Mahmoud learns to cope with these conditions by assuming a protective role over Waleed, and by learning to be invisible, keeping his head down and ensuring nobody notices him to survive. In becoming an adult, he has many responsibilities that he is forced to take. He glanced around the little cabin like the walls were closing in. Hed be calling for the police. Daesh thought they were fighting the final war of the apocalypse, and anyone who didnt agree with their twisted perversion of Islam were infidels who should have their heads cut off. Theres something theyre not telling us, the shipping company. Isabels father, Geraldo Fernandez, had always been a handsome man, but he didnt look it now. Empathy and Social Responsibility. Mahmoud pulled Waleed behind a burned-out car, his heart racing. Refine any search. Only the TV wasnt there anymore. Even though it seems that way at times, Mahmoud still sobs when he considers what hes gone through in his 10 years. What choice do we have? Mahmoud couldnt understand why his mother had bothered to save their backpacks until he saw that they were stuffed with clothes and diapers. It demolishes an entire outside wall. Teachers and parents! His sister. Each one came up to Isabels chest. A son on the way! Isabels father and grandfather yelled at each other about dictators and freedom and families and responsibility. Well find her and bring her home., Were not criminals! one of the other men in the cell yelled at him. He was covered with a fine gray powder from head to foot, like hed taken a bath in dry concrete mix. His only distinguishing characteristics are big ears and wire-rimmed glasses. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. No police cars or emergency crews hurried to the scene. It all came flooding back to him nowswaying and humming along with the prayers, craning his neck to see the Torah when it was taken out of the ark and hoping to get a chance to touch it and then kiss his fingers as the scroll came around in a procession. There was a riot on the Malecn, Lito said. Yell if you see someone coming, Renata said breathlessly. What do we do? What we should have done a long time ago. Tomorrow, hed told Mahmouds father. I have to find him! Chabela! her grandfather cried. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. toe in concrete dust. If you dont take us with you, theyll throw him in prison. Seor Castillo paused his hammering for a moment, then shook his head. Within a month, Assad had turned his tanks and soldiers and bombers on the protestorson his own peopleand ever since then, all Mahmoud and Waleed and anyone else in Syria had known was war. They get to Cuba first and unload their passengers, and who knows? Invisibility serves as a type of protection for Mahmoud; as he puts it, being invisible is how he lives. Getting spotted by the Syrian army or the rebels battling them [is] only courting danger, Mahmoud says. After school, Mahmoud, Waleed, and their mother, is gone. But arguably Josefs most difficult decision is the one he must make at the novels conclusion: when the Nazis offer Rachel the option of releasing just one of her children, Josef sacrifices himself to relieve Rachel of this burden and to keep Ruthie out of the extermination camps. Shes a baby. perspective of Refugee. Do you understand? I Yes, Josef stammered. What do you think the States will be like? Isabels mother asked everyone. Isabel laughed so hard her stomach hurt. His teacher, Herr Meier, had called him to the front of the room. Praise for Refugee A New York Times Notable Book An Amazon Best Book of the Year A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year A Junior Library Guild Selection This heart-stopping novel is not only compellingit is necessary. Judy Blundell, National Book Awardwinning author of What I Saw and How I Lied With urgent, clear-eyed storytelling, Refugee compellingly explores the desperation and strength that unites those struggling for a place to call home. Eliot Schrefer, New York Times bestselling author and two-time National Book Award finalist for Threatened and Endangered Powerful. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. Ive been talking to him on WhatsApp, Dad continued, holding up his phone. We will buy tickets as we go. She was very pretty, even in her blue police uniform. Meant to lure us out. A jagged line of real bullet holes bisected Assads face. Things will get better. Papi! Josefs mother and sister left to go back to visit his father in their cabin. So we have money! Isabel was listening for the clave underneath the music, the mysterious hidden beat inside The spell of happiness and safety was momentarily broken by the unforgettable memories of the chaos they had just escaped. Among the people who join Isabel on the journey is her grandfather Lito, who is eventually revealed to be Mariano Padron, the Cuban officer who, decades ago, prevented Josef from entering Havana. Josef Landau, Isabel Fernandez, and Mahmoud Bisharaare the primary protagonists of Refugee. Pak! I want to be able to choose who I vote for, Luis said. This is Syria, not Iran! A shabby-looking man stumbled out from behind the crates and luggage piled up on the dock, and Ruthie screamed. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Design a site like this with WordPress.com, Al-Assad took military action against the rebel Syrians. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights, Refugee: Refugee (Alan Gratz) Read the first paragraph of Ch.22 . Complete your free account to request a guide. Isabel saw how many people were on the beach as they left the villages dirt road and carried the boat across the sand dunes. They were men, mostly, many of them shirtless in the hundred-degree August heat, their white and brown and black backs glistening in the sun. His head was bent low, but his voice was loud and clear. She reeled in horror. She knew he would never have let her do it. He realizes that even being observed is an invitation to danger, and therefore. They walk to a bus stop and reach the Hungarian border. No. Struggling with distance learning? Seor Castillo shrugged. No more Ministry of Telling People What to Think or Else, he said. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs No. He and Mahmoud had known each other for years, and even though Mahmoud was Sunni and Khalid was Shia, that had never mattered to them. Mahmouds dad kept driving. The soldiers in the Bisharas car begin shooting back and Mahmouds family runs away to avoid being caught in the cross fire and killed. He put a hand to it and came away with blood. They continue on with only the clothes on their backs and their smartphones, without a car or supplies. like a bomb exploding, and Mahmoud went tumbling into the sea.. She leaped down off the hood of the car and pushed her way through the pandemonium. is hit and killed. Tomorrow,' he'd told Mahmoud's father." Alan Gratz author Refugee book Youssef Bishara character despair refugees smugglers concepts 07 LitCharts Teacher Editions. Just then, Mahmouds father receives a text about a boat arriving. It was hungry Cubans. Castro rambled on without a script, quoting novels and telling personal anecdotes about the Revolution. Ruth woke up and screamed. Refine any search. A table at the front held a Torah scroll. . Above him, what was left of the ceiling light threw sparks. The Adventure A former teacher, doctor, rescue worker, and media activist relate their experiences of love, death, and survival from a besieged Syrian suburb. Find more similar flip PDFs like refugee_-_alan_gratz. Everyone got quiet as Lito turned up the volume. But when he got her aboard, Ivn and his mother then reached their hands out for the two policemen who were chasing them. He tumbled and slid back down into the ditch. Theyll come for us soon enough, he said. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. The policeman raised his truncheon to hit her father again, and Isabel jumped in between them. Two more soldiers crammed themselves into the backseat, and the last one joined Mahmoud and Waleed in the back with their backpacks. Mahmouds arc examines the benefits and drawbacks of being invisible. Mahmoud decides that he no longer wants to be ignored and leads the refugees out of the prison, walking twelve hours to Austria. We have to get on that ship. The steward couldnt see because of the big platter he held, and as he fumbled with the knob he lost his hold on the tray and the whole thing came crashing down with a great clatter. What happens to Isabels boat at the end of Chapter 14? Mahmoud musters the fortitude to break free from his invisibility and lead his family to a brighter future. The soldier laughed, and the other soldiers laughed with him. In the days to come, Josef learned that his family wasnt the only one the Nazis had attacked that night. The ship was called the MS St. Louis. The whole front had collapsed, and Mahmoud felt like he was looking into a giant dollhouse. Isabel closed her eyes and focused. Im a man now. And when those soldiers said one of us could go free and the other would be taken to a concentration camp, Josef said, Take me.. