1. 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?
Group 35
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?
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Dear Ms. Coulter,
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking time out of your day for volunteering to help our group.
Blog #1
Invisibility can be positive or negative. The characters, Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud from the novel, Refugee, by Alan Gratz all have separate problems and because of this, they must choose to be visible or not in order to continue their lives.
Invisibility could be positive because one may be able to survive. Gratz 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 explaining that if a person chooses to be invisible, it could save a life. One can infer that some people may have the chance to make the right choice and for Mahmoud being invisible was the right choice. Common sense tells us that if Mahmoud chose to be visible, he would have had a greater chance of finding himself physically hurt or even killed. Therefore, if Mahmoud wanted to possibly live another day, he had to be invisible; this invisibility was his protection.
On the other hand, invisibility can be negative, especially if it is forced upon another. It can be negative because people who treat others as they do not exist make them feel unimportant or unworthy. Gratz explicitly stated on page eighteen, “The bright yellow Star of David armbands the Landaus wore were like magical talismans that made them disappear.” Gratz also stated on the same page, “The people chose not to see them.” Keaton, Kate, Draegan, and I can guess that Jews who were treated with such disrespect felt like a people without a country; they did not belong. If anyone tried to help them, the consequences could have been severe. Hitler led by fear so if people did not follow him, they were either sent to work camps, death camps, or just forced to leave the country. Therefore, if people wanted to stay alive and/or continue their lives, they had to follow Hitler. For some who followed Hitler but feared him and did not help others, they were invisible too. What do you think about the people who accepted Hitler’s rule? Were those people invisible too?
Keaton, Kate, Draegan, and I look forward to your response.
Keaton, Kate, Draegon and Trisdan,
ReplyDeleteWow you guys have some great thoughts on these questions! I have to say that your first answer about being invisible was my very first thought, safety. In these situations, I cannot think of a more important reason to be invisible than that.
One negative aspect of being invisible that I kept coming back to was loneliness. It must be so lonely to never be seen, even if the reason you’re doing it is to keep safe. I can’t imagine not having friends to talk to about the awful things these kids and their families are going through. Nobody to know when you’re happy, sad or afraid. Yes, the characters have their families, but I think we all can agree how important it is to have friends to share feelings with. People that won’t judge and will just listen.
Now to answer your questions, I have mixed feelings about people that accepted Hitler’s rule. I believe that some of them absolutely did this in an attempt to be invisible. I think it was done out of fear and safety. Fear makes people do things they would never dream of doing otherwise. On the other hand, some of the people that accepted his rule did so because they believed he was right and enjoyed hurting others. There were people and still are people in this world that feel superior to groups that they deem as different.
I look forward to hearing from you guys some more!
In closing this post I’ll leave you guys with a quote, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”― Edmund Burke
Thank you Mrs.Coulter for responding to our blog #1. We look forward to your response to our blog #2 and your further responses.
DeleteBlog #2
ReplyDeleteWhy did Alan Gratz include these interactions? Alan Gratz included these interactions to show us that there are some kind people in this world, even if they do not outwardly show it. Keaton, Kate, Draegan, and I believe Gratz put these interactions into the stories to show that not all people agree with what one has to say. In the novel, Refugee, by Alan Gratz he explicitly stated on page thirty-four, “They came to a compartment with a man in the uniform of the Gestapo, the Nazis’ Secret State Police, and Joesf stumbled. The Gestapo man looked up at them through the window in his door. No. Not here. Now. Not like this. Joesf prayed and the Hitler Youth boy pushed Joesf in the past. They came to the door of the Jewish train car, and the Hitler Youth spun Josef around. He glanced around 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?” This textual evidence backs up our claim by proving that not all Germans agree with Hitler’s rule of law. We can infer that some people had to stay invisible in order to survive. This was the case for the Hitler Youth. But, this incident proves that there are people who are willing to ‘quietly’ step out of their invisibility in order to help others. It gives us hope.
In Isabel’s case, the tourists demonstrated true compassion. They could have easily done nothing, but they defied authority and helped make a positive impact on the families. Gratz explicitly stated on page 177, “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.” This evidence proves that there are caring people in this world. Because of this, it gives others hope and hopefully helps people to realize to pass on a great deed. It is all about being a decent human being.
In Mahmoud’s situation, he and his family came across someone who could relate to their struggles. Because of this, it made a positive difference for the Bishara family. It shows us that people who can relate are more likely to help. On page 127, Gratz explicitly stated, “‘I know what it’s like. I am a refugee too, from Palestine.’” Gratz also stated on page 127, “‘I will take you to it,’ Mr. Nasseer said, ‘and if it is not there, you can come back and stay with me.’” This evidence backs up our claim by demonstrating the actions of those who can relate to someone’s plight. Gratz is telling his readers that it helps to feel others’ pain and try to walk a mile in someone’s shoes. Feeling sympathetic and making change can make a huge difference.
What are your thoughts?
Yes, I agree that these interactions give us hope and proves that there are good people out there willing to help. But, on the other side of this, it shows us just how little help they had. There are so many instances of the families being taken advantage of and hurt on their journeys but only one of assistance.
