A stunning, poignant novel about the plight of refugees Grade A. Mahmouds story starts with their apartment building collapsing, due to people rioting because of the civil war going on in Syria. Once he is released, the family flees to Cuba. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Its other accolades include the Sydney Taylor Book Award, the National Jewish Book Award, the Cybils Middle Grade Fiction Award, a Charlotte Huck Award Honor, and a Malka Penn Award for . Refugee follows the stories of three different children and their families, each attempting to flee their violent homelands, in different regions of the world and during different decades. What are some of the themes, symbols and motifs present in the novel? SparkNotes PLUS T he main characters in Refugee are Josef Landau, Isabel Fernandez, and Mahmoud Bishara.. Josef Landau is a twelve-year-old Jewish boy living in Berlin, Germany, in 1938. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. Isabel's story is set in Cuba in 1994 during a time of great economic crisis and upheaval. for a customized plan. Equally real are the events of 1994 depicted in the novel. Lito, Isabels grandfather, allows himself to be deported so that the Fernandezes can make it to Florida. If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original date the date you are citing the material. The frequent dangers that surround the boat underline the fragility of hope in the life of the novels asylum-seekers. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. When students storyboard, they are actively engaged in the learning process and can make connections between the text and their own lives. Josef's life is turned upside down on the night when Nazi Brownshirts take his father away to a concentration camp. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. Lito is rescued and deported to Cuba. 2023 . However, one day Castro announces that he wont enforce staying in the country anymore, and Isabels family is ready to leave in a small boat their friends made. The novel follows the stories of three refugee children in three different geographic locations and points in time. Mahmoud and his traumatized younger brother, Waleed, have learned to survive the frequent bombings and the bullying by majority Sunnis by learning to be invisible. However, the family is forced to act when their neighborhood is bombed. For one, fiction enables the reader to inhabit history in a way that textbooks and newsprint cannot accommodate. But for each of them, thereis always the hope of tomorrow. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. Like everyone else during the Holocaust, he was scarred, both emotionally and physically. Summary Themes Questions & Answers Characters Analysis Refugee Themes T he main themes in Refugee are trauma and growing up, the dehumanization of refugees, and empathy and hope. Refugee is more than a story about children fleeing their homelands, it is a story about what unites us all love, family and perseverance. How does the. March 4, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 Free trial is available to new customers only. Once a beautiful, thriving city, Aleppo is now a bombed shell of its former self. Mahmoud Bishara is a twelve-year-old boy who lives in Aleppo, Syria in 2015. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world, Isabel is a Cuban girl in 1994. After the police see Isabels father participate in a riot, there is no option but for the Fernandez family to leave Cuba by boat. Josefs hope starts to waver following the discovery that the ship may not actually allow them to find a new life in Cuba. They will also appear in Google search results. His mother, father, little brother Waleed, and baby sister Hana barely manage to escape the bombing of their apartment building. -Graham S. Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Students will see themselves in the young protagonists: children faced with insurmountable and tragic circumstances but who, at their heart, are just kids who love their families and want to live in peace. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. Josef and his family flee Nazi Germany in 1938; Isabel and her family flee Cuba in 1994; and Mahmoud and his family flee Syria in 2015. Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 10 days. Summary Themes Questions & Answers Characters Analysis Refugee Summary R efugee is a novel by Alan Gratz that examines three interrelated stories of the refugee experience. Mahmoud should not have to decide to give away his little sister to save her life, Josef should not have to slap his father to subdue him, and Isabel should not have to scramble to arrange gasoline for a boat to take her family away to possible safety. Josef wonders what this means for (read more from the Pages 74 - 109 Summary). A passing, overcrowded boat cannot accommodate all of them, but at Mahmouds insistence, a woman onboard agrees to take Hana. Josef Landau Josef is a 13-year-old Jewish boy living in Germany in the 1930s. Word Count: 1050. That day in 1940 in France, her mother could not make the impossible choice before her. (read more from the Pages 164 - 215 Summary) More summaries and resources for teaching or studying