In Chapter 1, Francis says, “People glance at me in surprise and look away quickly or cross the street when they see me coming. I don’t blame them.”
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Compare
peoples’ treatment of Francis in this passage to the way Jewish people were
treated during WWII in Europe.
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Contrast
peoples’ treatment of Francis in this passage to the way Jewish people were
treated during WWII in Europe.
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While comparing the treatment of Francis to the way Jewish people were treated during World War 2, many similarities can be found. One similarity is that Francis was treated differently than other people, just like the Jewish people were. In Francis’ case, people who weren’t crippled were treated better, and in the case of the Jewish people, Christians were treated better. Another way that they were similar was that they were both expected to wear certain things. For example, Jewish people were forced to wear stars on their clothing, while Francis was expected to wear scarves and hats to cover up his scars so that others didn’t have to look at them. As stated in Chapter 1, “People glance at me in surprise… when they see me coming.” This relates to both Francis and the Jewish people because neither were deemed “worthy” to walk outside amongst others.
ReplyDeleteMany differences can also be found when contrasting the treatment of Francis to the treatment of Jewish people during World War 2. One difference is that Jewish people were actually physically abused by others, while on the other hand, Francis was just ignored, not physically abused. This is shown in Chapter 1 when Francis says people “cross the street when they see me coming.” Showing that people didn’t actually abuse Francis, they just ignored him. Another difference is that the unfair treatment of the Jews was mostly caused by one person, while the treatment of Francis was caused by many different people.
The way people treat Francis is like the way that the Jewish people were treated during WWII in Europe. People treat Francis like he has a virus that’s contagious; which is the same way people treated Jews in Europe! No one wants to be around him, talk to him, or even look at him, just like the Jews during WWII. On page 4, Francis says, “I am like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, my face like a gargoyle and the duffel bag like a lump on my back.” I think that the Jewish people felt like outcasts with their yellow stars. They sure weren't treated like movie stars.
ReplyDeleteFrancis’ treatment by people was not exactly the same as the treatment of the Jewish people in WWII in Europe. For example, Francis never had to worry about getting killed right on his street. He never had to worry about being taken away from his home or robbed all of his possessions. In fact, after the war, he feels lucky. On page 30, he quotes, “You have a nice dry place to stay and a mission to perform.” Even though Francis was treated differently by people, like the Jewish people in Europe in WWII, his life was not at stake. The Jewish people weren't being ignored—they were being murdered and abused.
#musketeers23
Maggie Kayal
ReplyDeleteMiss. Drosdick
Language Arts/Period 8
1/29/14
War is like a plague, destroying everything and everyone in its path. It affects its target both mentally and physically. Both the Jews during the Holocaust and Francis Cassavant have been aware of a war’s aftermath. The treatment of Francis compares to the treatment of the Jewish people in the Holocaust because they both receive looks from others around them on the street. People had made fun of the Jews and ignored them, walking on the other side of the street. Francis Cassavant also receives looks of surprise and disgust. For example, in the text it states,” People glance at me in surprise and look away quickly or cross the street when they see coming.” The people in Frenchtown think of Francis as a disease, contagious and deadly. Francis was like a mystery, with many layers hidden behind his cloth covering his face. Francis can compare to the Jewish people in the Holocaust because both Francis and the Jews were given looks because of their appearance. The Jews wore golden stars on their article of clothing. They were forced to walk on the opposite side of the streets because of this star pinned to their shirts. This Jewish star was like a force field, separating the Jews from the others around them. The star caused the Jews to be ignored and given looks of disgust, as did Francis’s cloth and hat.