ReplyDeletePlease don’t get me wrong, I was grateful when our characters finally received some form of help. But was it enough? What is enough? How many Josef’s would still be alive to tell their story had more been done to help his family? Right now there are hundreds of thousands of people just like Mahmoud trying to survive.
For me, these interactions made me ask myself “What would I do? Would I have been a helper?” Since reading this book I have spent a great deal of time thinking about what I actually can do. I mean, I’m an average American, living in safety with food and water and clothes and a warm place to sleep. So, I decided I can donate to charities and use my voice to advocate for those that cannot.
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
― Fred Rogers
Blog #3
ReplyDeleteThe point Gratz is making is some people may not want to help change things unless it is negatively affecting their lives. The tourists on the ferry judged the refugees like they are judging a book by its cover; they are judging refugees before they have a chance to walk a mile in their shoes. Therefore, the tourists do not know what they have been through. In the novel, Refugee, by Alan Gratz, he 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.” This textual evidence backs up our claim by proving that not all people know you or have walked a mile in your shoes. To us, Gratz is telling us to learn about a person’s story, his/her situation before making a judgement. Sometimes, understanding someone’s plight may help people show sympathy as well as respect. When people show sympathy and give respect, it can move mountains.
Blog 2 Response
ReplyDeleteThank you for your response to blog 2!
I kind of see what you’re saying but I think I disagree. I think Gratz is basically saying something similar to “out of sight out of mind”. In 2015 everyone all over the world knew what was happening and knew about all the refugees fleeing Syria. I just think it makes people uncomfortable seeing it first hand. It’s really easy to read about it in a newspaper or see things online and have an opinion or feel some compassion but when you’re on vacation, people don’t want to have “real life” staring at them. Or that’s what I got out of this part of the book. Gratz statement about how Mahmoud feels can literally be applied to everyone at some point in time, example, someone walking down the street and we don’t think twice but if that person is dancing we will likely get our phone out and record it or text a friend about something we saw. However, for Mahmoud and his family, being seen for doing something others may think is wrong can be life or death. But, do you stay true to yourself and your religion? Or do you become invisible again and blend in. I really feel like refugees can’t win for losing. If they blend in then nobody will see them and possibly no help will come their way. If they do something to make themselves seen, harm could come to them. It is just a horrible situation all around with very little answers.
ReplyDelete“Recognize yourself in he and she who are not like you and me.”
― Carlos Fuentes
Dear Mrs. Coulter,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your response to our blog #3. We appreciate your honesty and disagreeing with us. We have talked about how a novel can be interpreted in many different ways. This proves that we each can read the same thing and come away with different opinions.
Thank you for pointing out the people dancing instead of walking. It is so true! Different does not mean bad.
All of us believe that we should stay true to ourselves and our religion. We think that staying true to ourselves and religion is worth the sacrifice and the consequences that come with it.
We look forward to blog 4.
Blog #4
ReplyDeleteMrs. Coulter,
We hope that you are enjoying the novel and blogging with us too. Our group had a couple different answers to this blog question.
What is Lito inferring? Lito is inferring that he made a mistake on the St. Louis by not doing more for the Jewish refugees. Lito made sure that he would not make this mistake with his own family. Lito regrets not helping the refugees more and by promising them tomorrow when deep down he knew freedom was not going to happen. Now on the raft, he is understanding his mistake he made on the St. Louis. Instead of helping the Jewish refugees on the St. Louis, Lito turned his back and said, “I’m just doing my job.”
Lito is also inferring that he wants his granddaughter to be visible in her life. He hopes that she will be the change for the better. Alan Gratz, he explicitly stated on page 277, “For the bright promise of mañana. But a funny thing happened while I was waiting for the world to change, Chabela: It didn’t.” This textual evidence backs up our claim by proving that the world will not change unless you do your part. He hopes that teaching his granddaughter to help others and stand up for what is right, change will happen.
What do you think Lito is inferring?
I believe there are many correct answers to this question. I think that Lito, from his past experience with refugees has a unique perspective in his own journey as a refugee. I agree that he is maybe trying to make up for something he thinks he did wrong with the St. Louis. I mean, the whole point of life is to learn from our mistakes right? I think it’s also important to see that Lito wants his granddaughter to learn to do the right thing. Doing the right thing is not always easy, especially when doing so means going against your boss, friends, family or the government and could have severe consequences for yourself. But, what if that one action could change the course of hundreds of lives for the better? But how heavy is that burden when you don’t? We can see that in conversations with Lito. His decision to not help weighed on him his entire life. I also think Lito was very brave. I’m kind of having a hard time coming up with other ways to answer this because I agree with your answers so much! So I’ll just leave it at that, unless you guys have any questions for me. I have been enjoying this blog very much.
ReplyDelete“Have you ever wondered what marks our time here? If one life can really make an impact on the world…or if the choices we make matter? I believe they do. And I believe that one man can change many lives. For better….or worse.” -Lucas Scott, One Tree Hill
Thank you for your response to our blog #4, Keaton, Kate, Dragon, and I appreciate you taking time out of your day for us. We are excited to see your final blog response to our blog #5.
Delete“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” -Barack Obama
I almost used that quote but chose the One Tree Hill quote for my niece Emilee!
ReplyDelete