car dealership, and you can stay in the office.’” Then, on page one hundred twenty-seven, Gratz stated “‘ I will take you to it,’ Mr. Nasseer said ‘ and if it’s not there, you can come back and stay with me.’” Then, later in the novel, on page one hundred sixty-two, Gratz stated “‘ At least take my sister!‘ Mahmoud begged. ‘ She's a baby. She won't take up any room!’” Also, on that page, Gratz stated, ''A woman appeared at the side of the boat, her arms reaching down to Mahmoud’s mother. Reaching for the baby.” This textual evidence backs up my claim by proving that even if the situation does not appear to be the easiest route to take, some people will do what is right repeatedly. If Mr. Nasseer refused to help out the Bishara family like the drivers of the other cars, they would have to travel by foot all night alone. Also, if the women on the dinghy blended in with the crowd and started to yell at Mahoud and his mother to get off the boat, then all three of them would have drowned. We can infer that in the future, the Bishara family will lend a hand to refugees down the road because of what these complete strangers were willing to do for them. To sum it up, the Bashara family would not be as willing to help out strangers in the long run if these random acts of kindness did not occur.
These positive interactions between Josef and the Hitler Youth, between the Fernandez and Castillo family with the tourists, and between Mr. Nasseer and the Bishara family all connect with how Gratz views the situations of refugees today. During a time where Josef and his family face persecution, Gratz includes how a boy in the Hitler Youth shows an ounce of kindness towards Josef, and spares him and his family from severe punishment. Isabel’s family and the Castillo family seek shelter in a time of need. In Cuba, they are not welcomed. Cuban people are just there because they will be punished if they are caught trying to leave. The tourists in the Bahamas are willing to help out these poor refugees, even if the Fernandez and Castillo families are not allowed on land. Still, the tourists find a way to show kindness and compassion towards the two families. The Bishara family is seeking a place where it is safe for Mahmoud, Waleed, and Hana, but also gives them some freedom. During the long journey, the Bishara family has encountered, they run into a man, Mr. Nasseer. Mr. Nasseer is willing to give them shelter while they wait for a smuggler boat to take them out of Turkey. Gratz includes this to prove that not everyone agreed with the rule of their homeland or the country they were forced into. Gratz wanted to show how the importance and strength of a small act of kindness can impact a person’s life forever, either in a positive or negative way. “It is not the book he expected to write. It is the book he needed to write because he couldn’t keep reality or his own empathy at bay. Specifically with Refugee, I started with the story of the MS St. Louis. It left Nazi Germany in 1939 with more than 900 Jewish refugees on board. They had already been persecuted. They had been through the Night of the Broken Glasses*, when Nazis went into Jewish homes and dragged people out to concentration camps and busted up shop windows and burnt down synagogues. These 900 plus refugees had managed to get out of Germany and were bound for Cuba. One morning, we got up to go walk the beach, the little tiny beach that was in front of our resort. If you ever have been to the Keys, you would know there’s not much beach. We went out to walk the tiny beach in front of our resort and saw a raft that somebody had taken to come to America in the night. The previous morning it had not been there. It was a homemade raft. It was made of plywood walls and a** two-by-fours. It had been hammered and screwed together. My family and I were really stunned by this. We walked around it and looked at it and talked a lot about it. We realized that while we had been sitting by the pool the day before, relaxing and enjoying our vacation, somebody in this raft had been risking their life to come to this country to try and seek refuge here. It was really sobering and was really eye opening. It made us question our what we take for granted. Our freedom, the roof over our head, the food on our table. I had these two ideas and then of course everyday before and after our vacation we were seeing images on TV of the Syrian refugee crisis. It’s been happening since 2011 when the Syrian Civil War began and it’s still happening today. You’ve seen it and we’ve all seen those incredible photos of the destruction and the people having to leave. I wanted to write about that too.” Gratz wrote these three stories to prove how miserable it is to be a refugee, and what they all sacrificed. Gratz is trying to make sure people of today’s society appreciate the opportunity we have here in America.
ReplyDelete2. Hello Alexia, Brynn, Raegan and Austin!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your group’s response to my questions from the previous post. I enjoyed your response. Especially when your group talked about how people may choose to stay invisible to protect themselves from hardships in life. I am glad your group was able to understand how mentally draining invisibility could be.