Refugee (Alan Gratz). A few of the crew, however, openly dislike the Jewish passengers, especially Otto Schiendick, who proudly states his Nazi allegiance. Source (s) Refugee The Landau's went through many hardships during the . Lito jumps in the water to distract the Coast Guard, and Isabels mother gives birth to a boy, just as they reach the shore. Josef demonstrates his personal desire to grow up, but over the course of the novel he comes to recognize the value of being able to be a child. The second is the date of Some novels are engaging and some novels are important. Josefs fathers jump into the sea symbolizes his desire to annihilate himself. eNotes.com, Inc. Not only does Isabel rescue her father from arrest, she also sells her beloved trumpet to enable the family to buy gasoline to power the boat her neighbors, the Castillos, have been secretly building. What are some ways that the characters were helped by the kindness and compassion of others? Mahmoud learns to shed his anonymity and turn more decisive as his raft flounders in the Mediterranean. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. Also, there are parallels between the three stories, and at the end, all of the three stories are connected. Chapter 1 Summary: "Josef: Berlin, Germany1938". Mahmouds father arranges for a smuggler to take them to the island of Lesbos, in Greece. The way the content is organized, LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in, Injustice and Cruelty vs. Summary This section starts with Josef's perspective, somewhere on the Atlantic in 1939, "8 days from home" (74). The chapter ends as Josef searches for his father and realizes his father has jumped overboard. Thus, it would be a mistake to interpret Refugee as only a tale about extraordinary, heroic children. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. It only gets worse for them, but in the end, he learns a powerful life lesson: Its better to be visible than invisible, because even though the bad people can harm you, the good people can help you. 2023 . Even amongst people who have lost everything, they still have empathy toward this man who showed the same courtesy to a fellow Jewish person. You can view our. Eliot Schrefer, two-time National Book Award finalist. The third story belongs to thirteen-year-old Mahmoud Bishara, who lives in war-torn Aleppo, Syria, against the backdrop of a crisis which continues into the present day. His father refuses to leave the cabin, thinking the gathering is a Nazi trap. Complete your free account to request a guide. A large part of the novels narrative focuses on boats, which represent tenuous hope. Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 6 days, Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 8 days, Isabel: Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (1), Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 10 days, Isabel: Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (2), Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 11 days, Isabel: The Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (3), Mahmoud: Izmir, Turkey 2015, 11 days (1), Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 14 days, Isabel: The Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (4), Mahmoud: Izmir, Turkey 2015, 11 days (2), Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 17 days, Isabel: Straits of Florida 1994, 2 days, Mahmoud: The Mediterranean 2015, 11 days (1), Mahmoud: The Mediterranean 2015, 11 days (2), Isabel: Between Bahamas and Florida 1994, 4 days, Mahmoud: The Mediterranean 2015, 11 days (3), Isabel: Between Bahamas and Florida 1994, 5 days (1), Mahmoud: Lesbos to Athens 2015, 12 days (3), Isabel: Between Bahamas and Florida 1994, 5 days (2), Mahmoud: Macedonia to Serbia 2015, 14-15 days, Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (1), Mahmoud: Serbia to Hungary 2015, 15-16 days, Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (2), Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (3), Josef: Vornay, France 1940, 1 year, 1 month, 10 days, Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (4), Mahmoud: Hungary to Germany 2015, 17 days. Josef, his sister Ruth, and his mother all travel to Hamburg to board a ship that will take them to Cuba. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Cuba has become inhospitable for most of its citizens under the regime of Fidel Castro. Isabel wakes up, still in the boat, now 3 days from home. You're awesome. Unlisted storyboards can be shared via a link, but otherwise will remain hidden. Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. Aarons real crime, of course, is that he is a Jew, the minority group that Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler wants to eradicate. Because of this, they all want to escape to a safer place. Though Refugee is a novel, all three of its main storylines are based on actual historical events. When the family is eventually caught, Josefs mother is forced to choose which of her children will be freed and which will be sent to a concentration camp. Chapter 13 Summary: "Josef: Somewhere on the Atlantic Ocean1939" During the Atlantic crossing in 1939, Josef's bar mitzvah ceremony is about to take place. (including. The St. Louis could not save Josef, just as the Castillos boat could not save Ivn. All three stories make for a great novel and it will teach you a lot and appreciate how good we have it. The rest of the passengers grow angry. . Margaret Neville, The King's English Bookstore, 2018 Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Older Readers, 2018 National Jewish Book Award Winner for Young Adults, New York Times Notable Middle Grade Childrens Book 2017, 2017 Cybils Middle Grade Fiction Award Winner, 2018 Indies Choice/E.B. What I really like about this book is the changing perspectives. St. Louis, a ship taking Jewish refugees to Havana, Cuba. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. He is of average height with brown hair and brown eyes. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. Eventually, the rest of the family is rescued by the Greek Coast Guard and taken to Lesbos, where the coast is littered with the bodies of Syrian refugees who drowned in transit. Usually, Im not interested in history, but I couldnt put this book down. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. Struggling with distance learning? Gratz shows how Josefs experience is not an isolated incident: all over Germany, Jews are facing the same kind of erasure of their culture and identity. Thus, the sea comes to represent death, chaos, and uncertainty at one level. on 50-99 accounts. Log in here. The scale of the devastation in Syria is immense: Given its historical roots, why did Gratz write the novel as a work of fiction? In addition, any storyboard can be made sharable, where a private link to the storyboard can be shared externally. Want 100 or more? Judy Blundell, National Book Award winning author of What I Saw and How I Lied. publication online or last modification online. Get news and updates about the stuff Alan writes! In the end, these three stories are connected. Josefs father gets sent to a concentration camp. What is the setting of "Games at Twilight" by Anita Desai? Josef is a Jewish boy in 1930s Nazi Germany. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. A heartrending and important tale for our time. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. eNotes Editorial. However, soon enough, Germany invades Poland, thus beginning World War II. Isabel Fernandez's story begins in 1994 in Havana, Cuba under the oppressive rule of Fidel Castro. It gives the reader an unflinching look at the humanity, courage, and struggle of refugees seeking safety and freedom. Aboard the St. Louis, Josefs family and the other passengers, all Jewish refugees, are treated well by Captain Schroeder and most of the ships crew. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. His father, Aaron, is taken away by the Nazis on Kristallnacht and is sent to the Dachau concentration camp. Each version of Storyboard That has a different privacy and security model that is tailored for the expected usage. For Aaron, it represents a metaphorical death, as he disappears into the water and subsequently out of Josefs life. Mahmoud hands his sister, Hana, to another passing raft of refugees, knowing that his mother cannot hold her and swim. Josef is a Jewish boy in 1930s Nazi Germany. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety and freedom in America, Mahmoud is a Syrian boy in 2015. Refugee is a powerful novel about three very different children. What is the setting of "Games at Twilight"? They have come to arrest Josef's father: "Other Jewish homes and businesses and synagogues were destroyed all over Germany, and tens of . In exchange for Rachels diamonds, the soldiers offer her an impossible bargain: she can save just one of her children from being arrested. At only 13, Josef takes on much of the family's responsibilities. This is a must read for anyone, especially people who like history. In the end, these three stories are connected. Though Josef is devastated, he wonders if this is what becoming a man means - not relying on your father. Refugee looks readers straight in the eye, challenging them to truly see these kids who are battling the worst moments of our recent history. After . He and his family try to escape to Cuba on the. What can you learn about the people and the time period from these allusions? Josef's story starts with Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass in 1938. Isabels story starts with a riot. Refugee is a New York Times bestselling historical fiction novel. Usually, Im not interested in history, but I couldnt put this book down. Refugee is a young adult literature novel by Alan Gratz published by Scholastic Corporation in 2017. Refugeeis both. The places where they live are in a horrifying state of turmoil. Empathy and Social Responsibility. online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. Refugee: Josef: Havana Harbor - 1939, 19 days (2) Summary & Analysis Next. Mahmouds city, the once-beautiful Aleppo, is particularly vulnerable, since it houses a large number of rebels opposed to al-Assad. 