In the beginning of Chapter 3,
Francis reveals that he purposely avoids eye contact with people he knows while
walking through the streets of Frenchtown.
o
What does this suggest about
his character?
o
Why do you think he behaves
this way?
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Boom! The grenade exploded which would later leave Francis Cassavant with no ears, nose, teeth, eyebrows, and little cheeks and hair. Francis Cassavant was boy living in Frenchtown who created a fake birth certificate in order to enter into war earlier than the normal age of 18. Francis always wanted to be like the older kids who would come home feeling proud and being called a hero. Though, while Francis is at war a grenade blows off his face. On page 20 as the text states, “I feel like a spy in disguise as I walk the streets of Frenchtown, hidden behind the scarf and the bandage … I try to avoid eye contact with people I know.” This shows that Francis’s character is shy and somewhat embarrassed to be seen with the way he looks. He feels that if people see him with no face he will no longer call him a “hero”. He also may not want to explain how it happened for it may bring back the terrible memories again. He feels like hiding like a turtle in a shell will make is life easier. Francis may be like other modern day soldiers too. Even though soldiers are heroes to most people, if soldiers get hurt or maimed in war, they will feel sense of embarrassment when returning to their home town. Just like Francis.
ReplyDeleteDid you ever think that one little thing can change your life forever? That one little thing can cause you to become a totally new person? On page 3 the text states,” I wear a scarf that covers the lower part of my face … There’s a Red Sox cap on my head and I tilt the cap forward so that the visor keeps the upper part of my face in shadow … I keep a bandage on the space where my nose used to be… people glance at me in surprise and look away quickly or cross the street when they see me coming.” I think Francis behaves this way because he is embarrassed that people will make fun because of the way he looks. Or that people won’t call him a “hero” anymore. They will remember the old, young kid he used to be not the “hero” and veteran from war. Every day, Francis has to go through what many disabled people also have to go through. People look at disabled people in a different way just like they look at Francis in a different way. Francis Cassavant is a “hero” to me but, he doesn’t believe he is.
oneinamillion16
ReplyDeleteImagine not having a face the way you do today. Your nose torn off and patches of skin sown to your face. This is the way a man named Frances is everyday of his life after the war. He doesn't maintain i contact or even look people in the eyes because he does't want people to see his face and how disheveled it is. People don't even want to look at hi they will even walk to the other side of street. to get passed him. He must feel really insecure about everything he does. He doesn't want to have attention on him so he avoids everything that could.
He behaves this way because he doesn't want people to ignore him but because of the way he acts he is already being ignored by the towns people. This is not how war vets should be treated. Who knows maybe will accept him maybe not but we will she.
Francis purposefully avoids eye contact, because he doesn’t want people to recognize him. This suggests that the war changed him, because before the war he was friendly. Now, he is ashamed, because people will look at him differently and it will be difficult for him to make friends. As the text says, “People glance at me in surprise and look away quickly.” The people he sees outside cross the street when he walks toward them, because of the way he looks. He doesn’t want people to feel sorry for him either.
ReplyDeleteFrancis behaves this way, because he is embarrassed. He tests Ms. Blander to see if she remembers him. As the text says “She didn’t respond to my greeting and I realized that she didn’t recognize my voice, either.” She feels sorry for him and he doesn’t want that. People may also ask what happened to him and he doesn’t want to talk about it, so it is easier for Francis to avoid people. He doesn’t want to explain how he lied about his age to get into the army, because he knows it’s illegal and he could get into trouble.
#4muskateers1
What would you do if you lost your face to a grenade? Would you be proud of your dedication? Would you be ashamed or embarrassed? This happened to Francis Cassavant. He lost his face. In Heroes, Francis says, “I try to avoid making eye contact with people I know.” Even though Francis covers his face, he still feels that he can’t risk anyone discovering his true identity. This suggests that Francis is ashamed and embarrassed of what happened to him. Some people in the military have similar things happen to them. Like Francis, they could lose their teeth, nose, and ears. While some are proud to display their service, others are embarrassed and ashamed.
ReplyDeleteI think that Francis acts this way because he is afraid of what they might think and they might treat him differently. He also might think that they might make fun of him. Another reason he might act this way is because he technically wasn’t old enough to go to war and the people who have known him in the past might realize what he has done thus, getting him in trouble. On page four, Francis claims, “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 means that Francis realizes that people fear him and that he must look scary and he probably doesn’t want his friends seeing him like that. The way that Francis is reacting reminds me of Quasimodo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Quasi told Esmeralda that he didn’t want her to look at him because his face was deformed.
Boom! The grenade exploded which would later leave Francis Cassavant with no ears, nose, teeth, eyebrows, and little cheeks and hair. Francis Cassavant was boy living in Frenchtown who created a fake birth certificate in order to enter into war earlier than the normal age of 18. Francis always wanted to be like the older kids who would come home feeling proud and being called a hero. Though, while Francis is at war a grenade blows off his face. On page 20 as the text states, “I feel like a spy in disguise as I walk the streets of Frenchtown, hidden behind the scarf and the bandage … I try to avoid eye contact with people I know.” This shows that Francis’s character is shy and somewhat embarrassed to be seen with the way he looks. He feels that if people see him with no face he will no longer call him a “hero”. He also may not want to explain how it happened for it may bring back the terrible memories again. He feels like hiding like a turtle in a shell will make is life easier. Francis may be like other modern day soldiers too. Even though soldiers are heroes to most people, if soldiers get hurt or maimed in war, they will feel sense of embarrassment when returning to their home town. Just like Francis.
ReplyDeleteDid you ever think that one little thing can change your life forever? That one little thing can cause you to become a totally new person? On page 3 the text states,” I wear a scarf that covers the lower part of my face … There’s a Red Sox cap on my head and I tilt the cap forward so that the visor keeps the upper part of my face in shadow … I keep a bandage on the space where my nose used to be… people glance at me in surprise and look away quickly or cross the street when they see me coming.” I think Francis behaves this way because he is embarrassed that people will make fun because of the way he looks. Or that people won’t call him a “hero” anymore. They will remember the old, young kid he used to be not the “hero” and veteran from war. Every day, Francis has to go through what many disabled people also have to go through. People look at disabled people in a different way just like they look at Francis in a different way. Francis Cassavant is a “hero” to me but, he doesn’t believe he is.