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. However, Mahmoud pulls Hana out of his mothers arms and someone takes her on board, saving her from drowning and the freezing water (many such travelers are unable to save themselves or their children. Bombings and death were a normal part of Mahmouds life. Its fur was scraggly and dull, and Isabel could feel the cats bones through its skin. It is revealed at the conclusion of the novel that Lito was Mariano Padron, the Cuban officer who rescued Josefs father, Aaron, when he jumped into the ocean decades before. The blood drained from Josefs face. Mahmouds ears rang with a high-pitched whine, like the TV when the satellite was searching for a signal. There werent any left. Tears sprang to Josefs eyes. Mahmoud and his parents soon become exhausted, trying desperately to hold the two young children above the water. Josef remembered a time in class, back when he was allowed to go to school. You can let us off at highway 214. Dad turned the car around and drove. Mom! Josef watched as they dragged Papa away to the sounds of Mamas sobs and Ruths wails. When he was finished, Mahmoud sat back up on his knees and ended his prayers by turning his head right, and then left, recognizing the angels who recorded his good and bad deeds. Mahmoud Bishara is leaving Syria during the volatile regime of Bashar al-Assad in 2015. . Isabels mother, almost nine months pregnant, was the only one not helping to carry the boat. No ambulances came to help the wounded. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Now it was even harder to escape. He smiled sadly and punched their tickets. Im sorry. When she got to her papi, he was balled up on the ground and the policeman was beating him with his nightstick. The car skids to a stop, and Youssef, Fatima (with Hana), Mahmoud: Kilis, Turkey 2015, 2 days from home, Mahmoud: Izmir, Turkey 2015, 4 days from home, Mahmoud: Izmir, Turkey 2015, 11 days from home (1), One week after the boat to Greece was originally supposed to arrive, the smuggler tells, Mahmoud: Izmir, Turkey 2015, 11 days from home (2), Mahmoud: Somewhere on the Mediterranean Sea 2015, 11 days from home (1), Mahmoud: Somewhere on the Mediterranean Sea 2015, 11 days from home (2), Fatima continues to sob at having given away Hana, and, Mahmoud: Somewhere on the Mediterranean Sea 2015, 11 days from home (3). Josef had been a fool, and now he and his family were going to pay the price. Mahmoud finally sees the power of visibility when he decides to walk out of the Hungarian detention center and lead the other refugees on a 12-hour march to Austria. Waleed didnt seem to get excited about much these days. I know a little shack in the cane fields. Hey, I know something funny we can do, he told them. Isabel had lanky limbs and legs and was eleven years old. How else am I going to play Angry Birds? He was joking again. After Herr Meier had called him in front of the class to show how Jews were inferior to real Germans, Josef had returned to his seat next to Klaus, his best friend in the class. I think its time we met the other person on board with us, Isabels grandfather said. Mahmoud's baby sister. Josef just turned thirteen! Ruthie told the girls. Isabel caught up with her father and grandfather, then parted ways with them on the Malecn, the broad road that curved along the seawall on Havana Harbor. Josef took a hard candy from a jar and fished in his pocket for another pfennig. But if we stay in Aleppo a day longer, we may not even have that. Mahmouds father looked from his wife to Hana to Mahmoud to Waleed. He didnt look happy about it, though. Freedom! chanted some of the rioters. But when they arrive, they find the Hungarian soldiers building a fence to keep them out. It was usually held on the first Shabbosthe Sabbath, the Jewish day of restafter a boys thirteenth birthday. In Hungary, the family is about to be deported back to Syria when Mahmoud leads a refugee march out of the detention center. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner! the adults answered back, as though theyd heard that one many times before too. His papa looked nothing like the man whod been dragged away from their home six months ago. He was Luis Castillo, Ivns older brother. What if they follow us? But it didn't work out. As another life boat passes by, Mahmoud and his mother grab ahold. We didnt ask for civil war! At a command from their leader, they pushed forward into the crowd, arresting rioters and hitting them with wooden batons. They were right. Senora Castillo had mishandled the boat, which had landed up on the sand. Shed never known any other life except this one. Mahmoud hoped so, at least. In the second it took for the sound to grow from a breeze to a tornado, Mahmoud dropped his pencil, put his hands to his ears, and threw himself under the kitchen table. The soldiers throw tear gas and take the refugees into custody,loading the subdued refugees up in trucks and driving them to a detention facility almost all the way to Austria. It was easier to stay invisible that way. And then, six months after hed been taken away, they got a telegram.