The question for this blog post asked what your group thought the reason was for Gratz to continue telling stories about the Hitler Youth, Bishara Family, Fernandez Family, and The Bahamians. Your group focused on the kindness shown by all these stories. I am so proud of all of you for seeing this kindness. This book is heavy and dark at times but Gratz gives us these little stories to help us keep faith in humanity. I am so glad your group sees and feels the kindness. What I find so moving and empowering, is that even though all of the main characters have lost all material belongings and their homeland, they still feel rewarded and uplifted by kindness. I believe that in life, all we truly have is who we are and how we present ourselves. I believe this is the message Gratz wants his readers to understand. I enjoyed what your group wrote regarding the reasoning for the book. What your group wrote lends to your response.
If you were stripped away of everything you owned and knew except for your immediate family, how would you feel? I want your group to think about how important simple kindness would be in this scenario and describe the feeling to me. How important is kindness?
Blog #2 Response
ReplyDeleteIf Brynn, Austin, Raegan, and I were stripped away of everything we owned and knew nobody except for our immediate families, we would feel excluded and disoriented. We would feel this way because our surroundings are different and everything we had to begin with is gone… from friendly faces to familiar streets. In these scenarios, a simple act of kindness could impact a person in a positive way. One has a choice to either show kindness and stand up for distressed people or to ignore them and stay in the shadows. Kindness cannot be negative, but if you do nothing, you become a bystander and will not help in any way. Being kind takes nothing but a simple “Hello,” but could alter the course of one’s future forever.
Blog #3
ReplyDeleteDear Mrs. Wellum,
Brynn, Austin, Raegan, and Alexia have enjoyed the previous comments you have made on the blog(s). We look forward to reading your next response as well. Happy reading!
Even today, people of different cultures and ethnic groups face discrimination due to sterotyping by people who do not know the importance of different religions and races in our society. If everyone looked, behaved, and thought the same way, nobody would be able to express his/her opinions or beliefs. Individuals may be pressured into following a religion he/she may not agree with. Everybody is unique and deserves to have his/her own point of view.
In the novel, Refugee, Gratz explicitly stated on pages 213 and 214, “The vacationers dropped their voices, and even though Mahmoud couldn't understand what they were saying, he could hear the disgust in their words. This wasn’t what the tourists had paid for. They were supposed to be on holiday, seeing ancient ruins and beautiful Greek beaches, not stepping over filthy, praying refugees.” Sometimes when you are just doing what you have been taught, other people may judge you. If the tourists had not been critical of Mahmoud, his brother, and the other praying man, Mahound would blend into the background more often. He explicitly stated this on page 214, “But now Mahmoud began to wonder if being invisible in Europe might be the death of him and his family. If no one saw them, no one could help them. And maybe the world needed to see what was really happening here.'' This backs up our claim by encouraging readers to overcome any challenge he/she may encounter. Common sense tells us that without this event happening, Mahmoud would tend to be more invisible and put his family's lives in danger.
On page 214, Mahmoud realizes the following thought: “They only see us when we do something they don’t want us to do.” Gratz is trying to tell his readers that most people want to believe something horrible or unpleasant is not happening until it interferes with their daily lives or is inconvenient for them. On page 214 of Refugee, Gratz explicitly stated, “When they stayed where they were supposed to be - in the ruins of Aleppo or behind the fences of a refugee camp - people forgot about them. 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 evidence back up our claim by proving that just because refugees were trying to survive and make a better life for themselves, they were looked down upon. But when refugees stay in their dangerous homeland, they are not accounted for at all. Very few people knew or cared about the dreadful conditions that the people of Syria and many other Middle Eastern countries were living under in 2015. Many of these crises are still happening today. One can infer that these thoughts flow throughout our society due to stereotypes. Many people are unfamiliar with different cultures or races. They view being different as wrong. Like in Mahmoud’s situation, everybody goes through unique hardships. One shouldn’t even begin to assume something about another human being unless he/she knows his/her story. The vacationers have no clue what Mahmoud, his family, and the other refugees have experienced. We predict that if the roles were reversed, the tourists would think twice next time they assumed something about a person. Everyone deserves a second chance.