Have you ever felt insecure about something? If so you can defiantly relate to Francis's character. Francis avoids eye contact with people he knows and this suggests that his character is insecure. According to the text it states "I feel like a spy...hiding hidden behind the scarf and the bandages...moving on when I feel their eyes on me filled with either pity or curiosity." This suggests that his character is shy, quiet and insecure about being out in public. He feels that the entire world has their eyes on him while he is in public. Francis's character is most likely similar to a soldier named Joey Paulk who also had a face similar to Francis. Joey was also insecure about his face and avoided eye contact with people he knew.
ReplyDeleteThe reason why most people are insecure is because they care about what people think about them. In Francis's case I think he behaves this way because he doesn't want to scare and surprise the people he knows. According to the text it states "I try to avoid eye contact with people I know like Mr. molnier, the butcher...and Mrs. St. Pierre." This is showing that he behaves this way in order for the people he knew to not be afraid of him. I can predict that Francis's will act this way for a long time. This is because I believe that it will be really hard to overcome his situation.
7eleven-12
Why does Francis avoid eye contact in Frenchtown? Will anyone figure out who he is? These questions are left unanswered. Francis reveals that he is purposely avoiding eye contact with people he knows. This suggests about his character that he is embarrassed and frightened. In the text it states,"I feel like a spy in disguise as i walk the streets of Frenchtown, hidden behind the scarf and bandages." This shows that he is covering his scars up, showing embarrassment. In the text it states,"This was the proof that the scarf and bandages were working in two different ways: not only to hide the ugliness of what used to be my face but to hide my identity too." This shows that he is frightened or scared over people seeing him or finding out his identity. On the news when you hear stories about the people who rob bank, you notice that their faces are covered so nobody can see who they really are. Francis has put a mask on so that nobody will know who he is. Why is Francis so frightened and embarrassed. Why is he behaving this way?
ReplyDeleteEmily spilt milk on her dads new computer, making the computer break, she doesn't know what to do. She takes the computer away and hides it. She starts to cry and goes to sleep so her dad doesn't ask her questions about the computer. Why did she behave like this? Why did Francis behave this way? Francis behaves in a embarrassment or scared was because as he transfers to a boy who didn't have any scars on his face to a man covered up in these bandages is embarrassing and since he wants to kill Larry, he doesn't want anyone to see who he is, he is frightened. He doesn't want his identity to be shown. In the text it states,"Then i am filled with guilt and shame, knowing that i just prayed for the man i am going to kill." This shows that he will kill Larry. On 9/11, the people who put bombs on the plane had to be frightened if anyone found out who they were. They would go to jail or prison. Anybody who is committing a crime will be frightened, Francis is too.
Everyone has something to hide, something that they're ashamed of. In the beginning of chapter three, Francis reveals that he purposely avoids eye contact with people he knows while walking through the streets of Frenchtown. This suggests that Francis is a very self conscious person. In Chapter one, the text states," This is proof that the scarf and the bandage were working in two ways: not only to hide the ugliness of what use to be my face, but to hide my identity." From this quote, one can infer that Francis was not pleased with the state of his "ugly" face, and thus found it necessary to cover up.Francis's over analyzation of how he looks indicates that Francis is a very insecure man. Frances can be compared to a teenager who has anorexia, they both find the need to look idealistic in order to impress those around them.
ReplyDeleteFrancis acts as prudent as a snake as he walks through the streets of French town for many reasons. Francis behaves this way because he has the intention to murder a man named Larry LaSalle. In chapter one, after praying for Larry LaSalle, Francis states," Then I am filled with guilt and shame, knowing that I just prayed for the man I am going to kill."Francis has a desire to murder a man named Larry LaSalle , in order to do so Francis must make sure that no one knows his true identity, so that Francis will not be convicted of a crime. Francis reminds me of a woman named Katniss Everdeen, a character from The Hunger Games. In order to find food, Katniss discreetly crosses an illegal boundary. To prevent herself from being caught, Katniss must do so without attracting too much attention to herself, similar to Francis who disguises himself so that he wont be caught.
#4musketeers18
Journal Entry 1
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of Chapter 3, Francis reveals that he purposely avoids eye contact with people he knows while walking through the streets of Frenchtown, this suggests that he is insecure and not confident. Francis was part of an accident that evolved a grenade that destroyed parts of his face. He will never be the same again. He earned a Silver Star in World War II. Francis’s daily routine is affected by his war experiences. Francis covers up with bandages to hides his injuries that the grenade caused. The bandage covers his nose (what is left of it); it is secured with a safety pin. He doesn’t like to make eye contact with them because he knows they are all staring at him. They look at him in a different way. This shows that he lacks confidence. He is not happy about his appearance now. Francis Cassavant likes to hide away from others; he is showing that is unsocial. Francis is unsocial and doesn’t want to talk to anybody, he wants to be invisible. On page 20 it says, “I feel like in disguise as I walk the streets of Frenchtown, hidden behind the scarf and the bandage, making my way through the chilled morning, pausing on the corners, watching the people come and go, and then moving on when I feel their eyes on me filled with either pity or curiosity.” These lines in the text indicate that he hides away behind his scarf and bandage, no one can recognize him. Also, he starts to move along through the streets once he feels the others eyes looking at him. On page 20 it says, “I try to avoid eye contact with people I know, like Mr. Molnier, the butcher, who stands in the doorway of his meat market in his bloodstained apron, and Mrs. St, Pierre, who scowls her disapproval at him as she passes.” Francis makes me think of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The Hunchback, Quasimodo hides away in the Cathedral so no one can see him. When Quasimodo shows up in town everyone stares at him. This makes him feel insecure like Francis. Francis’s character suggests that he is insecure and lacks confidence.
