Hope In The Novel Refugee By Alan Gratz

Hope has existed since the dawn of humanity, and is useful for society years. Whether hope is being used for wanting a birthday present or pushing that extra inch to your goal, it's undeniable that hope is a very useful tool/emotion for everyone, even if you are in the most dire circumstances such as the characters in the book Refugee written by Alan Gratz. In the book Refugee, we see three kids all trying to seek political asylum in other more “free” countries. On their journeys to these countries, they will face many trials and tribulations such as natural disasters, social dilemmas and heartbreak, the only thing keeping them going is hope. Hope for a better life, hope for freedom, hope for their futures. In the book Refugee, hope is an anchor

Secondly hope is used mainly to keep spirits high, whether being excited for the prospect of a better future or someone in the group making a speech/joke that fills everyone with hope, hope is a powerful idea that keeps morale high.

The hope for a better tomorrow, sometimes confused with the sunk cost fallacy when someone doesn't want to give up on their plan/strategy even though giving up might have more positive outcomes, a hope for a better tomorrow is trying to leave a bad setting/place for a better one with more opportunities/ more positive attributes. A hope for a better tomorrow lets characters keep what little patience they have left and persist in their goals to leave. A hope for a better tomorrow is a common theme throughout all three of the main characters’ perspectives, leaving a bad place to seek refuge in a more stable environment, but is best shown in Isabel's “Fight against the impossible” and Mahmoud's family holding on to their hopes and dreams in Izmir. Firstly, in the book Refugee, when Mahmoud's family finally fled Syria to go to turkey so they

Mahmoud's dad is notorious for trying to keep high morale with his family even in the toughest of times, a great example of this is when they were in prison trying to make Mahmoud feel better by making jokes about this hotel, and it usually works. Another way of keeping high morale other than telling jokes was Isabel’s group dancing for their hopes and dreams, this led to them laughing, singing and overall having a better mood, which led to forming bonds between each other, this in turn can lead to better cooperation. To try and get Mahmoud's mind off the thought of him being separated from the rest of his family just like he was separated from his baby sister, Mahmoud's dad makes a joke while in a refugee detention center. “How would he and Dad ever find them again? He slumped against the wall. ‘I have to say, this is the worst hotel I’ve ever stayed in’, Dad said.” (Gratz 267). This quote represents Mahmoud, and his Dad’s character perfectly, the Dad always joking around, trying to get Mahmoud's mind off of things and Mahmoud always looking at things with a pessimistic light. The Dad, while that may have not been the best timing, is trying his hardest to help Mahmoud mentally, making him happier. While it may have worked in helping Mahmoud forget about the thought of separation (for a short while), it didn't cheer him up but, Mahmoud instead of appreciating the thought, he just