ReplyDelete“I think that what we are seeing in America is a lack of empathy. We have many adults who are unable to see things from other people’s point of view. I think one of the best things that books for young readers can do is put them in the shoes of other people. To show them the world through another person’s eyes. A person who is not from here, not their religion, not their race, not of their economic status. By telling the stories of different people, people different from the region, I think we can begin to build empathy. The more kids read books about people who aren’t them, the more kids will understand where other people are coming from. I hope, it’s my sincere hope, when they grow up they will have more empathy for other people and be able to embrace the other.” Gratz wants the readers to comprehend the value of life and how everyone is made differently. He shows this through the eyes of three kids, Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud. This also proves to never give up no matter the circumstances... “Fight against the impossible and win!” Even though one may face hardships during a difficult time, he/she should always try to overcome the obstacle ahead, and should always live life to the fullest. For we do not know when our song shall end, but while our song still plays on… we live. Each journey is a song, it's just up to us what we do with it.
The root of today’s problems of discrimination based on race, religion, and economic status may lie in the concept of social classes. For centuries, the way one was treated was solely based on his/her wealth and appearance. Sadly, this is still usually the case today. Some individuals may find it hard to let go of dividing society into social categories. This is connected to Mahmoud’s, Isabel’s, and Josef’s stories by showing that some people of a different society may view refugees as “filthy” and run away, whereas others may welcome them with open arms. At first glance, some may be taken aback by foreign practices, but yet treat them as a person not as an object. To clarify, not everybody believes who people who are different are impure. Being different makes him/her special and unique in their own way. Each character in Refugee faces trying conflicts involving discrimination, yet each of them learn how to overcome these obstacles and continue on their path to finding freedom. Since Gratz makes conflict the main theme in Refugee, readers worldwide will understand the true value of showing kindness and not judging others. In one of Gratz’s interviews, he expressed how important it is not to judge or categorize different people. “ It’s so easy to judge an entire country or race or community on the actions of their government, or their religious leaders, or their most vocal agitators. And I don’t mean in any way to excuse the actions of the Nazis, or to claim that most of the German people were just following orders. That such institutional evil was allowed not only to begin but to thrive is a scar on the German peoples’ collective soul that may never go away. (And we Americans have our own scars to bear.) But when we begin to cast our enemies as all-of-a-kind, one-size-fits-all, it allows us also to do things like lump all refugees and immigrants into similar stereotypes and molds. Throughout the book, I challenge my young readers to see each character as a unique individual, each of whom has strengths and weaknesses and dreams and fears. By showing refugees from three different places in the world, with three different cultures and three different religions, I hope that readers will understand that at some point, everyone was the “other.” One of the things I tell students every time I talk about Refugee is that, unless they are Native American, they are all descended from immigrants. Whether your family came over on the Mayflower or on a raft last year, you’re from a family of immigrants. We forget that. We also forget that at almost every point in this country’s history various immigrant groups have been met with prejudice, scorn and violence—Germans, French, Irish Catholics, Japanese, Chinese, Italians, Poles, Africans, Mexicans. But can you imagine America today without the contributions of all those groups? And what will America be like in 100 years without the contributions of the Middle Eastern immigrants we’re turning away for purely nativist reasons? If history is any lesson, America will be lesser for it, to be sure.
ReplyDeleteHow we treat people who are different from ourselves, especially when those people are religiously, politically, racially or sexually very different from us, says a lot about who we are as human beings. Will we embrace the other, even when he or she is alien to us, or will we hate that which we don’t understand? I hope that by showing how different people from vastly different backgrounds were all treated the same by different people in different eras, young readers will begin to see that any one of us could be the “other” in need of help with just the slightest change in our fortunes.”
Today’s society has welcomed 18,000-30,000 refugees into the U.S. because of dictators like Castro, Hitler, and Assad. Despite this substantial number, some people still have a mindset similar to the tourists on page 214. These beliefs are tearing refugees’ hopes and dreams apart. Our society needs to learn to accept and respect the differences between actions, words, races, and religions. We all have to learn these impactful lessons through daily encounters with friends, family, and/or strangers. This will help humanity learn to tolerate/cope with people worldwide. Thanks to the help of Alan Gratz eighth grade students and other kids nationwide learn the realities/hardships other kids our age encounter in everyday life.
ReplyDeleteBrynn, Austin, Reagan, and Alexia hope you enjoyed this blog! We can not wait to hear your comments!