People look across the street as Francis walks, his head down and hands in his pocket. He is given looks and gasps. So did the Jews during the Holocaust. The Jewish people were given looks and were taunted. The treatment of Francis contrasts to the treatment of the Jewish people in the Holocaust because Francis was not ignored, like the Jews were. Francis was allowed to stay in Mrs. Belander’s attic tenement. Even with the mask covering his face, Francis was given a home to stay in. For example, as the text states,” ‘Veteran?’ I nodded and her face softened. ‘Poor boy.’” This shows that Francis was given sympathy, and not ignored and treated cruelly. The Jews were treated harshly and were ignored. For example, a Holocaust survivor had once traveled to a farm village hiding from the German Nazis. None of the families living in that village had allowed the young man to stay with them. The Jews were like animals to others. They were not good enough, and deserved to be treated as they were. Francis Cassavant and the Jews were the same in many ways, but different on so many levels. There is a bigger story behind them. They are like a river, flowing in the same direction with the same features. Below the river, there is a whole new world, with secrets deep in the rocks at the bottom. Francis was treated as a hero, while the Jews were killed ruthless like.
The comparison between people’s treatment of Francis in this passage and the way Jewish people were treated during WWII in Europe is that both Francis and the Jewish were publicly isolated. When the Jews would be walking in public or outside they would receive strange looks, whispers, and averted eye contact. Francis had a similar treatment. Both were looked at as unhuman like. In the passage it states, “People glance at me in surprise and look away quickly.” This shows how his treatment was different compared to a normal veteran’s treatment. Just like how the Jews were treated differently compared to everyone else. Both Francis and the Jews received different attention to how people normally are treated. I read an article about people with disabilities, and I realize that these people have similar treatment that Francis and the Jewish experienced. In the article it talked about how many people look at them as less of a human being and how many stop and stare or avoid them because of their conditions. This is quite similar to the looks and different treatments that Francis had to endure. And, it’s also similar to how the Jewish were looked at and viewed by the general public back in Europe.
ReplyDeleteThe contrast between the treatment towards Francis and between the treatments of the Jewish back in WWII differs in the sense that Francis was looked upon a hero and the Jewish were not. Both Francis and the Jews received strange looks and were social outcasts. But, the Jewish were actually sent away to be exterminated, unlike Francis. Instead, Francis was looked at as a hero, a brave soul, a heroic war veteran. On page 33 a man named Arthur Rivers approaches Francis and says, “Come on, I’ll buy you a drink.” This shows how even though being treated differently and receiving strange looks, Francis is looked upon as a hero and being brave. Arthur offered Francis a drink because he knew he was in the war and was badly hurt. That was a form of respect towards Francis. The Jewish did not, on the other hand, receive that type of treatment. They only received the strange looks and cruel whispers. Contrasting the treatment and views of Francis and the Jewish made me think of soccer teams. Primarily, there are going to be two soccer teams with the same record. Both have lost the same amount of games, both have won the same amount of games. One soccer club is World Class, one of the most known and victorious soccer clubs out there. The other is NJ Sting. Now, the NJ Sting has lost all their games and same with World Class. But instead of being looked down upon and being shamed by the other soccer clubs like the NJ Sting, World Class is receiving a motivational talk from the other soccer clubs. One is out casted, and the other is being helped up, patted on the back and being recognized for its placement. The Jewish were out casted while Francis was considered a brave hero. Both had the same treatment of dirty stares and awkward social encounters, just like both club teams had the same score. One is just viewed differently.
ReplyDeleteThe way people treat Francis is like the way that the Jewish people were treated during WWII in Europe. People treat Francis like he has a virus that’s contagious; which is the same way people treated Jews in Europe! No one wants to be around him, talk to him, or even look at him, just like the Jews during WWII. On page 4, Francis says, “I am like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, my face like a gargoyle and the duffel bag like a lump on my back.” I think that the Jewish people felt like outcasts with their yellow stars. They sure weren't treated like movie stars.
Francis’ treatment by people was not exactly the same as the treatment of the Jewish people in WWII in Europe. For example, Francis never had to worry about getting killed right on his street. He never had to worry about being taken away from his home or robbed all of his possessions. In fact, after the war, he feels lucky. On page 30, he quotes, “You have a nice dry place to stay and a mission to perform.” Even though Francis was treated differently by people, like the Jewish people in Europe in WWII, his life was not at stake. The Jewish people weren't being ignored—they were being murdered and abused.
