Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Week 3 Discussion Question

In Chapter 15, Mr. Lanski fills Hazel in on Sogoji's parents and how he grew up. There is a saying that states, "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." Hazel finds out this information after she has upset Sogoji. Now that she has a better understanding of his past, how does it change her feelings towards Sogoji? Does she feel bad about what she has said and how she has judged him? Mr. Lanski also says to her that, " Sogoji is sort of in between. He's not American, he's not Japanese. May need a little help figuring out what he is." What does Mr. Lanski mean by this? How can Hazel help Sogoji figure out 'what he is?' 

Make sure to answer the question with a RAD response and use details from the text to support your answer. Please check your grammar, spelling, and capitalization, and conventions before submitting your response. Type it in your blogging doc first so you can edit if necessary.

19 comments:



  1. Now that Hazel has a better understanding of Sogoji’s past, it does change the feeling about Sogoji. She feels bad for him and understands more about him. She feels bad about what she said to Sogoji about the suicide conversation because his parents might have done it too, but, nobody knows. I know that because on page 142 the author wrote,”One winter his mom was down with a fever, and she got out of at night and took a long walk and froze to death.” The question I think we all have is was that on purpose or not?
    What Mr. Lanski means by ‘ He needs help to figure out what he is,” is that he is in a time when he has no clue what he is. A Jap? Or an American? I think this because on page 154 the author wrote, “ I'm unworthy to- Knock it off thats Jap talk you're an American just like me.” Hazel said that because Mr. Lanski told her to help him know that he is an American. How Hazel can help Sogoji find out what he is, I think, is by encouraging him. Just like in the text evidence above, tell him and convince him. Telling him that is all you need, to help someone to change their mind about themselves.

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    1. @ Sutton
      I really like how you understood this question and really thought it through. In your second paragraph, I really like how you wrote, " ' I'm unworthy to- Knock it off that's Jap talk you're an American just like me.' Hazel said that because Mr. Lanski told her to help him know that he is an American. " I never thought about how Mr. Lanski was trying to make Sogoji want to be a proud American. Once I saw it and thought about it, I realized it was pretty obvious that Mr. Lanski would want him to be an American. I mean, why would they want another Jap on the enemy side? I wonder if Sogoji has any secrets hiding deep down that are not going to come out? But, as we read go through the book, we realize that Sogoji and Hazel don't have all of the information out of their selves.
      Great job and nice text evidence.
      - Caroline W. :-] ; ]

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    2. Great point about Hazel's understanding of Sogoji's past. I agree that Hazel can help Sogoji by encouraging him. Sogoji is so quiet and reserved that Hazel needs to make sure that she doesn't decide for him but helps him decide for himself.

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    3. She probably does feel bad that she said that. Also, I agree that Hazel understands more about Sogoji.

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    4. I agree Sutton--I wonder if his mother killed herself, or just died? Another question I have is... do you think ultimately it could be okay for Sogoji to be both Japanese AND American?

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  2. Now that Hazel is understanding Sogoji’s past, it changes her feelings about Sogoji because she is understanding what has happened to him in the past. Also, that helps her now because she knows that something has already happened and that is what made him upset. I think that she does feel bad that she judged Sogoji because it was mean to say that all his people killed themselves. Sogoji was mad about that which made Hazel feel bad about what she said. What I think Mr. Lanski meant when he said that, “he is not American, not Japanese,” is that he is both, but he is his own person. I think this because he looks Japanese, and has a Japanese background, but America is his home. What Hazel can do to help him figure out who he is is by asking Mr. Lanski also by looking for clues from his family to help him understand more.

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    1. Jack, I agree with your thoughts about Sogoji becoming his "own person". He certainly looks Japanese but has never even been to Japan. She feels bad for him as she learns that his mother died when he was only eight and after that his father was a broken and disappointed man who didn't treat him very kindly.
      I think Hazel can also help Sogoji figure out who he is by treating him more as her friend and less as her enemy. When she treasures the special birthday gift he made her (finishing the tower), tells him he is smart and creative, and wants to spend time with him, he feels accepted for who he is. When she wants to learn how to make paper cranes, appreciates the cinnamon rolls he makes, and brings him comic books that he enjoys, she validates him as a person that matters! He has never had a REAL friend before. With her he can be free to be himself and doesn't have to live in secret.

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    2. Yes, Jack, I agree that he is both, and that he is his own person. Many times people describe that in war time one side is able to "dehumanize" the enemy--to come to believe that Jewish people as a whole, or Japanese people as a whole are less than humans, not worthy of being treated like actual people, and deserving of death. I think that Hazel's original viewpoint on Japanese people, because of her exposure to the war and the comics she has read, is that they are sneaky and dishonest and malicious. As she gets to know Sogoji, though, she realizes that Japanese people ARE people--they are human. When she defends the Japanese at school and says "but it's not like they're filthy...or anything like that" she is starting to realize that Sogoji, even though he is Japanese, is not "a Jap" as she originally thought all Japanese people to be.