URL: https://bookpage.com/interviews/21676-alan-gratz-childrens#.Xk7YFY7YrnE
Hello Alexia, Brynn, Raegan, and Austin
ReplyDeleteThank you for responding to my question regarding kindness. I hope your group is able to understand that you may be around people everyday who need a kind word or smile. I hope you are able to empathize with these people and provide the kindness that could change the day for people. I am proud of all of you for understanding that there are times when being a bystander contributes to the negativity. It takes courage to act differently than your peers but sometimes this change in behavior can change someone else’s life. Good work!
As for blog question number three, I could see how your group was struggling with the judgment from the tourists. I would imagine that for some of you, this type of judgment is a new concept. However, like your group was able to point out, it happens daily and has for centuries. The reasons for the judgment may vary, but the end result is still the same. I am glad you were able to understand what Gratz was trying to teach. Your group’s statement that Gratz is trying to show readers that people are oblivious to horrible and unpleasant treatment of others tells me that your group is conceptualizing what Gratz was trying to convey. After listening to your group’s debate, I could hear that you all were placing judgment on the tourists who were judging the refugees. Therefore, your group was being hypocritical. I am not pointing this out to be mean but rather to help you understand that we all judge people. It is a human emotion that at times, protects us from harm. However, it is what we do with our judgment that causes problems. When the tourists made comments or ignored the refugees, they were harmful. What I hear your group wanting is for the tourists, or anyone who judges people in hardships, is to rise and and find a way to help. This is the feeling Gratz is trying to bring to the surface in his writing. I am proud of your group for tackling this topic and working through the feelings.
I want your group to pay attention to your thoughts and judgments around school and in the community for a day and reflect on what those thoughts were. Then I’d like to hear ideas for what you could do regarding these judgements. This will be hard, but I think your group is up to the challenge.
Dear Mrs. Wellum,
ReplyDeleteBrynn, Austin, Raegan, and Alexia welcome you back for another blog response. Hope you enjoyed our previous response, and we look forward to your comments/questions! Enjoy!
“I see it now, Chabela. 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, Chabela: 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.” Lito’s impactful words to Isabel could alter their family’s path to safety. Lito had a choice… whether to stay in the shadows or step out into the light.
On page 277 of the novel, Refugee, Lito is telling Isabel that mañana is not promised. Lito talks about how the world did not change, because he did not help change it. Lito is inferring that he regrets not helping Josef, Josef’s family, and all the other passengers on the MS St. Louis. On page 276, Gratz explicitly stated, “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?” This textual evidence supports our claim by expressing the intense regret and sorrow Lito has been bottling up for the past fifty-five years. We can infer that Lito wants Isabel to do better than he did, to not be afraid to take a chance and do the right thing. Gratz urges his readers to understand that if one wants something to change, he/she must change it on his/her own. One can not wait for someone to do it for him/her. If Lito had the chance to travel back to the St. Louis in 1939, he would stand up for the Jewish refugees. He would be the change.
ReplyDeleteOn page 277 in the novel, Refugee, Lito is inferring that he wants to go back and relive the time he spent on the MS St. Louis. He wishes he did something more to help the Jewish passengers. On page 221, Gratz explicitly stated, “‘I wish from the bottom of my heart that you will land soon, Little Man,’ Officer Padrone said again. ‘I’m sorry. I’m just doing my job.’” This textual evidence backs up our claim by proving that Lito really wanted to help the Jews on the St. Louis, but his commanding officers would not allow him to, and he was not willing to risk his job. Then, on page 277, Lito was telling Isabel that he should have helped the Jewish refugees on the St. Louis. Lito wanted her to learn from his mistakes so he can make the world a better place. If he had helped the Jews, he would not have been able to teach Isabel how to be a better person. Lito would not have had the opportunity to make a mistake and learn from it. There would also be less sacrifices for the people you trust.