#musketeers23
Due to Francis’s injuries he has begun to hide himself around his hometown in Frenchtown. He has made progress in hiding his face and identity. Although not every part of his face is covered. In Chapter 1, Francis says, “People glance at me in surprise and look away quickly or cross the street when they see me coming. I don’t blame them.” This can easily be because of Francis’s face which he described in detail like, “the absence of my nose”. The way people treat Francis can be compared to the treatment of the Jews. Like the phrase above this can be compared with what Jews were forced to do. Whenever they were to walk in to a non-Jew, the Jews were forced to move to the other side of the street or walk in the gutters on the side’s street. People often looked down on the Jews. Also many people looked at the Jews in nothing but discuss, they looked down on them like the common criminal, because not of what they did, but because of what the Jew’s were. The Jew’s obviously were Jew’s. They were also treated poorly due to their clothing and the way they looked. All of which indicated they were Jews.
ReplyDeleteHowever unlike Francis the Jews were not allowed anywhere, where they were not wanted. Francis could go around Frenchtown and enter stores and many other places without much ridicule. However Jews had a serious not allowed system for them. No matter what a Jew was not permitted to enter a business with a NO JEWS sign. Also aside from this Jews were harassed by police and Nazis. No one could say Francis is fortunate, yet when he is compared to the treatment of Jews he has the better life. In a way if the Jews and Francis had met during WWII in his condition, not only in disgust would they walk away, but also because it was a law.
Taylor Davis
ReplyDeleteMs. Drosdick
Period 4
1/30/14
Journal Entry #1 Option A
As Francis said, “People glance at me in surprise and look away quickly or cross the street when they see me coming. I don’t blame them.” Francis was treated as good as a rat in a sewer. But, he was also pitied. As it says in the book a lady asks, “Veteran?” Francis nods and then she says, “Poor Boy.” But, overall Francis was treated like a ghost. People wouldn’t talk to him and he could only go to his close friends for help. In fact, he was treated similarly to the Jews in the Holocaust. Both Francis and the Jews were ignored, mistreated, and humiliated. I find it very disappointing that Francis had to go through this just because of a grenade that greatly damaged his face.
However, there are differences in the way Francis and the Jews were treated. For one, the Jews were gassed and killed and Francis was not killed and was not put into any kind of concentration camp and was not yelled at or screamed at, he was just ignored. Also, in the book, Dr. Abrams said, “Great Strides have been made in cosmetic surgery, Francis.” It is almost if he disapproved what Francis looked like and wanted him to change. Just like the Nazis disapproved of the Jew’s religion and wanted them to change their religion. I believe that both Francis and the Jews were treated wrongly and did not deserve the treatment they were receiving.
Bugles blaring, crowds cheering, little kids standing in line to get a picture. A war hero coming home from a tour of duty in a faraway land should receive all of these festivities. However, the treatment of Francis when he said, “People glance at me in surprise and look away quickly or cross the street when they see me coming. I don’t blame them” was similar to the way the Jews were treated during WWII. The first similarity in the way both were treated was that they were both discriminated against. Francis was discriminated against because of the way he looked. People did not stop to talk to him because of his appearance. The Nazis told the Germans that Jews looked different, had big noses, and compared them to rats. This made the Germans fear the Jews, just as these people crossing the street fear Francis, and think of him as their enemy. My grandfather, who was a Holocaust survivor, was also told that he looked different because he was Jewish and his friends feared him because they thought he was different. Another similarity between Francis and the way the Jews were treated during World War II, was that the Nazis took away the Jew’s identities just as Francis’ identity was taken away by the grenade. He says, “So, I am well covered up, face and body. I am like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, my face like a gargoyle and the duffle bag like a lump on my back.” He judges himself by how he looks, not by what is left on the inside. Finally, another similarity was that Francis was dehumanized because of the deformity of his face by the grenade. The Jews were also dehumanized by being put into concentration camps, by being starved, beaten, and by having to wear a Jewish Star. They were both seen as outsiders in their own countries and were discriminated against, their identities were taken away, and they were dehumanized.
