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. Sinclair,
ReplyDeleteThank you for blogging with us. Derek, Katie, Jacob, and I look forward to working with you.
Blog #1
Being invisible can be positive and negative. It can be positive and negative depending on the situation and the time.
To begin, it was positive for Josef to choose invisibility. The Nazis would not put him under their radar or keep an eye out for him; in fact, it could keep him alive. In the novel, Refugee, by Alan Gratz on page twenty-two he explicitly stated, “The concession stand man smiled. ‘Buying a paper for you father?’ he asked Josef.”
“‘No, thought Josef. ‘My father just got out of a concentration camp.”
“‘No. For me,’ Josef said instead. ‘I want to be a journalist one day.’”
“‘Good!’ The news agent said. ‘We need more writers.’ He waved a hand at all of the magazines and newspapers. ‘So I have more things to sell!’”
“He laughed, and Joseph smiled. Here they were, talking like two regular people, but Josef hadn’t forgotten he was Jewish. He hadn’t forgotten that if he were wearing his armband, this man wouldn’t be talking and laughing with him. He’d be calling for the police.” This backs up our claim by proving that the man treated Josef like the German he was. We can infer that Josef feels like a normal person. Therefore, he probably feels respected and accepted.
For Mahmoud, it was positive for him to be invisible too. Staying invisible helped Mahmoud stay safe from physical beatings from bullies and stay safe from heartache. On page seventeen, Gratz explicitly stated, “If the bullies didn’t notice you, they didn’t hit you.” Gratz also stated on the same page, “It was better not to have friends in Syria in 2015.” This textual evidence backs up our claim by proving that invisibility kept Mahmoud safer than being visible. Katie, Jacob, Derek, and I can guess that Mahmoud’s life would be in even more great danger if he was visible. We believe Mahmoud is street smart, and he has to weigh the decision to be invisible versus visible to protect himself and his family.
On the other hand, Isabel chose visibility which was positive. Instead of accepting starvation, she found a solution. On page eight, Gratz explicitly stated, “But nobody was going to eat this cat.” This textual evidence backs up our claim by showing that Isabel easily could have ignored the problem or eaten the cat just like others were doing. Instead, Isabel fought against it. It seems to us that Gratz was comparing the problems of the Cubans to the cat. So, Isabel feeding the cat showed she wanted to help her family and the Cubans. Isabel did not accept the way life was. Therefore, Isabel’s visibility was positive.
Overall, people must choose invisibility versus visibility based on their circumstances. Katie, Jacob, Derek, and I understand that most people just try to do the best they can.
Katie, Jacob, Derek, and I look forward to your response.
Thank you for letting me be part of your 8th grade project. I truly enjoyed your thought process in character analysis.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Josef made the right decision to hide his identity from the newspaper stand seller. It had to feel good to communicate with a person without any prejudices. Josef needed human interaction without being pre-judged because of his religion.
I agree that Mahmoud made the right decision to hide his identity. He used his survival instincts to direct his decisions. The fear of being bullied and punished would be very difficult to live with.
I agree that Isabel user her survival instincts to be very visible. She needed to find ways to help her family and friends. Sometimes she did not think of herself before she reacted.
Everyday in 2020 people make the same decisions on whether to be visible or invisible. Sometimes stepping out of our comfort zone is very difficult. I am sure all of you make similar decisions everyday. Fortunately these decisions are not as life changing and life threatening as Josef, Mahmoud, and Isabel.
I look forward to our next blog.
Katie, Derek, Jacob, and I appreciate your response. We are all glad that you agree about our response, and Katie, Derek, Jacob, and I agree that we do make those decisions in everyday life whether we like to or not. We also understand that these decisions are not easy ones.
ReplyDeleteThank you, and we look forward to working with you on our next blog.
Blog 2
ReplyDeleteDear Mrs. Sinclair,
Thank you for blogging with us again. Derek, Katie, Jacob, and I look forward to working with you again.
Gratz included these interactions because he wanted his readers to understand how not all people are evil and how some people may be forced to be something they do not want to be. The interaction between the Hitler Youth and Josef is a great example. Gratz explicitly stated on page thirty-four, “They came to a 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.’ This backs up our claim by proving how not everyone working for Hitler supported him. It shows that some people had to stay invisible to survive, but if they could help quietly, some did. Because of this, it may have made a positive impact on families who suffered. Therefore, there is some good in this world.
Even further, Mr. Nasseer’s actions demonstrate willingness to help too. In the novel, Refugee, by Alan Gratz, he explicitly stated on page 127, “My name is Samih Nasseer,’ the man told them, and Mahmoud’s father introduced them all. ‘You are Syrian, yes? Refugees?’ the man asked. ‘ I know what it is like. I am a refugee too, from Palestine.’ Gratz later wrote on the same page, ‘You take a boat to Greece? Tonight?’ Mr. Nasseer asked. ‘Maybe.’ Mahmoud’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.’ These pieces of textual evidence backs up our claim by proving that Nasseer was willing to help a family that he did not know, but he was willing because he walked a mile in their shoes. Nasseer was a refugee and understood the struggles of the Bashara family. To us, this means the smallest bit of help can make a huge difference in someone’s life. Gratz, most likely, is telling his readers that we can make a difference too when someone is in need of help.