In the beginning of Chapter 3, Francis reveals that he purposely avoids eye contact with people he knows while walking through the streets of Frenchtown, this makes him behave a certain way. Since the being injured, Francis hasn’t been the same, both physically and mentally. Francis behaves differently because he is cautious of his appearance and feels every one’s eyes on him as he goes through the streets of Frenchtown. Francis hides away in the attic tenement in Mrs. Belander’s three-decker in Frenchtown. He doesn’t even tell Mrs. Belender who he is, suggesting by his behavior that he is unsocial and he doesn’t want to talk to anyone he knows. After the incident he acts differently because he doesn’t know what people will think of him and he is afraid of what people will think of him. Causing him behave in a certain way is the nightmare he has. On page 30 it says, “The next day, the grenade blows my face away.” That was the day that his life started to change. Eric LeGrand a former Rugters football player was paralyzed while playing. This changed how he behaved. Eric is paralyzed from the neck down from making a tackle in a game in 2010. Eric is now in a wheel chair unlike before he was able to walk. He has to perform regular day activities differently. As you can see from his accident on the football field causes him to behave differently than he does now in 2014.
Journal Entry 1
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of Chapter 3, Francis reveals that he purposely avoids eye contact with people he knows while walking through the streets of Frenchtown, this suggests that he is insecure and not confident. Francis was part of an accident that evolved a grenade that destroyed parts of his face. He will never be the same again. He earned a Silver Star in World War II. Francis’s daily routine is affected by his war experiences. Francis covers up with bandages to hides his injuries that the grenade caused. The bandage covers his nose (what is left of it); it is secured with a safety pin. He doesn’t like to make eye contact with them because he knows they are all staring at him. They look at him in a different way. This shows that he lacks confidence. He is not happy about his appearance now. Francis Cassavant likes to hide away from others; he is showing that is unsocial. Francis is unsocial and doesn’t want to talk to anybody, he wants to be invisible. On page 20 it says, “I feel like in disguise as I walk the streets of Frenchtown, hidden behind the scarf and the bandage, making my way through the chilled morning, pausing on the corners, watching the people come and go, and then moving on when I feel their eyes on me filled with either pity or curiosity.” These lines in the text indicate that he hides away behind his scarf and bandage, no one can recognize him. Also, he starts to move along through the streets once he feels the others eyes looking at him. On page 20 it says, “I try to avoid eye contact with people I know, like Mr. Molnier, the butcher, who stands in the doorway of his meat market in his bloodstained apron, and Mrs. St, Pierre, who scowls her disapproval at him as she passes.” Francis makes me think of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The Hunchback, Quasimodo hides away in the Cathedral so no one can see him. When Quasimodo shows up in town everyone stares at him. This makes him feel insecure like Francis. Francis’s character suggests that he is insecure and lacks confidence.
In the beginning of Chapter 3, Francis reveals that he purposely avoids eye contact with people he knows while walking through the streets of Frenchtown, this makes him behave a certain way. Since the being injured, Francis hasn’t been the same, both physically and mentally. Francis behaves differently because he is cautious of his appearance and feels every one’s eyes on him as he goes through the streets of Frenchtown. Francis hides away in the attic tenement in Mrs. Belander’s three-decker in Frenchtown. He doesn’t even tell Mrs. Belender who he is, suggesting by his behavior that he is unsocial and he doesn’t want to talk to anyone he knows. After the incident he acts differently because he doesn’t know what people will think of him and he is afraid of what people will think of him. Causing him behave in a certain way is the nightmare he has. On page 30 it says, “The next day, the grenade blows my face away.” That was the day that his life started to change. Eric LeGrand a former Rugters football player was paralyzed while playing. This changed how he behaved. Eric is paralyzed from the neck down from making a tackle in a game in 2010. Eric is now in a wheel chair unlike before he was able to walk. He has to perform regular day activities differently. As you can see from his accident on the football field causes him to behave differently than he does now in 2014.
Bella Orlandoni Journal Entry
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of chapter 3, Francis talks about how he avoids eye contact with people he knows while he walks the streets of French town. Obviously, since his face has been distorted, he is trying to avoid eye contact because of the embarrassment his face brings to him. But not only does this show embarrassment, this also suggest different things about his character. In the text, it states “...watching the people come and go and then moving on when I feel their eyes on me filled with either putty or curiosity.”. This shows me that Francis isn’t just embarrassed of who he now is, but hes a shy person, show ashamed and cant face his problems the way he should. Instead he covers up bis face, and avoids everyone. When the grenade went off, not only did it destroy his face, but it destroyed himself on the inside too. A situation like this is, unfortunately, becoming more common. There are more and more people getting injured in the war. From loosing their faces, to their legs, it not only takes a toll on your body, but a toll on your mind.
I think francis behaves this way because hes not sure how to deal with it. Even though he gets treatment from the doctor, no one can help him with overcoming the fear of accepting who he is now. He covers up and refuses to show who he relay is to anyone, even the people he used to be close with before the war. In the book, he describes everything he does to hide his face. He uses everything from scares to bandages to cover up, if he cant let anyone accept him for who he is, how can he accept himself? People who go through tram tic experiences that alter who they are, physically or mentally, can have a very tough time accepting themselves. When someone goes through something that is similar to what francis experienced, they tend to loose who they are mentally, forever.
Francis is invisible as he avoids eye contact with anybody he knows, which shows a lot about his character. Francis has a very low self-esteem, and this suggests that his character doesn’t feel good about himself, and that he is too modest, so much that he doesn’t even feel like people deserve to know him, as if he was a fly. One quote that backs me up is found on page 20, it states, “I try to avoid contact with people I know.” This applies to my answer because it shows that in fact he does try to avoid eye contact. Another quote for the text is found on page 20, it states “I feel their eyes on filed with either pity or curiosity.” This also shows that he has a very low self-esteem, by telling us that he knows what they are thinking about him, and they are not good things. This is similar to when I was learning about people after Vietnam War and how they felt so depressed and that nobody cared about them, because in both the text and from my insight, they both feel bad about themselves, and both have poor self-esteem.
ReplyDeleteFrancis behaves as a depressed, lonely for a few different reasons. He acts this way because his face is as dismantled as a brand new couch from Ikea, and he feels that he isn’t worth much to anybody anymore. One quote that supports my statement is found on page 1, it states “I have no face.” This means that he feels he has no face even though he does. Another quote that supports me is found on page 2, it states “My nostrils are like two small caves.” This means that he feels he doesn’t even have a nose, and he refers to it as “caves” when he still has a nose. This relates to when anybody is wearing something that they feel they will be made fun of because when people don’t feel good about their appearance, they develop low self-esteem.