ReplyDeleteSoldiers chanting, freedom won, tyranny stopped. There were many differences as to how Francis was treated in this passage, “People glance at me in surprise and look away quickly or cross the street when they see me coming” and how the Jews were treated in WWII. The first difference was Francis had the freedom of lion roaming in a jungle, where the Jews had all of their freedoms taken away. This meant that he was able to walk on the streets freely and went wherever he wanted to go. The Jews were confined to concentration camps and work camps during WWII. My grandfather, his mother, and his father were all taken to concentration camps during WWII and he was the only survivor in his family. Another difference was that Francis could fight against tyranny because he was a soldier in WWII. The Jews could not defend themselves. Finally, another difference was that he chose to sacrifice himself in war. He had a choice to join the Army where the Jews had to sacrifice themselves because of their religion. In addition, he wasn’t malnourished or starved to death, and he had money after the war. One quote that showed that Francis had money was when he said, “I have plenty of money when I was discharged from Fort Delta.” Francis and the Jews were treated differently in this passage. Francis did not have all of his freedoms taken away like the Jews did in WWII. He had a choice to join the army, fight against tyranny, sacrifice himself for his country, and got money after the war. On the other hand, the Jews had all of their freedoms taken away, could not join the army or defend themselves, had to sacrifice themselves because of their religion, and had no money after the war.
Imagine one day waking up in a hospital without a face. Leaving you with no identity. This is what happened to Francis Cassavant. Francis was treated very similar to how the Jews were treated during WWII. He was looked at as different. “People glance at me in surprise and look away quickly or cross the street when they see me coming I don’t blame them.” Says Francis. He is classified as an unappealing person, after his injury. Just like the Jews were classified as horrible people. They were both classified for no real reason. Inside they are no different from any other person. When seen on the streets they got looks from others walking by. Although they didn’t have the same appearances, neither deserved the harsh looks from others.
ReplyDeleteDuring WWII, Germans dehumanized the Jews. They weren’t treated as equal. Francis is looked at with sympathy and sorrow from others. In these ways Francis and Jews were treated different. “Land mine? … The curiosity is softened with sympathy… Grenade then? … My silence provides him with his answer… Tough Tough.” Says Arthur Rivier to Francis. Most people feel bad for Francis. Which they have the right to he was injured fighting for them. At the same time the Jews did nothing wrong but were treated as if they were animals. Francis’s story was told to many, while stories of thousands of other soldiers who were hurt in war were never told. Just like how thousands of stories from the holocaust were shared around the world but yet many were and still are left untold.
#4musketeers24
Rough cheeks, runny nose, deformed chin, scars, and burns, Francis Cassavant didn't blame people for looking the other way. When Francis comes home from the war the way he was treated in this passage compares him to the way Jewish people were treated in WW2. The Jewish people in world war two were both shunned by other people because of their looks. As Francis walks down the street the people look at him and cross the street or look away, as if he is marked by a yellow star such as the Jews. Jewish people were branded with yellow stars as if they were different in some way. While if someone without a yellow star they weren’t judged immediately like the Jewish people. The “normal” people treated them like garbage that they would just toss away. Francis was treated differently like the Jews because of his appearance. In the text states, he said, “I wear a scarf that covers the lower part of my face. The scarf is white and silk…” He also kept a bandage of his nose or “caves” and wore a red sox cap on his head, tilting it to cover his eyes prying observers. This shows that Francis looked different than other people and would cause one to cross the street or look away. Just like the Jewish people in world war two Francis appeared different and the Jews had resplendent yellow stars. They were both shunned and treated differently because of their “mark” (yellow star, hidden face). This reminds me of how in the past women were treated differently than men even if they were smarter. Men saw them as incapable and treated them as if they were rubbish that only cleaned and cooked. This is like how the Jews were treated as garbage and like wild dogs.
