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. Elliott,
ReplyDeleteDraden, JuliAnn, and I want to thank you for taking the time to work with us; we look forward to working with you!
Blog #1
Being invisible in the situations Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud were in could be positive. Staying quiet and not being heard would lessen their chances of finding themselves in trouble. In the novel, Refugee, by Alan Gratz, he explicitly stated on page twelve, “To walk around getting noticed by the Syrian army or the rebels fighting them was just inviting trouble.” On page ten, he also stated, “Isabel knew that, because her own father had tried and had been thrown in jail for a year.” Last but not least, on page eighteen Gratz explicitly stated, “The bright yellow Star of David armbands the Landaus wore were like magical talismans that made them disappear.” This evidence backs up our claim by proving that keeping themselves out of harm's way may help them stay alive. JuliAnn, Draden, and I can infer that Mahmoud and Josef were making a smart choice when it came to staying invisible because this survival method worked. Common sense tells that if they stay out of trouble, they most likely would not be physically hurt and hopefully move forward.
Being invisible can be negative too. In Josef and Mahmoud’s situation, staying invisible may lesson his or her chance of running into trouble, but it could also turn them into a robot, like Waleed. In the novel, Refugee, Gratz stated on page thirteen, “Mahmoud couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen his brother laugh, or cry, or show any emotion whatsoever.’’ Furthermore, on page eighteen, he stated, “All the station attendants and other passengers gave them a wide berth, following around them like water around a stone.” This evidence backs up our claim by explaining how staying invisible can affect one mentally and physically. We can infer that staying invisible could keep them from being able to move on; it could keep them from being able to live a normal life as a child because being a child does not last forever. It is devastating to see that these people who are physically and mentally stuck or “collecting dust” couldn't show enough emotion to be a child and have an eventful life. JuliAnn, Draden, and I read a memoir by Truman Capote called, A Christmas Memory. In the memoir, the class read about a family member of Capote’s who never moved forward; she was collecting dust because she was not able to move on from a tragic event. This is similar to Waleed. He has seen nothing like any regular child from America and other places. In fact, all he has seen is violence, hatred, and abuse. Therefore, invisibility can be negative; it can change one’s mental state.
As for Isabel, staying invisible while the Cubans were forgotten, unseen, and starved made her go through a trauma. Gratz explicitly stated on page eight, “But a few years ago, in 1989, the Soviet Union had fallen, and Cuba had hit rock bottom.” Also, Gratz wrote, “But when the Soviet Union went away, so did all their support.” This evidence backs up our claim by explaining how the conditions or what it was like where she lives at that time. JuliAnn, Draden, and I can infer that Isabel was living in a really rough place. If she continued to stay in those conditions, she would never be the same again; she would also stop being herself...or collect dust. Common sense tells us that the Cubans were starving. How would you feel if you were in her situation where you could not feel safe in your own home? Would you ever be able to consider things “normal” ever again? What do you think?
JuliAnn, Draden, and I look forward to your thoughts and comments on our response. We would love to know how you feel about the situation. Once again, thanks for working with us!
Sorry for my late post - I have been sick for the past week.
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I agree with you that being invisible was a positive in that it kept Josef, Mahmoud and Isabel out of trouble. They weren't physically hurt by staying in the shadows but I believe it resulted in a bigger negative outcome.
By staying in the shadows - their homes were still destroyed and their relationships with other people were messed up. Waleed, as you mentioned, was turned basically into a robot because he could not live. There was no such as thing as normal for any of them. Staying invisible can only last so long and even though Josef and Mahmoud thought they were invisible we don't know for sure if that was the case. Invisible or not, I believe the outcome would have still been the same for them during this time period.
As far as Isabel goes in Cuba, I truly believe they were at rock bottom. With no support from the Soviet Union the Cubans had nothing and saw no way to make things better. It leads me to believe that no other country was going to come to their aid either. I don't think Isabel herself was invisible - I think the whole country was.