In Isabel’s story, there are the vacationers who helped the families. In this situation, the vacationers probably felt sympathy for Isabel and the families, especially because Isabel’s mother was ill and pregnant. Gratz stated on page 177, “ Before they could get the engine restarted, one of the tourists tossed down a bottle of 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 backs up our claim by showing that there are people who care, and those who sympathize can make a huge difference. Our guess is that in this case, the old woman understood Isabel’s mother’s plight. Overall, this situation shows us that there is hope for another day. This is the difference people can make, even us.
What do you think?
Dear Fellow Bloggers,
ReplyDeleteI truly enjoyed your insights on Blog #2. When I read about the heart warming interactions, I had to smile.
Josef needed the advice from the Hitler Youth. Josef knew he was to wear the armband, but he was tired of being different. The Hitler Youth snapped him back to reality without physically hurting him.
Mahmoud and his family were thankful for the help of Mr. Nasseer. They had been running for safety for so long, they were hesitant to accept his help.
Isabel and her family were grateful for the abundance of supplies given to them from people who just wanted to help.
All three of our main characters found that help is found in unusual places.
I agree with you that there is hope for another day. Each of us need to set a goal to smile at someone each day, help someone each day, and listen to someone each day. This is not a self-centered goal. This is a goal that will make your day better. Keep helping each other!
Blog 2 Response
ReplyDeleteThank you for responding to blog 2!
Blog #3
ReplyDeleteDear Mrs. Sinclair,
Thank you for blogging with us for the third time. Derek, Katie, Jacob, and I look forward to working with you again.
The point Gratz is trying to get across when he says, “They only see us when we do something they don’t want us to do.” is that when the refugees were “invisible” and their actions did not affect anyone else, nothing happened. But as soon as the refugees became “visible”, and their actions affected others, some did see them and did not approve. Why? There was a lack of tolerance. Gratz states on page 214, “ This wasn't what the tourist had paid for. They were supposed to be on a holiday, seeing ancient ruins and beautiful Greek beaches, not stepping over filthy, praying refugees.” Gratz also states on page 214, “The thought hit him like a lightning bolt’. When they stayed where they were supposed to be - in the ruins of Aleppo or behind the fences of a refugee camp - people could forget about them. But when refugees did something they did not want them to do - slept on the front stoops of their shops, or jumped in front 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 backs up our claim by proving the vacationers on the ship only noticed the refugees because of how they appeared and how they practiced their religion. Social class differences bother some people especially with the poor. Some see them as inferior and that is just wrong! With the differences in how people practice religion, some feel that if people pray differently it is wrong. But, we feel different is good. It shows who you are and not everyone is the same. That would be awful. People should appreciate you the way you are. People also need to learn about others before judging. Stereotyping and discrimination is wrong. That is what Gratz is telling us.
Dear Fellow Bloggers,
ReplyDeleteAlan Gratz successfully posed and explained the invisibility question quite well. He makes the reader feel what each character is feeling. He paints a picture for all of us to see. I visualized the different situations our characters experienced. This shows that Gratz is a great author when he can make the reader feel and understand the tribulations of the characters.
Invisibility is common in our everyday world. We look past homeless people until they confront us for a handout. We ignore racial prejudice, until it affects someone we know. We remain quiet, when someone else is berated. We stand back and watch when religious freedoms are being slandered. We watch on television people entering our borders, and we have no idea what persecutions they have endured.
I believe Gratz is trying to tell us that we have to speak up sometimes. Our voices should be heard, without being slanderous and hurtful. We need to be more tolerant of people who are different than us.
I agree with you that stereotyping and discrimination is wrong. It is up to us to take the steps to improve our world.
Keep up the good work!
Carla
Mrs. Sinclair,
ReplyDeleteWe appreciate your response to blog 3.
We agree with you that invisibility is common in our everyday life and world. We understand and agree with you when you said our voices should be heard, without being slanderous and hurtful. It truly is up to us to improve the world. We have been reminded about being kind and how acts of kindness can make a positive impact in a person’s life.
We look forward to blog 4.
Blog #4
ReplyDeleteLito was inferring that since he could not give mañana to the Jewish people back in the late 1930’s, he would try to give mañana to his family now. Lito has lived with regret, and does not want to make the same mistake twice. On page 277, Gratz 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.” To us, Lito is telling Isabel to never give up, and do not make the same mistakes as he did. Always stand up for what you believe in...be visible and try to help those in need. Gratz is telling his readers that living with a regret like this, not helping those in need, can haunt you for your whole life. Try to help because living with regret can ruin your life.
I totally agree with your interpretation of Gratz's passage concerning Lito. He had regrets for years because he didn't speak up or help the Jewish people. He then realized that history had a 360 degrees and was repeating itself. This time Lito could not let that abuse happen again. He wanted to make a stand to help his family. He gave his life so his family could live. He didn't want to be silent or invisible any more.
ReplyDeleteI believe in the golden rule - Do unto others as you would want others to do for you. Speak up for others and yourself. Help others. Respect yourself and other people.
Keep up the good work.
Carla
Thank you for your response. We also believe in the golden rule. If everyone followed this rule, this world would be a better place.
ReplyDeleteWe look forward to blog 5.
Thank you for letting me be part of your class. I hope you always remember that you will not be happy unless you make someone else happy.
ReplyDeleteBe safe!
Carla Sinclair