ReplyDeleteIn the words of Helen Keller, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”. The difference between Francis and the situation in world war two is that Francis stands alone living a lie, while the Jews band together and protect each other. When the yellow star was distributed the Jews all looked alike, as if they were soldiers in uniform. Since you were now “marked” there was no sense of denying it, in order to protect themselves they needed to band together. Yet Francis was alone, he did not stand in numbers. No one else looked like Francis because he was alone. As the text it states, “I keep a bandage on the space where my nose used to be.” This shows that Francis did not look like most people, allowing him to stand out like a giant purple dot on white paper. Francis was not as fortunate as the Jews and had to stand alone rather than in numbers. It proves true that were stronger in numbers rather alone. In social studies we learn that one of the major reasons as to why the continental army lost some of their battles was because of their lack of soldiers. The situation was like a one on five; who do you think is going to win. The chances of succeeding are low and if the soldiers increased in numbers they could have one more battles. This is like the Jews and Francis because it shows both aspects of being stronger in numbers and being weaker alone.
Compared to each other, Francis and the Jewish people during World War II have a few things in common. The first is that both are looked at differently by everyone around them, like they are an alien who crash landed on Earth, when in reality, they really aren’t. In the text, Francis states “People glance at me in surprise and look away quickly or cross the street when they see me coming.” These people are clearly trying to avoid Francis, just like people in Europe trying to avoid the Jews. Another way that the two could be compared would be that they both might feel singled out. Every day, Francis has to walk around with people staring at his face, or fleeing from the sight of it. Some might even whisper things that are just loud enough for him to hear. The Jewish people on the other hand, aren’t being avoided just because of their faces, but are being avoided for eve being alive. Having to go through this process every single day of their lives would easily make them feel singled out and left out.
ReplyDeleteThough Francis and the Jewish people during World War II are similar in some ways, they are also different. The main thing that is different about them is that even though Francis is still look at differently because of his face, people still respect and honor him since he is a veteran. In the text, Enrico states to Francis “You’re a big hero. A Silver Star hero.” This is a great example of how Francis is still respected even though his face is disfigured. The Jewish people on the other hand weren’t respected by anyone for anything. Almost everyone who wasn’t Jewish look down upon the Jews like they were dirt off of the bottom of a shoe. No matter what the Jews did, even if they were veterans like Francis, they could never gain the respect of the people of other religions around them.
Invisible: Francis and the Jews of Europe are similar because they are both invisible. "I must remain invisible" are words Francis might say. Francis understands that being invisible helps others deal with his difference. "People glance at me in surprise and look away quickly or cross the street when they see me coming. I don't blame them." Francis suffered a disfiguring injury, and he is now frightening to look at. He represents one of the horrors of war. Francis sees people "moving on when I feel their eyes on me filled with either pity or curiosity" (20). Just like people in Frenchtown do not want to acknowledge Francis because he is scary, people in Europe did not want to acknowledge the Jews because their deportation to concentration camps was also a horror of the war. When the regular citizens of Europe pretended not to see the Jews, they could pretend they had nothing to do with the murder of the Jews.
ReplyDelete"Poor boy" (5): People have sympathy for Francis, but the people in Europe did not have sympathy for the Jews. The citizens of Frenchtown look away from Francis because they feel pity for him. They don't want to make him feel badly about himself when they stare. "Their curiosity is softened with sympathy" (33). Francis is seen as a victim and a hero. However, this was not the case for the Jews. They received no caring glances or soothing words because they were seen as the cause of all of Europe's troubles. When the Jews were sent to the concentration camps, people stared in disgust at the Jews who were lined up at the train stations because the Europeans wanted to get rid of the problem. Francis is treated with compassion; the Jews were treated with apathy.
Have you ever seen something and acted like you didn't? People in Europe during WWII tried to stay away from Jewish people. They would look at them and try to get away, not wanting to be near them, that's the same thing with Francis. The other people who are walking down the street with Francis glance at him, then walk or look away from him. Jewish people were not looked at the same as other people, just like Francis isn't looked at the same way. People try to act like they never saw them. Francis and Jewish people in Europe are treated the same way, when people try to walk or look away from both.