I really feel for these characters because they are living in a nightmare with no end in sight. I'm not sure they even knew what normal was for the most part so how could they begin to be happy and have hope for a future.
Keep up the good work!
Angie
Thank you for your response. We look forward to working with you on blog 2.
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ReplyDeleteDear Mrs. Elliott,
JuliAnn, Draden, and I are excited to share our ideas with you for blog #2. We absolutely love working with you! Thanks for sharing your wonderful ideas.
Throughout the novel, Gratz wrote 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. JuliAnn, Draden, and I believe that Gratz included these interactions to tell his readers that not all people are cruel. If someone fights through the tough times, there may come a thoughtful person/thing that will fill his/her life with hope. Gratz added Josef’s interaction with the Hitler Youth to show Josef that there are people who care. Gratz wanted to show readers that not all Hitler Youth supported Hitler’s rule of law. In the novel, Refugee, by Alan Gratz, he explicitly stated on page thirty-four, “‘Put that on and don’t ever do that again,’ the Hitler Youth told Josef. ‘Do you understand?’” Then, on page thirty-five, Gratz stated, “He stood taller, tugged at the bottom of this brown shirt to straighten it, then turned and marched away.” This evidence backs up our claim by proving that some people may be willing to help out. Even further, this idea is continued with Mr. Nasser and the Bishara family. Gratz explicitly stated on page one hundred twenty-seven, “‘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.’” This textual evidence backs up our claim by showing that this man is giving Mahmoud’s family a feeling of hope, so they did not have to roam the streets with no place to go. Lastly, with Isabel, the tourists at the Bahamas gave Isabel’s family a strength to keep going forward towards the United States. On page one hundred seventy-seven, Gratz stated, “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 textual evidence backs up our claim by showing how the tourists gave the Castillo family hope that they would make it to the United States healthy. One can infer that when these people gave them strength, it eased the stress just a little bit. Looking more into that, if a person sees someone who is in desperate need of hope, that person should put himself/herself in his/her shoes. Common sense tells us that showing hope gives people hope to keep pushing forward. Gratz is telling his readers that as long as one does not give up… there may always be a person he/she can go to who is willing to help.
Hi JuliAnn, Draden and Harley!
ReplyDeleteI think you had a great answer to this question. Think how many people we run into one a daily basis and don't know what is happening in their life. I believe Gratz put these interactions in the book to prove you cannot judge someone just by what they look like on the outside.
When Josef encountered the Hitler Youth boy on the train - he was frightened just because of how the boy was dressed. Little did Josef know that that boy would not "tell on" him and actually help him hide his star.
Mr. Nasser and the Bishara family were becoming very disillusioned when it came to finding a boat. Each time they were lied to, their hope and faith in humanity was getting lowered. Finally someone stepped up and gave them a chance to believe again. This helped them to keep going and to not give up the fight!
The Castillo and Fernandez family were in such a hopeless situation on their boat that they all wanted to just give up. Then strangers on the dock started tossing them water and food - think how this made them feel. People helping them instead of trying to hurt them.
I was told a long time ago to never take away someone's hope - because as long as there is hope there is a will to keep pushing forward. These stories show how true that is.
Angie
Blog #2 Response
DeleteThank you for your response!
Blog #3
DeleteDear Mrs. Elliott,
Draden, JuliAnn, and I really enjoy working with you and love reading your responses. Thank you for taking time to work with us and reading what we have to say!
“They only see us when we do something they don’t want us to do.” What was Mahmoud trying to say? It means people of different religions or different races may be discriminated against because of uneducation and unawareness. In the novel, Refugee, by Alan Gratz, he explicitly stated 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 the refugee camp- people could forget 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.” He also stated, “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 evidence backs up our claim by proving that the practices of the Syrian refugees were upsetting people because it was infringing on their vacation and some may not have understood or some may not have been accepting of the Muslim religion. We can infer that the people on the vacation are acting this way because they have never walked a mile in Mahmoud's shoes or any other refugees’ shoes. They may not understand the practices of others, or they cannot relate to them. This means that some people may not be educated on other religious practices of others or what one may be going through. Gratz may be telling his readers that people need to stop judging others until they learn or understand someone’s plight. What do you think?
