Im hot, Ruthie said, pulling at her coat. Lets go, the boy said, and he marched Josef back through the dining car. A warm breeze lifted Isabels short curly hair and raised goose bumps on her arms. Youre Mariano Padrons granddaughter, arent you? the fisherman said. . They were supposed to be on holiday, seeing ancient ruins and beautiful Greek beaches, not stepping over filthy, praying refugees. Mahmoud grapples with this question of whether it is better to be invisible or visible over the course of the novel as his family travels from Syria to Germany. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Isabel waded into the water, the waves lapping up to the bottom of her shorts. Josef Landau is a twelve-year-old Jewish boy living in Berlin, Germany, in 1938. toe in concrete dust. What would the United States be like? But when the Soviet Union went away, so did all their support. She needs a name, Ivn said. I know weve been talking about leaving. We can wait our turn. The startled man at the front of the line motioned for them to go ahead, and Josefs mother thanked him. He used her childhood nickname, like he always did. His breath left him all at once, and he fell to the floor with a heavy thud in a heap of metal and mortar. Freedom! Syria is still engaged in this brutal and confusing war and the civilians are affected irreparably. Refugee is a young adult novel written by Alan Gratz and was first published by Scholastic Corporation in 2017. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Khalid was clever. Dont take him! The Brownshirt scowled at the noise and gave the men carrying Aaron Landau a dismissive wave. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. They yelled and chanted. Toward them. Thank you. Mahmouds father waited for another lull in the shooting, and then they all hurried away from the car, leaving everything else they owned behind. Good and bad things happened either way. Josef looked deep into Officer Padrons eyes, searching for some sign of help, some hint of sympathy. Earn weekly rewards. The circus is in town! Mahmoud looked around. It was Isabels favorite place in the whole city. Mahmoud is 12 years old, he is kind of stoke has thick black eyebrows a strong nose and wears a hoodie. His teeth looked too big for his head, and when he smiled he looked like a cartoon squirrel. In order to survive, Mahmoud learned to stay invisible. The capacity for global cooperation, as the pandemic shows, has shrunken to almost nil. Struggling with distance learning? Were not going anywhere soon. I can fix that! Isabel said. She had to find her father. Josef felt like someone had yanked his heart from his chest. He brandished a pistol at Mahmouds family and demanded money before forcing them to flee. Dont stop for anything. She could fix that too. The Brownshirt in charge laughed. the wall. Oh, thank God youre alive! their mom said. Izzat so? For John Gratz Get out of the car! he cried. It hadnt always been this way. They needed a place to hide from Hitler. Oh, and you have to take the kitten too. She held the wiggling creature out to him, but the old fisherman just stared at it. People were as thick on the ground as sugarcane. They had walked for hours in the hot sun without a bath, without a change of clothes. He found one, put it on the counter, and paid for the candy. In the gallery above the room, a number of the off-duty crew had gathered to watch. As Mahmoud and his mother let go, Fatima realizes that she has given her baby away and becomes inconsolable. Beyond the next door was the German part of the train. First, Josef said, we need some soap. Once they had found a bar, Josef showed them how to soap up a door handle so that it was so slick it was impossible to turn. Or else someone will catch her and eat her. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. Gratz is a decorated author, having won numerous awards and appearing at #1 on the New York Times bestselling author for his books. He was at the final stages of his maturity Time to pray, Waleed. He is quiet and unobtrusive.. able "to walk around getting noticed by the Syrian army or the rebels fighting them was just inviting trouble" (12). A recent tally has placed the reported death toll for this journey across the Mediterranean at above 15,000 since only 2014,and the actual number is likely much higher). She let him hug her, even though she still held her hands across her chest as if to ward him off. Aaron Landaus eyes bulged from his gaunt face as he turned to look at his children. Ivn, nail. Ivn handed him another nail. LitCharts Teacher Editions. He has one brother one baby sister and a mom and dad. Their current victim kept batting at his nose like there was a fly on it. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Together the shambling throng of refugees was ignored by the American drones and the rebel rocket launchers and the Syrian army tanks and the Russian jets. It was getting harder and harder to get food in the city. Why dont you two go on up to the promenade, she said softly. Mahmoud and his mother fight to live in the Mediterranean, but the Greek Coast Guard finally saves the family. The captains in a tight spot, he is. Your name must be Summer, because youre making me sweat! The girl smiled, but Isabels mother slapped Lito on the leg. The desks were wide enough for three students at each, and Mahmoud sat between two other boys named Ahmed and Nedhal. It was an ugly blue thing cobbled together out of old metal advertisements and road signs and oil drums. Nothing was more important than making it to Florida. He shook his head, trying to clear the ringing, and spied his little brother. Seor Castillo shrugged. They ate and slept and read books like Jews. She says that she thought, Frau Rosenburg explains that she was a refugee, too, and shows, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Characters of Refugees Landau, Josef. Mahmoud is a Muslim boy in Aleppo, Syria in 2015, and his family has no other choice but to leave Syria when their entire apartment building is destroyed by a missile. A man in Damascus, the capital of Syria, was imprisoned for speaking out against Assad. He kicked and flailed in a panic, but one of the shadows caught his ankle and dragged him face-first across his bed. But a few years ago, in 1989, the Soviet Union had fallen, and Cuba had hit rock bottom. Please, Isabel said. Josef had been a fool, and now he and his family were going to pay the price. Chabela! her grandfather shouted when he saw her. Each one came up to Isabels chest. No ambulances came to help the wounded. Josef sacrifices himself when his family is refused refuge in Cuba, in order for his sister, Ruth, to be saved from the extermination camps. I want to watch American television, Ivn said. Waleed and Mahmoud sat in the car with their mother while she nursed Hana under a blanket. The family drives away, but soon run into some rebel soldiers. Mahmouds head was hot and wet. He wanted to look away, but he was worried that might make the guards think he was hiding something. Thinking about Klaus made Josef think about other things, but he blinked away the bad memories. Mahmoud and his parents soon become exhausted, trying desperately to hold the two young children above the water. They were almost to the highway when gunfire erupted nearby tat-tatatatat! The Chief of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, visited Syria on Wednesday for the first time after the earthquake. On the count of three, we make a break for it, he told his family. It has received positive reviews that praised its style and historical accuracy. Everyone was afraid of what he would do if the Arab Spring swept through Syria. And there were so many boats. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. She had bright eyes, wild brown hair cut in a bob and parted on the side, and a little gap between her two front teeth that made her look like a chipmunk. -Graham S. The president and prime minister of Cuba during the period of, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. He kept frowning at the motor and the rudder like there was something wrong, but besides a quick patch job of stuffing a sock into the bullet hole, everything was good. A week into their stay on the St. Louis, Josef has his bar mitzvah. The paint was peeling, and the buildings were old and weathered, but they still looked grand to Isabel. Turkish guards in light green camo gear with automatic weapons and white surgical masks over their faces walked up and down the line, staring at each of them in turn. In all the turmoil, a policeman caught up with her father and grabbed him by the arm. Josefs mother and sister left to go back to visit his father in their cabin. Her grief becomes another way in which Mahmoud is forced to grow up early, as he becomes a caretaker for his parents and feels guilty over the burden of the decision that he made. Too many. Ive been talking to him on WhatsApp, Dad continued, holding up his phone. The Gestapo man looked up at them through the window in his door. feet, he wasnt coming back. Theres no room. The guards and officials threaten the refugees, but no one listens. (including. The rebels and the army and Daesh are all fighting here, he said, pointing to places on the map. She could almost hear it almost And then the motor spluttered and died, and the music stopped. What do you want? I need gasoline! Isabel told him. Weve spent too much time talking about it and not doing anything. Bombed-out buildings were good too. She leaped down off the hood of the car and pushed her way through the pandemonium. Or Lzaro? Those are all boy names! Isabel said. They conducted interviews with persons who gave their accounts of what they had seen. Other Jewish homes and businesses and synagogues were destroyed all over Germany, and tens of thousands of Jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps. Come stand guard for us! Renata cried. Theres no reason to go throwing yourself onto a raft in the ocean, Lito said. This is Syria, not Iran! In the days to come, Josef learned that his family wasnt the only one the Nazis had attacked that night. Ivn gave names to everythingthe stray dogs who wandered the town, his bicycle, even his baseball glove. Even though it seems that way at times, Mahmoud still sobs when he considers what hes gone through in his 10 years. Back when they were Germans. Please! she cried. name, asks in perfect Arabic if Youssef and his family are seeking asylum in Germany. She saw her papi just as he reared back and threw a bottle that smashed into the line of police along the seawall. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." Complete your free account to request a guide. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs Sweat ran down his back. The way the content is organized, One of the three protagonists of the book, alongside. Papi scoffed. I want to be a journalist one day. Good! the news agent said. Too thin. Youre going to Turkey? II went to engineering school there, Mahmouds father said. Not everyone did it anymore, but to Lito it was like an art form. They get people into the EU. The EU, Mahmoud knew, was the European Union. The second time, his boat had a motor, but hed been caught by the Cuban navy and had ended up in jail. She wore a dark blue wool dress with a white sailors collar and carried her white corduroy stuffed Rabit-Bitsy, everywhere she went. Hey, Isabel! Ivn said, making her jump. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. The guards stand down, unable to stop Mahmoud without causing a fight. The bright lights of the camera swung away from Isabel and lit up what looked like a party on the beach. We have to get on that ship. Josef, his mother, and Ruthie stopped short just inside the first-class social hall. But, more than a teacher, I am a learner! Blend in. The policeman raised his truncheon to hit her father again, and Isabel jumped in between them. This must have been the Castilloss plan all alongfor Luis and his girlfriend to run away with them! Without offering any additional details while the disturbance continues, Iranian official television reported that the death toll from protests following the murder of a 22-year-old woman in police custody has increased to nearly two dozen. At last, when they had cried all the tears they could cry, Rachel Landau led her children to her room, put her bed back together, and hugged Josef and Ruth close until morning. Being invisible was how he survived. He sobbed with the effort of fighting off the mans fingers and hanging onto the dinghy. Mahmoud Bishara (12) In what year did the Arab Spring come to Syria? Dont move! Mahmoud cried. No, no, her mother said. Isabel smiled. Slowly, shakily, Josef lifted his eyes from the black shoes to the white socks, brown shorts, brown shirt, and red Nazi armband of a Hitler Youth. Or Javier? Where would they go? There was blood in his hair, and the area around one of his eyes was already turning black. And so, until there is a speedy and efficient solution, we are suspending all obstacles so that those who wish to leave Cuba may do so legally, once and for all. I want to be able to choose who I vote for, Luis said. the crossing from Turkey. The soldiers in the backseat kicked open the door on the left side of the car and spilled outside. Waleed! At prayer time, Mahmoud, his family, and many of the other refugees stop to pray, disturbing the tourists that are traveling with them. thinks that he will never forget the fear of being so powerless in that moment. Her father and grandfather were still arguing in the kitchen, so she slipped in the back way. For Mahmoud Bishara,12, life in Aleppo, Syria in 2015 means trying to make himself invisible and making sure his younger brother Waleed is safe. Instead, Herr Meier lowered a screen with the faces and profiles of Jewish men and women on it and proceeded to use Josef as an example of how to tell a real German from a Jew. Mahmoud heard explosions and saw smoke clouds, but no one cared about a few hundred Syrian people leaving the battlefield. He wore sandals, shorts, a short-sleeved, button-down shirt, and a cap with a fancy letter I on itthe logo He starts to panic that, Mahmoud: Just Outside Aleppo, Syria 2015, 1 day from home. Assuming we stop to sleep every night, thats a nineteen-day walk. Mahmoud: Serbia to Hungary 2015, 15 to 16 days from home. Germany? Mahmouds mother said. Mahmoud stayed in the classroom all day, never going to the bathroom or the playground. Through the huge hole that used to be the wall of his apartment, Mahmoud saw gray-white clouds from missile strikes blooming all around. (Bishara 1993) The implication of such a position is that the Palestinian citizens in Israel do not take an active part in a classical anti-colonialist struggle, while . They looked tired and poor and wretched. Gratz highlights parallels between Mahmouds, Isabels, and Josefs stories: all three are locked in oppressive and dangerous situations. He then hears, cry out for help, but the dinghy isnt slowing down. Lito too. What? Mahmoud watched as these two boys attacked the boy with the bread, a boy he didnt even know. It was a salsa tune she liked to play, but this time she listened past the music. Though the three harrowing stories span multiple decades and countries, all three children face a world that treats them as invisible. The refugee mahmoud summary is a blog post that talks about how Mahmoud, an Iraqi refugee, traveled from Iraq to Germany. And just in time. Mahmoud looked up at where his apartment had been. The Simpsons! Im going to open my own law office, Seora Castillo said. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs Isabel put her hands to her mouth but couldnt help laughing again with everyone else. The shock shut Ruth up, but only for a moment. My family was killed in an airstrike, one of the soldiers said. Josef sacrifices himself when his family is refused refuge in Cuba, in order for his sister, Ruth, to be saved from the extermination camps. They were right. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Well, I need money. I dont have any money, Isabel said. They had played shuffleboard and badminton, and the crew was putting up a swimming pool, which they promised to fill with seawater once the St. Louis hit the warm Gulf Stream. Read More She stood on the wide promenade, where it seemed all of Havana was on display. At last! That voice, thought Josef. Isabel watched as Mami cleaned his cuts with a washcloth. Mahmoud jumped when it fell, but Waleed stood still, like this kind of thing happened every day. Evelyne and Renata were the genuine names of two sisters who came on the St. Louis, and they were the only ones permitted to disembark in Cuba since their father already resided there and had significant relations to the local authorities. Mahmouds father kept their papers tucked into his pants under his shirt, along with all of their moneythe only other things they owned now besides two phones and two chargers. We have to get out of here! Across the hall, the Sarraf family filled the corridormother, father, and twin daughters, both younger than Waleed. But Syrians knew protesting in the streets was dangerous. The motor coughed to life, and the boat lurched into a wave, spraying Isabel with seawater. Thats when Mahmoud had realized that together, he and Khalid were bigger targets; alone, it was easier to be invisible. Alan Gratz the front cover. The soldiers direct them to a route that avoids the battles in return for a ride. Angry and desperate, hundreds of refugees begin to riot and try to push through the fence. They are taken to the home of an elderly German couple who agree to take them in until they get settled. I dont have time for games, he would tell me. Random death from a fighter jets missile or a soldiers rocket launcher might come at any moment, when you least expected it. Refugee weaves together the stories of three families as they seek sanctuary in other countries. He thrashed in the rubble, panicking. Josef couldnt think of any Jewish people he knew who did look like those pictures. The war had made Mahmoud nervous. He felt the stirrings of indignation, of anger, of sympathy. This route crosses a country border, Google Maps told them, marking the alert with a little yellow triangle. Ivn thought he was being sneaky, but Isabel knew exactly what he and his father were building in their shed, and it wasnt a doghouse. And Waleed was centimeters from joining them both. A social worker approaches Mahmouds family and asks if they are seeking asylum in Germany (Germany accepted 124,845 Syrian refugees in 2017 and the EU as a whole accepted 538,000 total refugees). As it passed, Mahmoud saw a young couple sitting in the back. It was hard to see for all the people. He has a mother, a father, a younger brother, and a baby sister. like a bomb exploding, and Mahmoud went tumbling into the sea.. It was his whole neighborhood. 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. Some of them wore regular clothes: white shirts with the sleeves rolled up, gray slacks, brown wool caps, leather work boots. No, you idiot, Google Maps is better, said his friend. More importantly, we have our lives. Ive got a route for us, Mom said. Aaron Landau, one of the Brownshirts said to Josefs 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. And then his lungs were working again, raking in great gulps. Mahmouds story gives a horrifying glimpse of the lives of 22 million people right now. Together they hurried to the ramp as best they could, carrying all the suitcases. They threw Josef and Ruth on the floor once more and flicked on the overhead light. Please, take us with you! The way the content is organized. Bombings and death were a normal part of Mahmouds life. Josef took a seat in the section with the men. I saw on the TV theyre accepting refugees. Despite her grief, Isabel is able to persevere and guide her family to reach the shores of Miami. Always quick to raise his hand in class, and always with the right answer. Josef wore his best shirt and tie. So I have more things to sell! He laughed, and Josef smiled. With a jolt of surprise, Mahmoud realized this kind of thing did happen every day. Seora Castillo, Ivns mother, was dark-skinned and curvy, and wore a white kerchief over her dreadlocks. 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.