ReplyDeleteFrancis Cassavant is often walking down the street. The other people on the street tend to walk or look away from him. "So, I am well covered up, face and body,..." The people that see Francis walking down the street either walk or look away. Francis is covered up, and the people get nervous when they see someone. Or, they may even feel sympathy for Francis. In Europe, the Jewish people that happened to walk down the street were avoided just because they were Jewish. The Jewish people in Europe weren't allowed to walk on the sidewalks, Francis is allowed to walk on the sidewalk, he is just usually avoided by other people. The people that stay away from Francis might do this because of what he looks like, they may feel bad for him. The people that stayed away from the Jewish people, were just doing that because that's what they may have been taught, that Jewish people weren't like everyone else. So, Francis is looked at differently because of the way he looks, and people may feel sympathy towards him. The Jewish people in Europe were looked at differently just because they were Jewish, and seen as not being the same as other people were.
One grenade changed the life of a young boy named Francis Cassavant forever. Upon returning to Frenchtown after the war, Francis was treated poorly because of the way he looked. The way he was treated can compare to the way Jewish people were treated during WWII. Both Francis and Jewish people were avoided and looked at funny. On page 4 Francis states, "People glance at me in surprise and look away quickly." This tells me that Francis was avoided and looked at funny by other people just like the Jews were in WWII. The way Francis and Jews were treated can compare to the way black people were treated during slavery because all of them were treated poorly.
ReplyDeleteThe way Francis was treated can also contrast from the way Jewish people were treated during WWII. Francis might have been avoided and looked at funny, but Jews were being abused and most of all, terminated. The way Francis was treated wasn't as extreme as the way Jews were treated. On page 4 Francis states, "People...cross the street when they see me coming." This tells me that Francis was treated poorly to a lower extent then Jews were during WWII. The way the Jews were treated reminds me of the fighting that is going on in the middle east today. I don't people should be treated poorly because of the way they look or what there religion is.
Everyone abhors the feeling of difference from others: the feeling of segregation. The treatment of Francis is similar to the way Jewish people were treated during World War 2 in Europe because they were both “singled-out,” which inspires the notion of being different. For instance, on page 20 of the book, Heroes, it states, “Watching the people come and go, and then moving on when I feel their eyes on me filled with either pity or curiosity.” This demonstrates how Francis is uncomfortable with the gazes of the people like how one might be in front of a crowd of a solo in the piano. It can be surmised that he feels different and “singled-out” on account of the gazes of many directed on Francis. Moreover, on page 4 of Heroes, it states, “People glance at me in surprise and look away quickly or cross the street when they see me coming.” This reveals that Francis has enough of a horrifying characteristic that leaves the people in surprise. This is comparable to the Jews because they have a star on the chest exclaiming to the world that these people were Jews. The Jews were incredulously disdained and therefore, caused the attention of the European. It made the Jews feel different and segregated from the society. There are also many cases related to this. For instance, the African-Americans were segregated and treated differently in the past because of their skin color.
ReplyDeleteNothing is exactly the same. The treatment of Francis is different from the treatment of the Jews during World War 2 in Europe because the Jews were scorned while Francis was pitied. For instance, on page 20, it states, “Watching the people come and go, and then moving on when I feel their eyes on me filled with either pity or curiosity.” This reveals that he pitied like a beggar on the street. This is different from the Jews; they were tormented and ultimately killed as if they were vicious and notorious criminals, but they were falsely accused. Moreover, on page 5, it says, ‘“Veteran?’ I nodded, and [Mrs. Belander’s] face softened: ‘Poor boy.’” This reveals that Francis was a veteran and again, pitied. A veteran and a “criminal’s” treatment are very different, although there are few similarities. There was a similar book related to the differences of Francis and the Jews as mentioned before. In the book, Merciless Creatures, Paul Lechant witnessed an unknown thief who framed another man. He grabbed a purse of an opulent female and slipped it in the pockets of a nearby man. When the woman came to her senses, she found her purse in the pockets of the man and called him a thief. The wrongly accused man, Daniel Park, was soon pardoned, but everyone treated him terribly. Paul Lechant in the end raised the crime that the thief committed off of Daniel. Daniel was then pitied like Francis. Daniel soon showed discomfort on his face because of it. This is similar because it shows the difference between the treatments of a “beggar” and “criminal” like Francis and the Jews.
