Refugees are individuals who require more hope to survive than anyone else. In Alan Gratz's historical fiction novel Refugee, he tells the tales of three young immigrants on their quest for asylum. Three children are fleeing their homes in the hopes of finding safety: Mahmoud from Syria, Josef from Germany, and Isabel from Cuba. Additionally, as these three people endure despite the perils of their travels, their stories parallel and overlap. The characters' traumatic experiences and difficulties make defeat seem conceivable, yet hope gives them confidence and fearlessness. Characters such as 11-year-old Isabel from Cuba show how a horrific event, like death, may result in an abundance of hope. Isabel's best friend in Cuba is someone she calls …show more content…
The pressure is immense, but he takes this to heart and embraces the hope that he and his mother and sister can find somewhere safe. This traumatic experience leads Josef to find hope and become a character that constantly shows courage. After finding a safe place to stay for a few months, the Nazis caught up with Josef and his family. They were then forced to flee France, however, during this escape, they were captured. His mother is faced with the option to save one of her children and she and her other child have to be sent to a concentration camp. Josef's mother struggles with this decision but ultimately does not have time to decide because as Josef's sister Ruthie reveals he chose to save her, “So my brother chose me. His name was “Josef” (314). Woefully, the incident Josef faces early on in the book is devastating to his character. However, he becomes hopeful and he takes the role his father had and helps get his family to safety. Originally, the only thing he has is hope, but it turns into courage that becomes selflessness that ultimately saves his sister. Josef has an unfortunate ending to his story, but his hope allows him to be courageous and save his