3 Mar. Lito, Isabels grandfather, also joins them. Padron tells Josef and his mother that Landau has been sedated and is recovering in a Cuban hospital. The Bisharas set sail on the crowded raft, standing in the freezing rain and cold. His experiences with oppression in Germany, and then as a refugee, cause him to grow up far sooner than he should have to. Josefs story starts with Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass in 1938. Fast paced, insightful, filled with drama and tension. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. This immediately places Josef in the role of an adult, forcing him to grow up quickly. Josef and his sister Ruthie are just children, and yet they are needlessly abused by the soldiers. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% Discount, Discount Code Josef and his family flee Nazi Germany in 1938; Isabel and her family flee Cuba in 1994; and Mahmoud and his family flee Syria in 2015. The boat the Castillos have cobbled together becomes the center of Isabels existence. Just as when Isabel gave some of her paltry food to the cat, Gratz shows here how even the most destitute people can still give somethingthus, those with more than that should be able to provide any aid they can, too. Plus, our printable worksheets make it easy to take the fun offline. Josef's father suffers greatly from post traumatic stress disorder from his months of torture, starvation, and hard labor in the concentration camp. In 1938 Berlin, a 12-year-old Jewish boy named Josef is awakened by the sound of Hitler's Brownshirts breaking into his family's apartment. Her father is caught participating in the "Maleconazo" riot, during which citizens protested the government's civil rights abuses as well as the economic crisis that had plunged the nation into poverty. Their city of Aleppo is in ruins and the family decide that leaving Syria is their only option if they wish to survive. When Isabel is asked to play a song at her new school in America, she plays a Cuban salsa version of The Star-Spangled Banner.. Isabel Fernandezis escaping Castro's Cuba in 1994. Im a big fan of that, and it was executed brilliantly here. These arent completely true stories, but these things do happen to real people, even today. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. The refugees aboard the St. Louis are delivered to England, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. Students will see themselves in the young protagonists: children faced with tragic circumstances but who, at their heart, are just kids who love their families and want to live in peace. Because of this, they all want to escape to a safer place. date the date you are citing the material. Renews March 11, 2023 Once he is released, the family flees to Cuba. The way the content is organized, Mahmoud: The Mediterranean 2015, 11 days (3), Isabel: Between Bahamas and Florida 1994, 5 days (1), LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in, Injustice and Cruelty vs. The novel begins with the story line of twelve-year-old Josef, a Jewish boy in Germany. Though the stories are fictionalized, the events they draw from are historical, enabling readers to empathize with the perils of those whose lives are too often dismissed as remote news stories. This section starts with Josefs perspective, somewhere on the Atlantic in 1939, 8 days from home (74). However, because the number of people fleeing Cuba was enormous, the US government was extremely ambiguous about granting them asylum, placing the refugees in a very precarious position. All storyboards are private and secure to the portal using enterprise-class file security hosted by Microsoft Azure. Josef Landau is a twelve-year-old boy living in Berlin. In the end, these three stories are connected. After Mahmouds home is destroyed, his brother Waleed, sister Hana, and his parents drive to the border of Turkey, hoping to escape. While walking on the boat afterwards, a newly minted man, he overhears the stewards discussing how the ships engines are maxed out - in order to beat the other ships to Cuba. eNotes.com The elderly woman Mahmoud meets is Ruth, Josefs younger sister. Josef: Train to Hamburg - 1939, 1 day Themes and Colors Key Summary Analysis After school, Mahmoud, Waleed, and their mother, Fatima, do their usual afternoon prayer. Officer Padron, a Cuban policeman assigned to the St. Louis, saves Josefs father. A storm sweeps them to the Bahamas, where they are not allowed to disembark; Ivn is attacked by sharks and eventually bleeds to death in the boat; and toward the end of the journey, Isabels pregnant mother goes into labor. Fidel Castro has taken over the country of Cuba and the citizens are sick of his dictatorship. After the war ended, Ruth returned to Germany to look for Josef and Rachel, but learned that the two were killed in concentration camps. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world Isabel is a Cuban girl in 1994. Purchasing After its passengers were denied asylum in Cuba, the ship tragically returned to Europe, hoping to find sanctuary for its passengers between four European countries: Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and England. Continue to start your free trial. His mother gives the sailor their tickets and they board the boat. This is how Mahmoud puts it: No one cares about us if we stay out of your way, but if we come near you were seen as a burden. Refugee Characters. Aarons purported crime is that he is still practicing law when the Nazis have expressly forbidden the Jewish community from that profession. Refine any search. The second is the date of His experiences with oppression in Germany, and then as a refugee, cause him to grow up far sooner than he should have to. One example is when Josefs family falls apart and he has to be the leader by talking to other people and acting as the main adult of his family. You'll also receive an email with the link. Mahmouds father tells them that Germany is accepting Syrian refugees and if they can get to Greece, they will be able to travel within the European Union to reach Germany. Josef Landauis fleeing Nazi Germany in 1939. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs The way the content is organized, Isabel: Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (2), LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in, Injustice and Cruelty vs. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. Josef demonstrates his personal desire to grow up, but over the course of the novel he comes to recognize the value of being able to be a child. They run into several problems, like being in bloody water with many sharks around on a sinking boat and there are high stakes at the end. Word Count: 1329. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, surprisingconnections will tie their stories together in the end. Isabels family and friends have always wanted to leave the country, but Castro will throw you in jail if you try to escape. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . It tells the story of three refugee children and their families in different times and places. Mahmoud decides that he no longer wants to be ignored and leads the refugees out of the prison, walking twelve hours to Austria. He watches his friends' father, whom had already sought asylum in Cuba, come to pick up his daughters on the boat. The last date is today's The author can choose to leave the storyboard public or mark it as Unlisted. All three young people will go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. The second date is today's If there are two dates, the date of publication and appearance This is a powerful and inspirational book written by Alan Gratz, a great author. Along with the Castillosincluding Isabels best friend, IvnIsabel; her father, Geraldo; and her pregnant mother, Teresa, leave Havana for Florida. A gripping, visceral, and hold-your-breath intense story of three young refugees. In Cuba in 1994, eleven-year-old Isabel Fernandez lives a life of poverty and uncertainty in the middle of civil strife. This is an engaging tale. Forced to be an asylum-seeker himself, Lito finally understands the predicament of those on the ship. Ruta Sepetys, author of Between Shades of Gray. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. Alan Gratz is the bestselling author of a number of novels for young readers. Josef's father, along with thousands of other Jewish men, was arrested and sent to Dachau, a concentration camp. Josef Landau's story begins in 1938 in Nazi Germany. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. They board the St. Louis, a large German ship, and set out. What are some ways we can all help. Also, there are parallels between the three stories, and at the end, all of the three stories are connected. Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? Just when Miami becomes visible on the horizon, a U.S. Coast Guard boat tries to intercept the two families. Isabel's story is like that of thousands of other Cuban immigrants who all fled Castro's Cuba. Young readers will finish this book and ask: What should we do? Wed love to have you back! Josef's story is set in Nazi Germany in 1939. The second date is today's Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! In Isabels story, the water is choppy with sharks, representing the violence and uncertainty of her condition as well as fact: the ninety-mile stretch between Cuba and Florida is known to be shark territory. Within the portal, all users can view and copy all storyboards. This is an easy summary of the book Refugee by Alan Gratz. Full of struggle, heroism, and non-stop adventure, Refugee is not only an important book, its a terrific story. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. Josef is loyal, compassionate, paternal, and selfless. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Braving extremely choppy and shark-infested waters, the two families make the ninety-mile run to Florida. While they travel, they ask if anyone has seen Hana. Instant PDF downloads. The family face incredible hardship and tragedy throughout their long journey through Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, and Hungary on their way to Germany. He is gaunt and thin; looking "like an escapee from a mental asylum" (36). Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs On the ship, Ruth, born in Nazi Germany, has the freedom to play openly for the first time in her life. Heartrendingly, Josef notes that he and Ruthie never want to leave the St. Louis, the first place they have been treated as human beings in a long while. "Refugee - Summary" eNotes Publishing Pam Muoz Ryan, author of Echo and Esperanza Rising.