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  3. Now that Hazel has a better understanding of Sogoji’s past, that changes Hazel’s feeling towards Sogoji. It makes Hazel know what Sogoji can and can’t take . She knows what she shouldn't say to Sogoji and she knows what she should say to pick him up. Hazel knows that Sogoji has gone through some tough stuff. She realizes that Sogoji has the right to be afraid of things. After Hazel was told about Sogoji’s parents and former life, she probably feels really bad about what she said. Hazel finally put the puzzle pieces together about Sogoji’s freak out. He was mad because of how Hazel was talking to him about it. It was a sad topic to Sogoji and to Hazel, it was a normal thing to talk about. When Sogoji was making a big deal about Hazel asking about Kintaro dieing. Hazel was judging Sogoji and thinking he was such a baby, when really this was something involving his family. I think that you should never judge people, unless it is on a topic that you know a lot about, and how it was in their life before. If I was Hazel I would feel sooooooooooooo bad that I was being mean and judging Sogoji on that. That was one of his things kept deeply inside.
    When Mr. Lanski said, " Sogoji is sort of in between. He's not American, he's not Japanese. May need a little help figuring out what he is." Mr. Lanski means that Sogoji doesn't really have a true identity. Usually most people can say, “Oh, I am a true American……” But in this casinerio, Sogoji just says, “ I’m Sogoji.” Nothing else to really say. Mr. Lanski probably is very curious about Sogoji and if he is American or Japanese. But then again, Hazel and Sogoji have a lot of capability for finding out what he is. Hazel could ask some questions, or they can hit the library. It also depends on Sogoji. If he wants to do this, or just not find out. Hazel has too brainstorm some real good ideas if she wants to persuade Sogoji to go through all that work. As you can see, in Hazel and Sogoji’s lives, they don’t have a straight path forward. But as we all learn, none of us do.

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    1. I agree Hazel did Judge Sogoji about his past.

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    2. Caroline, I agree with your thoughts about how badly Hazel felt when she learned about Sogoji's past experience with his parents' deaths.
      I also think the more she shows and interest in Sogoji and is a true friend to him, the more he will be free to be himself! Can you imagine how hard it would be to live your childhood in hiding? I think Sogoji is very afraid to be himself. He is treated by the Lanski's as a maid or servant in their family. He has to hide when visitors come over. With Hazel, Sogoji can be himself. He can create things and tell stories of Japanese heroes and fairies. He can be a boy instead of having to be an adult

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    3. Yes, I agree that they don't have a straight path forward. And you are right that none of us really do! I think the older we get, the less we see the world as black and white (one thing or another thing) and instead we see the world in color. :)

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  4. I agree that Hazl felt bad that she judged all Japanese without thinking about Sogoji. I also agree that Hazel should look for more clues about Sogoji. Do you think she should also ask Sogoji directly? Great comment Jack!

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  5. Hazel’s feelings towards Sogoji changed because she finally figures out that he does not really know if he is American or Japanese, so he is not sure which side he wants to win. Hazel insults the Japanese and his hero, a Japanese story character named Kintaro. He stomps off, and doesn't come back. She feels bad about what she said, so she makes up for it by standing up for Japanese people at school. I think she is sorry that she judged him, and tries to make up for it when she thinks about what the play manager said about the “Dove of Peace.” When Mr. Lanski says that Sogoji doesn’t quite know if he is an American or a Japanese person, he means that Sogoji doesn’t know who he is rooting for, and that is hard. His home country(America) is at war with his native country(Japan). Hazel can help Sogoji figure out who he is by letting him choose his own path. Since the decision is up to Sogoji, I don’t think Hazel should intervene, because that might cause Sogoji to get the impression that all americans are pushy and wanting other people to do what ever that person wants.

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    1. Ethan, I agree that up to this point, the Americans Sogoji has interacted with - the Lanskis - have been controlling. Great answers and attention to detail.

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    2. Yes, Ethan, I agree that Sogoji doesn't exactly know who he is rooting for. That's one reason war is so complex and difficult--because when two groups are at war, you sort of have to label one as your home team and one as the enemy, even if you have people you love on both sides, or traditions or loyalties on both sides.

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  6. After Hazel started to think about what she said (you know about those pilots that kill them selves. That committed suicide.) She started to feel really bad about what she said and that really hurt Sogoji so I thought about it and I really should apologize for making him made. She can help Sogoji by finding out about his parents by looking in the past and finding clues. Sence Sogoji has a little different life when he is talking about things he doesn't talk about all of his family sort of stuff so when Hazel did start talking all about her family's past it kind of freaked Sogoji out. Because, in his religion he never would talk about that stuff.

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    1. Ava, I agree that Hazel can help Sogoji figure out who he is by looking in his past. When she listens to his stories and then tells her own stories, they share a common bond. An example of this was when they were on the tower looking at the stars and he told her about the moonbeams and she told him about the star of Bethlehem and baby Jesus. I think since Sogoji lost his parents, he hasn't had anyone to talk to and as he shares with Hazel he pieces together his Japanese heritage.

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    2. Ava I like what you said about "finding clues." I think the more she lets him talk about his life the more both of them will learn about what he really values and what he really believes and that will help him to really identify himself.

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