ReplyDeleteWhen people experience something tragic, do they ever forget the regret of something one did/did not do? No… well Lito never did. In the novel, Refugee, Lito infers that he should right his wrong. Although, his wrong was fifty-five years earlier. This is shown 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 sign of help, some hint of sympathy. Officer Padron just looked away.” This evidence shows that when Josef needed help, Lito claimed that he could not provide assistance much longer. Lito also claimed that he was “just doing his job.” Lito tries to right his wrong on page 277, when Gratz explicitly stated, “ I see it now, Chabela. 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, Chabela: 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.” In this statement Lito infers that he can not go back in time to help the refugees on board the MS St. Louis in 1939, but he can help his family in the present of 1994. One can infer that even though Lito has given his family hope, he will always have the regret of 1939 on his mind. Lito and the refugees’ stories are living proof that mañana is never promised. One must live his/her life to the fullest and take chances. As Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
Dear Mrs. Wellum,
ReplyDeleteWe think your challenge was a wonderful opportunity for us to have an idea about the life of another individual. Over the past nine days, all of us have observed/reflected our judgements on the lives of others around us. Here is Alexia’s, Austin’s, Raegan’s, and Brynn’s perspectives on this topic. Happy reading!
Brynn:
During this challenge, I was shocked to see how many times I subconsciously judged others around me. From walking the hallways at school to driving through town, I critically analyzed others based on their appearance many times without realizing it. As I reflected upon these critical thoughts, I realized that I am only better than some characters in Refugee because I do not express these thoughts outwardly. Other than that, I judge others I do not know just as much as the tourists in Mahmoud's story. This just goes to show how every member of our society views others who are different from us. We, as a community, need to realize that everyone is unique in their own way. Some have a different economic or social status, and this causes many people to be criticized. One can never fully comprehend what another has been through and he/she has no right to judge him/her. One way we can possibly fix this epidemic of harsh words and cruel stares is by stopping to think about what one has been through. What is his/her story? How can I help this person? These are the thoughts we need to be thinking instead of jumping to a conclusion. Although it may take some time, I believe our world can learn to accept others instead of judge them.
Raegan:
ReplyDeleteThroughout this challenge, I finally recognized how much our society judges one's life, due to the way they look, act, and/or live. When you see someone walking down the street in the bitter cold weather, you would want to give them a ride. While others first instinct is to help, others would rather pass up the opportunity to impact one's day. When students see others walking down the hallway of their school, some may feel the need to lend a helping hand, while others would rather push them away and make them feel like an outsider. These observations are a true testament of how people judge others lives/actions. As Coco Chanel once said, “In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.”
Alexia:
Over the course of this challenge, it was eye-opening to see what life means to others. Recently, I watched a basketball tournament and saw many people who looked exhausted and angry. I recall thinking, “Why do adults have these temper problems when watching a basketball game?” Truthfully, I do not understand what it is like being a parent/guardian, so correct me if I’m wrong, but parents just want their kids to do their best. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor.” Also, my family faced a difficult weekend by one of my family members having a life altering problem. This particular family member is doing well now, but it showed me how valuable life is and to love one another no matter what. The feeling of the unknown frightens most people, and though observing the daily encounters I face, it made me realize how simple an action can be. I hope you enjoyed what I have reflected and thought on for the past few days. What were your observations throughout these last several days?
Austin:
ReplyDeleteIn the time of this challenge, I witnessed around ten people walking on the street while in the car riding to the high school and thought that was a lot of people for that ten minute time frame. I know for a fact that I have judged people more times than that during the last several days. This is one example, but I do not recall what exactly was going through my mind when I saw them.
After reading these observations from the Fantastic Four from Group 24, how do you feel about this topic? Through these observations/experiences, we have learned/grown in many different ways. We can all agree that everyone needs to be less judgmental and show more compassion towards others instead. We look forward to your observations.
Hello Alexia, Brynn, Raegan and Austin!
ReplyDeleteThis chapter is my favorite in the book and not just because it is a culmination of the book. The message that Gratz gives us in this chapter is so powerful. I agree with your group’s conceptualization of what Lito was saying on page 277. Nice work in conceptualizing this! We cannot wait for change to happen; we need to be the catalyst of change. I can see that your group understands areas where change would be beneficial. Your comments regarding the need for kindness shows me that your group can see that at times the lack of kindness is a problem. Your group has given great ideas on how to promote kindness day to day. Also, your understanding of how judgments can be harmful and prevent social change tells me that you see judgment in this regard as a problem. What other changes does your group think would benefit our community?
I am so overwhelmingly proud of you all! I am tearing up reading this and am blown away by how much you thought about this. I want to talk to you about it in person. You all are amazing!
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