Renee Cantor
ReplyDeleteHave you ever avoided others because of how you look? Have you ever avoided others because of how you feel? In chapter three of “Heroes” Francis reveals that he purposely avoids eye contact with people he knows while walking through the streets of Frenchtown. This says a lot about Francis’ character. It shows the reader that Francis is uncomfortable with who he is after the war. In the book, page four, it states, “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 shows that he is unconfident. He is afraid of what others will think of him. His body language, including avoiding eye contact illustrates that fact that he is insecure and unsure, a captain without a map.
Can you imagine going on a trip and returning with a different face? Can you imagine a time when your reflection is a stranger? I think Francis is unconfident because of his experience at war, and its outcome. When he returned home after serving in the war, he was a different person, or so it seemed. Many features of his face had been ruined by a grenade. Francis lost his face. A face is a gateway to a person’s soul. It is an identity. Francis left his identity on the dusty, war laden roads and returned home with a face that many would describe as creepy or gross. This is depressing. Losing an identity and a face can cause someone to feel insecure for many reasons. In the story, page five, it says “This was proof that the scarf and the bandage were working in two ways: not only to hide the ugliness of what had been my face but to hide my identity.” This shows that Francis is insecure after the war because of his loss of identity and the looks of his face. With no identity, he may feel unconfident about who he is, and with a deformed face, he may feel unconfident about how he looks.
There are many veterans, just like Francis. Many of these veterans are homeless, in a risky financial state, cannot get jobs, or are waiting for medical help. This is a huge problem. Yesterday, during President Barack Obama’s State of Union Address, he mentioned how he plans on helping veterans in the future. This is very important. It is imperative that we can help the people who fought for us and our country. This is something that I plan on findings ways of doing in the future.
#oneinamillion6
Champion # 4
ReplyDeleteMr.Tagenhorst
01/30/14
What this suggests about Francis’s character is that he feels and acts isolated from everyone else. Francis feels different from everyone else, which is why he looks away from them. Since he “different” from them, he avoids them thus becoming isolated from them. On page 20 Francis states “I feel like a spy as I walk the streets of Frenchtown…”The quote shows the Francis feels separated from everyone else in the town just by simply walking. The second part of the quote states, “Watching people come and go, and then moving when I feel their eyes on me filled with either pity or curiosity.” This shows how Francis acts isolated towards everyone else because all Francis does is walk by them. He does not simply turn his head towards them to show attention, while he knows that they see him, but continues to keep on walking anyways. Even though he may have know these people, he still, isolated himself from them by walking past them. Francis is like an apple in an orange field. Sure they are both different colors and tastes, but they are still both fruits. I predict that if Francis kept on living the life he did that he would be miserable. He always push himself always from others becoming even more isolated. In extension that could has possibly lead to him never leaving his house, never ever talking to anyone again and have no social life, thus causing him to have a great deal of depression.
I think that Francis behaves the way that he did because he felt scared that people will judge him. Now Francis had had is face completely disarranged. He had “caves” for a nose, checks made up of his thigh skin, and a scorched face. Physically speaking, the sight of Francis would be horrific towards other people. Francis believes that if people who did not know him had seen him, they would judge him based on the way that his faced looked. However since is face has changed, the people that do know him will not be able to recognize him, thus he has the fear of them judging him. On page 20 Francis states “I feel like a spy as I walk the streets of Frenchtown… Watching people come and go, and then moving when I feel their eyes on me filled with either pity or curiosity.” The quote also shows how Francis feels like an outside(or in his words a spy) to everyone else in French town because of the suspicious bandages, scarf, and what lies underneath. He feels like an outsider because of what happened to his face and how he is different from everyone else. Since he feels that way he feels like he would be judged. On page 5 Francis stated “ I said [Fransis] “Hello, Mrs. Bleander.” … she didn’t respond to my voice, either.” This quote shows that multiple people have not recognized his voice as well. Showing that since they did not recognize it that they assume it is someone else, making Francis feel like more of an outsider towards them. Which is why Francis feels like a cat in the middle of the ocean, in the first place. If I were to be in Francis’s shoes I would not act like they way he did. I would go to places without my bandages and scarf. If I know people, I will not hesitate to look at them and say hello. I would not put all of these restrictions on my self such as Francis did, and do what I want in my life. I would not be scared, but be happy for all of the things I could do. We only have one life, so we have to life it right.
There is always a lot of ways to tell a character’s personality. What Francis reveals in Chapter three suggests he doesn’t want to be pitied by people he knows. As the text states “I feel like a spy in disguise as I walk through the streets of Frenchtown, hidden behind the scarf and the bandage,...,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 explains that whether or not he was considered a hero, he never felt like one. He felt as if he didn’t deserve sympathy for what he did. This reminds me of the protagonist Robie in the book The Innocent. Not only is Robie an assassin, but the people he assassinates are ‘evil’ in one way or another. Considering this, Robie only wishes to get the job done and does not want praise at all for what he does. And in a way, acts like Francis around other people, secretive, and antisocial.
ReplyDeleteEveryone usually behaves in a certain way for a reason. The reason why I think Francis acts like this is because everyone acts like he is a hero and feels bad for what has happened to him. But in Francis’ mind he doesn’t consider himself a hero and doesn’t want anybody’s pity. In the text Francis states “What if I told him that I was little Francis Cassavant ... That I am not the hero he thinks I am, like the other veterans in the St. Jude’s Club.” This quote sort of explains that Francis is sort of disconnected from society. This actually reminds me of Crooks from Of Mice and Men. He antagonizes others and keeps away from other people. Though all he really wishes to do is to fit in. And most likely so does Francis. The only difference is that Crooks was disconnected by other people’s actions and Francis is disconnected by his own opinion on himself.
#Sk8-14
In the book Heroes, Francis Cassavant purposely avoids eye contact with the people he knows while walking through the streets of Frenchtown. This action could mean that he is unconfident and he doesn’t want to be in contact with people he knew from the past. After the war, Francis’ face was left damaged and he had to cover it all up. On pages 2 and 3 of Heroes, Francis talks about his appearance and how he hides his face in a scarf. Soldiers that have come back from combat most likely do this if they have been injured.