Blog #2 Response
DeleteThank you for your response!
Blog #3
DeleteDear Mrs. Elliott,
Draden, JuliAnn, and I really enjoy working with you and love reading your responses. Thank you for taking time to work with us and reading what we have to say!
“They only see us when we do something they don’t want us to do.” What was Mahmoud trying to say? It means people of different religions or different races may be discriminated against because of uneducation and unawareness. In the novel, Refugee, by Alan Gratz, he explicitly stated 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 the refugee camp- people could forget 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.” He also stated, “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 evidence backs up our claim by proving that the practices of the Syrian refugees were upsetting people because it was infringing on their vacation and some may not have understood or some may not have been accepting of the Muslim religion. We can infer that the people on the vacation are acting this way because they have never walked a mile in Mahmoud's shoes or any other refugees’ shoes. They may not understand the practices of others, or they cannot relate to them. This means that some people may not be educated on other religious practices of others or what one may be going through. Gratz may be telling his readers that people need to stop judging others until they learn or understand someone’s plight. What do you think?
Have you ever heard the saying - "ignorance is bliss"? If you don't know about something it is easy to ignore and you can live in your own little world. Once you learn something or see something it is not so easy to ignore and go back to "normal". This is what is going on here - as you said in your answer as long as the refugees were not seen they could be ignored, but once they were visible everyone else struggled to deal with them. I think it is so important to tolerate others at all times. Just like it infers in the book we should never judge someone - we have not walked in their shoes.
ReplyDeleteMy group members and I did not really understand what the term “ignorance is bliss” so we looked up the term for better understanding. We found that it means, like you said, if you do not know about something, you do not worry about it. So if people had not seen the refugees, they would not have had those feelings. With what you said in your response, we feel that it really is important to tolerate others at all times because you never know what is going on in their lives and if you have never walked a mile in their shoes. We have had discussions with Mrs. Thompson and Mrs. Fuller about “walking a mile in someone else’s shoes”. This novel has led to good discussions and reminders to think of how we would want other people to treat us if we would find ourselves in need of help.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your response. We look forward to blog 4.
Blog #4
ReplyDeleteOn page 277, Gratz wrote, “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 was telling Isabel that if you do something you know is wrong, it may haunt you all of your life. He is inferring that since he did not have a chance to fix what he regretted not fixing, he was going to put his faith in Isabel to do what is best. In the novel, Refugee, by Alan Gratz, he explicitly stated on page 276, “‘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.’” He also stated on page 278, “‘Now, Row! Mañana is yours, my beautiful songbird. Go to Miami and be free!’” This textual evidence backs up our claim by explaining what is going to happen if you just sit back waiting for things to improve. It never will. It also proves that Lito would rather pay it back to his family in feeling of regret for not saving Josef’s family. One can infer that since Lito could not promise mañana to the people on the St. Louis, that he was going to give his family a chance at seeking mañana. In other words, he does not want her to make the same mistakes he did. Common sense tells us that Lito was trying to explain that life is not just going to go how you expect it to go. Lito has a kind heart, and he wants his family to be safe. Lito is willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen, even if it means risking his own life. What do you think?
True - if you want the world to change, you must do something to change it. Waiting for others is not a good option. We never know someone else's story so I believe the best thing to do is the right thing, even if it is the unpopular thing. I'm sure Lito was going along with everyone else by not letting the ship come ashore. You can tell, though, that one decision haunted him the rest of his life. When it came down to the end - he still felt bad about it. At least he thought he could do something to make up for it so instead of just waiting to see - he pushed his family to forward and didn't wait.
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