Francis’ terrible accident caused him enough damage to himself. Coming home was just another terrible experience for him too. When Francis arrived home he had been treated very poorly. He had been made fun of for his disheveled face, called names, been stared at, just like the Jews during World War II in Europe. Jews had been treated terrible during this time period. They had been being shot one after another like there is no tomorrow, taken away to concentration camps, and called names. Neither Francis nor the Jews should have been treated this way.
ReplyDeleteJust like the Jews and Francis were alike they had also been different in a few ways. The Jews during World War II had been dying every day, unlike Francis. There were many Jews and only one of Francis which was another difference. Also, no one was wiling to take the Jews in to protect them because non-Jews would keep away, they don’t like Jews and they didn’t want any trouble. Even though the Jews and Francis had some differences, they weren’t as different. #7eleven7
When you see a homeless person, what goes through your mind? Every day people walk by homeless people, and try to avoid them, by either turning their head, or crossing the street. Also, the homeless are looked upon in two ways by the average person, curiously, or with pity. The way the homeless felt is similar to how Francis felt when he would see people flee to the other side of the street and crane their necks quickly away from him. "People glance at me in surprise and look away quickly or cross the street when they see me coming. I don't blame them." Francis stated. This is very similar to the way Jews were treated in Europe during World War II, nobody wanted to deal with a problem that wasn't their own. Francis went on to say, "....watching the people come and go, and then moving on when I feel their eyes on me filled with either pity or curiosity." This quote of Francis's shows how he isn't treated like a real person, but instead he's treated like an unread mystery novel because people are always wondering how something occured. This meaning, that people wanted to know how he became deformed, but yet also felt sorry that he became deformed while fighting for his country. Jewish people who lived in countries that weren't under German control also were seen by others that had equal feelings of pity and curiosity. People would wonder if they fled from a country under German control, or if they had any family members who were executed, and therefore they might feel some pity for them. Overall, Francis's story is like that of a homeless person in New York City, people wanted to know what happened and they felt sorry for him.
ReplyDeleteAs it may seem insane, there was a time when an entire nation believed that persecuting an entire race was justified. During World War II in Nazi Germany, Jews weren't seen as people, but rather vermin. They were systematically executed and almost completely wiped out of Europe. This is much different than how Francis was treated when he returned home from war. Primarily just the mindset of people towards the two differ completely. As the Jews were seen as vermin, Francis was seen as a hero from other people because he is a World War II veteran. "You're a big hero," he said." A Silver Star hero......" This is Francis's friend, Enrico talking to Francis. Since Enrico also fought in the war with Francis, and lost both of his legs, and he still believes Francis is a hero, that really means something. The "hero" treatment of veterans like Francis is very similar to the way firefighters are treated. This is because people see them as heroes because they risk their lives to protect the lives of others. Overall, the way that Francis and Jews during the Holocaust were treated is very different because of the mindset towards them by the people in their country.
Matthew Baker
ReplyDeleteReading Journal 1
When Francis says, “People glance at me in surprise and look away quickly or cross the street when they see me coming. I don’t blame them,” It reminds me of the way the Jewish people were treated in WWII in Europe. You can tell how Francis feels when he says, “I walk with my head down as if I have lost money on the sidewalk and am looking for it.” He is coping with his problem. This reminds me of how the Frank family went into hiding. Francis’ curse was losing his face during the war. The Franks’ curse is being Jewish. Francis’ knows that he makes people uncomfortable because they wonder about what happened to his face. The Franks understood that they made their European non-Jewish friends and neighbors unsure if they should continue talking to them because it might put them in danger for being friendly with Jewish people. They cope by telling people they are going on a trip.
The difference between Francis’ treatment and the Jewish people during WWII in Europe is that Francis just receives the cold shoulder when he walks on the street. On page 20, Francis states
, “I try to avoid eye contact with people I know…” Francis doesn’t like people looking at him but he knows that they are not going to kill him. Meanwhile, the Franks know that their treatment will lead to a certain death.