ReplyDeleteFrancis behaves this way around people. This is probably because he doesn’t want to be seen or remembered. If he were to go out in the streets people could recognize him or children could be scared. He doesn’t want to cause a lot of attention. In the story, Francis narrates that he is going to kill Larry LaSalle. In future events, Francis would be easily recognized by witnesses (if there are any). Shows on present day TV show that murderers and killers try to hide or disguise themselves. Francis Cassavant hides to show that he doesn’t want to be known.
oneinamillion12
During chapter 3 of “Heroes” by Robert Cormier, Francis avoids eye contact with those he knows, which shows that he is trying to avoid any questions that they may ask asked. According to Francis, he “[moves] on when I feel their [the people’s] eyes on me filled with either pity or curiosity.” This tells the reader that he wants to evade the people’s feelings of curiosity and pity. He wants to avoid any form of attention being drawn towards him and to seem like an ant in a rainforest. There are many people in the world today, who wish not to be identified because they fear death for their previous actions.
ReplyDeleteIt can be inferred that Francis is avoiding eye contact because he wants to reinvent his life. The text states that “here is the point when my life becomes a lie.” This is his response to giving the fake name of “Raymond”, when asked by Mrs. Belander. Other than starting over, there is no valid reason for giving a fake name. Many Nazi war criminals actually escaped to places like South America and changed their names to escape trial.
#7eleven-15
Journal option 2
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think your life would be like after being in a war accident, and losing most of your face? Francis Cassavant has been forced to find the answer to this question. When a person purposely avoids eye contact, it’s safe to say that their character is probably more of an introvert type. Due to the accident in the war, Francis’ face has been blown off and he is very self-conscious. Proof that Francis is self-conscious can be found on page 4. It states, “Anyway, this gives you an idea of what i look like when I walk down the street. People glance at me in surprise and look away quickly or cross the street when they see me coming. I don’t blame them.” I don’t blame them. This shows that Francis doesn’t feel comfortable with himself.
People often judge others, and force them to accommodate to their standards, and it’s safe to say that you, and everyone else have felt pressured by others’ opinions. I think this explains why Francis acts the way he does. On page 2, Francis says, “If anything bothers me, it’s my nose.” This proves that he is uncomfortable with his body now. Also people in the book always say something about his appearance, so I can see why Francis (as described on page 3) wears scarves and hats to hide his face.
"Boom!" The grenade explodes in a flash of agony. The explosion drapes humiliation and timidity all over Francis. Francis avoiding eye contact with those in his familiar neighborhood of Frenchtown shows that Francis has a very shy and perhaps embarrassed personality. Obviously, one who is proud and unabashed would flaunt about. However, Francis is a shy soul who walks along with his head to the dirt. In the novel, it states," In the meantime [Dr. Abrams] said, don't expect anybody to select you for a dance when it's Girls' Choice at the canteen". Dr. Abrams allows one to fully grasp the deformity of Francis' appearance, and with such a grim appearance, Francis' reflects his embarrassment through his shy and quiet personality. Francis' struggle reminds me of the story of an older boy from Mahwah years ago. He had suffered burn damage in a treehouse fire and had no hair. Just like Francis, this boy walked with his head down, with a fear that someone would point him out. Hopefully the boy and Francis will learn that those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.
ReplyDeleteWith a few ingredients in a pot, a resulting potion emerges. The potion was Francis’ shy personality; the ingredients were a variety of experiences. Francis behaves the way he does because he wants to mask his disfiguration, a result of a grenade in World War 2. Although he has known his neighbors for years, he does not want to show them his new appalling features. Francis states in the opening of the novel “…I can hear but [I have] no ears to speak of.” Francis’ startling account of his appearance supports why Francis is very quiet because of his looks. Also, Francis may be behaving this way because he feels not deserving of his title; a hero. A hero is not usually ashamed of their injuries, thus not covering them up. However, Francis does not feel he is a hero, and so he covers up. The hiding of oneself is similar to the disguising of the true identity of Cuban immigrants in the late 20th century. Francis’ injuries were like the stereotypes and negative feelings emanating from the Cubans damaged by Castro. Cubans were not allowed to immigrate, and if they did, they would not tell of their true selves, worried of being sent back. Francis hid his true self, just like the Cubans did. Francis would not be sent back to a geographical location if caught, but a different place: his memories of the war. Both the Cubans and Francis covered up in fear of a terrible fate.
A man, a veteran, walked along the streets of Frenchtown trying to keep his identity hidden from everyone around him that he knew. There are many characteristics used to describe a man like this. This man is Francis Cassavant and the main reason he doesn’t want to be noticed by other people is because he knows many people that live in his town and he doesn’t want them to see his face after a grenade completely blew it up. The first paragraph on page 32 says, “I feel like a spy in disguise as I walk the streets of Frenchtown, hidden behind the scarf and the bandage”, this statement shows that he wants to remain concealed due to his face. This suggests that Francis is very shy and afraid to see people who might judge him differently after his incident at war. Francis seems a lot like a criminal, although he isn’t one, criminals have that state of mind which makes them want to become anonymous so everyone can forget about what they did.
ReplyDeleteMany people are out in the world trying to hide and keep their identities hidden, some are good and some could be bad. When people like Francis behave this way I usually think it’s because something that is tragic has happened to them and they feel it can ruin them by judgmental comments. On the bottom of page 36, it says “That I’m not the hero he thinks I am, not like the other veterans here in the St. Jude Club.” This quote really brings Francis’ self-esteem down because it makes him feel worthless and compares him to others making him feel like he is not a vet. I can compare him to Anne Frank because both of them feel like no one loves them and that no one truly cares for them, but in today’s world Anne is known as a hero for her diary and I hope that Francis is an idol to many people that have read the book Heroes. #4musketeers12
In the beginning of chapter 3, Francis reveals that he purposely avoids eye contact with people he knows. This suggests that he feels very insecure about the way he looks because of his deformities. From his hair to his chin, he tried to cover up his face. On page 3, it says in detail how he covers up his face, and that he covers it up so completely. Page 3 says, “I wear a scarf that covers up the lower part of my face…There is a Red Sox cap on my head and I tilt the cap forward so the visor keeps the upper part of my face in shadow…I keep a bandage on the space where my nose used to be.” Many people with deformities in the real world also use clothing and various other methods to hide up what they don’t want others to see, so Francis is not very much different than real people.
ReplyDeleteI think that Francis behaves this way because he does not want people to have to see his face, or maybe because he does not want people to know he was in the war or recognize that he was Francis Cassavant. On pages 4 and 5, Francis goes to Mrs. Belander’s to get a room, but also as a test to see if his disguise works. We can tell by this that Francis wanted to find out if he could remain anonymous in his clothing. Much like real people with deformities, Francis does not want the whole world to know that he fell on a grenade, and he especially does not want the whole world to think he was a hero. Francis had to cover up, but people today can get prosthetic limbs to try and live as normal a life as possible.
Has embarrassment ever grown to a point where you are anxious and nervous to reveal yourself to the public? For Francis Cassavant, it has. In Chapter 3, Francis reveals that he purposely avoids eye contact with people he knows while walking through the streets of Frenchtown. This suggests that his character follows the herd. Francis is like a soldier in the woods with camouflage on. Francis is just trying to fit in with everyone else, because he wants to look like a normal human being. The first line on page 20, Francis explains,” I feel like a spy as I walk the streets of Frenchtown.” This is portraying that Francis is trying to be stealth and unnoticed. He does not want to be noticed, because if he is, then he will get embarrassed. He is shying away from standing up for himself. Francis should want to be proud that he served for his country and not guilty. This situation is similar for a boy named Joon Ha Choi. He has a very impressive talent that he should be proud of which is beat boxing. He is shy and doesn’t want people to know this just like Francis doesn’t want people to know who he is and his outstanding accolades. Joon Ha decided to perform his talent in the school talent show and let people observe his outstanding talent. Francis should do the same and not be afraid to show people he was a soldier.
ReplyDeleteDo you care about your reputation? Are you afraid to take a risk? Francis Cassavant is. Francis purposely avoids eye contact with people he knows while walking through the streets of Frenchtown because he settled with his reputation of just a good boy in town. He could show the world who he really is and become the hero that he has inside him. He is acting like a wanted criminal by laying low when he should be glowing like the sun. On page 25, the last paragraph Francis states, “This is the point where my life becomes a lie. My name is Raymond.” This quote is showing how extensively Francis is trying to stay undercover. He is going so far that he is going to lie to a pre-war friend and tell her a false name. This is almost as far as Paul Galan would go to hide him and his mother from the Nazis. My best friend’s mother helps senior citizens live an easier everyday life. She would take them out to eat, shopping, and help them with chores. She is a “popular” mom in town and doesn’t want people to know that she does this. Maybe she would get made fun of by the snotty parents. She does a great thing and should not be afraid to take a reputation risk just like Francis should not be afraid to explain his heroism.
-SK8-9
Fully clad in a silk scarf, Red Sox baseball cap, army fatigue jacket, and a bandage wrapped around his ever running caves; Francis Cassavant is a peculiar sight to see. As Francis walks outside in the exposition of the novel, he exposes that he intentionally avoids eye contact with the people he knows. Hence, this suggests that Francis may feel abashed and ashamed of his newly contorted appearance. In the beginning of chapter three, Francis states “I feel like a spy in disguise as I walk the streets of Frenchtown… I avoid eye contact with the people I know like Mr. Molnier, the butcher, who stands in the doorway of his meat market in his bloodstained apron, and Mrs. St. Pierre, who scowls her disapproval at him as she passes.” This statement can be inferred that Francis is afraid that the people who know him may look at him the same way that Mrs. St. Pierre grimaces at Mr. Molnier. Similar to Francis, most people in the world feel self-conscious when their appearance does not match the “normal” exterior. Generally, people’s natural reaction would be to cover up and mask their identity like Francis. The reason why Francis avoids eye contact is because he does not want to be recognized as to he feels embarrassed of his current appearance.
ReplyDeleteLosing a part of a person’s face is corresponding to losing a part of their identity. I believe Francis avoids eye contact with the people he knows because he does not want to feel pitiful or strange. As the text mentions in chapter three “I watch the people come and go, and then move on when I feel their eyes on me filled with pity or curiosity.” I think Francis behaves this way because he cannot bare the fact that the person he knows will look at him with pity and sorrow. Walking through the streets, Francis constantly senses the surrounding people’s gazes just as Paul Fisher from the novel Tangerine feels them too. Paul Fisher, a boy who needs to wear extremely thick “goggles” for his impaired eyesight, hates feeling different similar to Francis. Both characters struggle with having to look “weird” as the people around them treat them different. Francis Cassavant evades eye contact because he does not want to feel ashamed when others glance at him.
This suggests that Francis is very self conscious, even if he does know the people he walks past in Frenchtown. After the war, Francis did not have a face. Not literally of course, he had a face, just not the skin that should be there and the details that should be on his face. For instance, in chapter 1, Francis himself, says, "I have eyes, eardrums but no ears, just bits of dangling flesh." He continues to say, "If anything bothers me, it's my nose. Or rather the absence of my nose. My nostrils are like two small caves. My teeth are gone. I have no eyebrows. The skin that forms my cheeks was grafted from my thighs." Francis obviously cares very much about what people think of him, even though he shouldn't because the result of his face was caused by a grenade, trying to protect his country.
ReplyDeleteFrancis behaves this way because he cares what people think of him, and he knows that people are judgmental, even the ones he knows. It doesn't matter that he used to live in Frenchtown, it might matter that he fought it the war, but in the end, he knows its down to looks, and he does not want that so he doesn't show his face. People only care if you look "normal", and if you're not, they judge you. That's why he's been hiding his face and lying about his identity. When he walks down the streets, people take one look at him and they either look away quickly or cross the streets. "I don't blame them.", Francis says in chapter 1. Francis even lies about his name is to his old neighbor, Mrs. Belander. In chapter 3, Francis tells Mrs. Belander a fake name. ""Raymond," I tell her, using the name of my dead brother. "Beaumont," I add. My mother's name before she married my father." This just goes to show that Francis wants to stay hidden from the world because he's afraid of being judged, even by the people he's known since his childhood.
Whenever Francis sees someone he knows, he automatically looks away, in hoping he isn't recognized. This shows that Francis' character is very secretive after his experience in the war. He is also smart because he knows he doesn't want too many people to recognize him and give away the truth. Francis might also be embarrassed to show anyone his actual face. Afraid that people might see him as a monster, or call him names. If my face was ever destroyed due to a grenade I would expose myself to the world, and share my story similar to the Holocaust survivors. In hoping that no one would ever make the same mistakes I have made
ReplyDeleteI think he acts this way because he wants to make sure he doesn't make any actions that cause word to go around in French Town so he can personally encounter his enemy, Larry LaSalle. His own mission was to hunt down Larry LaSalle for unknown reasons. Was it possible Larry was the one who blew Francis' face off? Like Francis, Larry has also received a Silver Star so it was possible that Larry and Francis were on the same side. If this scenario was ever in my hands, I would follow the same steps as Francis. On a personal mission like this, its better working alone.
Francis sweeps through Frenchtown like a shadow, silent and mysterious, the cruelty of his reality hidden beneath a thin piece of cloth. The way that Francis refuses to meet the eyes of passerbys says a few things about him. In chapter 3, Francis says to himself, "I wonder if she is using that broom as a weapon for protection and I don't blame her. I have to keep reminding myself how I look to other people." This is a very obvious example of how much he dislikes himself. It suggests that he's very self concious, and probably pretty sad too.
ReplyDelete"I saw how young they were, boys with apple cheeks, too young to shave. Like me." Francis is recalling his war experiences in this section. As he heard the shrill cries of his comrades as they fell one by one, he may have felt some guilt. Maybe he wondered, "Could I have helped them?" Francis refuses to accept the title of "hero" and this is because he feels like he isn't worthy; like he's a failure. He's too ashamed to look anyone in the eye in the state he's in. In the long run, Francis won't live a happy life if he lets his nightmares consume him forever. Any soldier who returns home after seeing such extreme horror will have to will themselves to let it go... Because if you never let go, you can never move forward.
sk8-16
Rachel Lu
ReplyDeleteMs. Drosdick
LA/ Period 8
1/30/14
Heroes: Journal Entry #1B
When Francis reveals, in the beginning of Chapter 3, that he purposely avoids eye contact with people he knows while walking through the streets of Frenchtown, it shows about his character that he has low self-esteem and doesn’t want to attract too much attention. On page 1, the first sentence Francis says is, “My name is Francis Joseph Cassavant and I have just returned to Frenchtown in Monument and the war is over and I have no face.” By stating this right at the beginning, it shows that Francis believes that his disfigurement plays an important role in what defines him. Even now, others often show disregard to handicapped people or pity them when it is unwarranted. This feeling of disrespect or pity likely caused Francis to be ashamed of himself and not want see the contempt in people’s eyes. Francis’ sentiment about himself probably is magnified when he realizes he knew that person but now that former acquaintance’s opinions have been changed by biases. Plus, by evading the recognition of others he can just hide behind the façade of being a hero. Then, others would respect him for the duty he had served during the war and not ask too many questions. For Francis, when other people stare at him and his injury he probably avoids eye contact in order to lessen the feeling of humiliation and doesn’t want to have it worsened when people to realize they know who he is. Avoiding eye contact is also a excellent measure to take if the victim was planning on committing a crime like Francis.
I think Francis acts this way because he is ashamed of himself and he doesn’t want people to recognize him and connect his name to the future murder of Larry LaSalle. Francis admits on page 8, “I am filled with guilt and shame, knowing I had just prayed for [Larry LaSalle,] the man I am going to kill”. This shows that he feels bad for being insincere to God because he is praying for someone’s well being when he is planning on later killing that person. In real life, when someone is planning on committing a crime, such as robbery or murder, it would make sense that one would want to be unrecognizable and unknown in case law authorities go after that person of interest. Due to the fact Francis was planning on committing a murder, Francis would, cunningly, have to remain anonymous, by taking measures such as avoiding eye contact on the streets and covering his face, so that nobody would know who he was and who had murdered Larry LaSalle. Avoiding eye contact with people that Francis know suggests, about him, that he thinks lowly of himself and hopes people don’t identify him due to the fact that he is planning on murdering someone.
Imagine the life of man with a face that is barely face, just a bunch of disfigured pieces. I think that Francis purposely not making eye contact shows thatnhe is very self concious. In the first part of the book Francis says," I wasn't a very hansome man to begin with." This quote shows that he was never fond of his appearence and now with all that he's gone through, like getting his face disfigured, he has a very legitimate reason to be self concious about his appearance. This reminds me of the ugly duckling. He was also ver self concious of his appearance because he was considered a disgusting looking duck.
ReplyDeleteIf you had a face that disturbs many people would you make eye contact with others?Well I think Francis behave this way for that very reason. His face may be considered disturbing or grotesque. He describes his face by saying," I can hear, but I have no ears, just ear drums. I can smell, but I have no nose." This reminds me of someone I read about in language arts class. He was hurt by a bomb during war. His face was all pretty much destroyed. He had no chin and burns all oveer him. He was even to grossed out to look at himself in the mirror.
Hi mrs. drosdick, I accidently typed in the wrong number be before I put #4musketeers4 but im actually 16. I started out with imagine the life of a man with out a face. sorry
ReplyDeleteThis suggests that Francis’s character is embarrassed. A grenade that damaged Francis’s face which left him a deformed face. As the text states “… My nostrils are like two small caves and sometimes get blocked and I have to breathe through my mouth… My teeth are gone but my jaw is still intact and my gums are firm… I have no eyebrows… the skin that forms my teeth was grafted from my thighs and has taken a long time to heal”. Because of this Francis has to wear a scarf, a cap, and a bandage over his face just to keep it covered. If Francis had to go outside without his scarf or cap, people would start to stare and embarrassment would grab Francis by the ankles and drag him away. Francis avoids eye contact not because he has to, but because he doesn’t want people to stare. Todd Nelson was a US soldier who was disfigured in a road bomb in Afghan. When his hands grabbed a hold of a mirror, he immediately looked at himself. Nelson didn’t have his right eye and ear and his nose was almost burned off. He didn’t go outside for a least a week or two but eventually he accepted it.
ReplyDeleteFrancis behaves this way because he does not want people to stare and because of what he was about to do to Larry LaSalle. If you had some type of condition where your face was damaged or you didn’t have an arm, would you want people to stare at you? Francis could have left his face alone and not put on the disguise, but he didn’t. He also does not want people recognizing him when he walks on the streets. Francis Cassavant was going to kill Larry LaSalle. In the text it states “… I had been knocking for a while, and regarded me with suspicion, not recognizing me. This was proof that the scarf and the bandage were working in two ways: not only to hide the ugliness of what used to be my face but to hide my identity”. In the book War heroes by Allan Zullo, it describes how a U.S soldier was injured by a bomb. The soldier’s face was almost completely rid of his skin; he lost an ear, and went blind in one eye. The doctors had to take different skin and place it on his face but of course this made him look different. When he did go out in pubic he would cover he face completely so no one would recognize him and see what happened to his face.
1. In Chapter 3 Francis reveals that he purposely avoids eye contact with people he knows while walking through the streets of Frenchtown. This suggest about his character that h is kind of uncomfortable with himself and after the grenade he's not ready to face his friends and family because he's scared of what they will say of him. I predict that because of the grenade his self-confidence is low and he will not show his face to others besides Mrs. Belander.
ReplyDelete2.In Chapter 3 Francis reveals that he purposely avoids eye contact with people he knows while walking through the streets of Frenchtown. I think he behaves this way because not only he has no idea what people would think of him but also how Nicole. The girl he loves. So he's afraid what she would think of him. In conclusion this is why Francis behaves the way he does.
Option B, Journal #1
ReplyDeleteFrancis’s character acts a specific way in public, which leads us to draw conclusions about him. Francis cautiously slithers through the people, walking quickly, quietly, and attempting to be as unnoticeable as possibly. He looks down at the ground, avoiding people’s gazes and keeps his hands in his pockets. Francis is doing his best to be a daisy in a field of daisies, not a rose in a patch of daisies. But as much as he covered up, he was still stared at. It was difficult to blend with the others. By Francis attempting to blend in and avoid eye contact, it suggests that he doesn’t want anyone to see his face and ask questions. It shows that although he’s considered a hero and his face is proof of a brave act, he doesn’t want anyone to know. He also might not want to be recognized. On page 20 it states, “I feel like a spy in disguise as I walk through the streets of Frenchtown, hidden behind the scarf and bandage… watching people come and go, and then moving on when I feel their eyes on me filled with either pity or curiosity. I try to avoid eye contact with people I know…” This quote is proof that Francis doesn’t want to be seen because he doesn’t want anyone to feel bad for him or ask him questions, and he also doesn’t want to be recognized. Although his appearance makes him seem as a yellow button out of a bunch of blue ones, Francis just wants to be a blue one, just like everyone else. His behavior suggests that he just wants to blend in and go unnoticed – and unrecognized.
As Francis continues to blend in as well as possible, he remembers his plan to kill Larry LaSalle. Although it seems to be a cruel idea, Francis thinks of it as revenge and will bring him light in his dark world. If Francis wants to carry out his plan, he must remain a daisy in a field of daisies, not a bright red rose because of his appearance. He continues to snake in and out of people, avoiding any gazes or stares. I believe Francis acts this way so no one will ask him questions or ask who he is. After all, he is attempting to kill someone, and he most likely doesn’t want anyone to know who he is and be able to identify him after he kills Larry. I think he also behaves this way so no one will be curious and question his appearance or feel sorry for him. On page 31, the book states, “And maybe this will be the day that Larry LaSalle will appear on the streets of Frenchtown and you will be able to carry out that mission.” This quote talks about how he wants to kill Larry, and in the same chapter Francis mentions his behavior – how he tries to blend in, avoid eye contact, and be unnoticed. You can make a connection that Francis behaves in such a manner so he can carry out his mission to kill Larry, yet not be recognized by anyone. He also most likely behaves this way so he can avoid “pity or curiosity.”
Heroes reading journal 1:
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of chapter 3, when Francis reveals that he purposely avoids eye contact with people he knows while walking the streets of Frenchtown suggests that he doesn't want to be remembered and felt sorry for by his old acquaintances. This shows his character a little more because he is also a little ashamed. It also shows that he wants to stay hidden and unidentifiable because he is going to kill Larry LaSalle. In the text, it states "I feel like a spy in disguise as I walk the streets of Frenchtown..." This shows that he is ashamed of his face and that he is embarrassed to show others his face. He feels out of place while walking the streets of his old hometown. In an article I read about another war veteran who got his face injured and deformed. He was so embarrassed about it he went to a surgeon that helped him look the same. But before he did this, he also seemed out of place with his deformity. He felt like Francis did in the same way that they are both ashamed about their faces.
I think that Francis avoids people that he knows because he is afraid that people will pity him. Francis is also embarrassed about his face and I believe that he doesn't want people to recognize him. He doesn't want to find out how others would react if they found at that the hero was just little Francis. In the text it states "'Veteran?'...'Poor boy.'" This shows how Francis is treated differently because of his deformed face. Francis might need this treatment to help him on his mission, so he doesn't want people to know that it's him. This is why he lies about his name. In a movie I watched a man had to keep changing his name and living a life of lies just to keep away from the police. This reminds me of Francis' life because he also had to keep lying so that he will not be found by the police when he murders Larry.
Sk8-13
The way Francis purposely avoids eye contact with people suggests that he is very depressed. He is not happy with the way he appears to other people. The people he knew before the war in Frenchtown, and even the people he loves. In the book it states “I feel like a spy in disguise as I walk the streets of Frenchtown, hidden behind the scarf and the bandage…”Many people these days are very precautious of what they look like and how they appear to others, which has a big role in today’s society. But there are many different types of comments toward how people look, whether it’s positive or negative judgment. Some comments may be based on how you dress, or look, or talk. So it must be very hard for Francis to walk into today’s society and handle the way people treat, judge, or act towards him.
ReplyDeleteHiding yourself to everyone is extremely difficult and I think Francis behaves this way because he is ashamed of the way he looks, compared to what he looked like before the war. The book states “… watching the people come and go, and then moving on when I feel their eyes on me filled with either pity or curiosity.” I can defiantly relate to this when I have bad acne. I just want to stay home, so no one can see it, embarrassed to show my face to anyone, even if I have known them from first grade. I would never want them to see the disgusting pimple on my face. I could never imagine what Francis would be going through. But I could defiantly relate to how he feels, and hiding your face, except he has to hide for the rest of his life. 7eleven #13