Hazel is worried about Sogoji being discovered and wants to come up with a plan. Sogoji tells Hazel, "If they find, they find. It is shikatoganai." He explains it to mean that "Something must happen. Can't be helped." How is Sogoji so calm about his current situation when Hazel is not? Do you believe Sogoji's thinking to be true? Are there some things that can't be helped? How can you apply this to Jed 'missing in action.'
Please use a RAD response and check your spelling, grammar, punctuation, and conventions before submitting your answer.
Sogoji is so calm about his current situation when Hazel isn’t because Sogoji knows that he can’t help it if he gets caught, he can't prevent it from happening. He’s being prepared for the worst. I think Sogoji's thinking is true, since we have to be prepared when bad stuff happens. For example, if Sogoji gets caught, Hazel has to be prepared for that moment, or else she’ll be even more sad if it takes her by surprise. I can apply this to Jed 'missing in action’ because Estelle had to be prepared for Jed to be either Missing In Action or dead. That’s a risk you have to take when you go out to war, you can always be killed or seriously injured.
ReplyDelete-Mateusz T.
Mateo
DeleteGreat response Mateo. I agree that Sogoji prepared himself for the worst and knows he has no control over it, which is the reason he is calmer than Hazel. Even though they made some plans to avoid getting caught, such as an escape route and the plan to hide in the pond breathing through a bamboo shoot, he might still get caught. I am still impressed Sogoji is so stoic with the possibility of being captured. Perhaps losing his parents at such a young age might have also hardened his heart and made him more willing to accept the worst outcomes.
I like how you connected the possibility of Sogoji’ capture and Jed missing in action and how in both circumstances the people who loved them had to be prepared for the worst. I wonder if Estelle was prepared enough for Jed missing in action. Furthermore, I wonder if Hazel is prepared enough, if Sogoji should happen to be captured.
Hi Mateo,
DeleteI liked your response saying that Sogoji can't prevent whatever is going to happen has made him calm. I agree that it was good that he was prepared for the worst. You are probably right, that if Hazel doesn't prepare for bad things happening she'll be more sad. It sounds like you have thought a lot about this book!
Mara (Quincy's mom)
First, I think that Sogoji is so calm about what will happen because he knows the world and how it works. If something happens to Sogoji, the armed forces are stronger than he is so he knows what happens is what happens. I think that Hazel isn’t as calm as Sogoji because she doesn’t know that what happens adds up to life. Sogoji wants to be prepared for anything but he still knows that what happens is what happens. I love how Hazel is trying to give suggestions to Sogoji on what to do because it shows what a good friend she is. Second, I do believe in Sogoji’s thought. I believe in this because after I read that, I knew that everything happens is meant to happen. Third, I do think that there are things that can’t be helped. I think this because this morning I tripped over my chair. I didn’t predict that would happen but I know that I didn’t purposely do that. Last, I think that jeds missing in action has to relate to this because he didn’t purposely get captured, it was shikatoganai. It couldn’t have been helped.
ReplyDeleteBook citing: My Friend the Enemy by J.B. Cheaney
@Quincy I love your response especial how you used "knows the world and how it works." You are totally correct the world can throw you of balance and toss you around but their is no way we can help I mean can scientist like change the weather no they can`t but some day we will be able to maybe change weather but that's latter on but you made a great point you cant help things that will happen but you can be prepared for it.
DeleteHi Q,
ReplyDeleteGreat points. I agree, Sogoji does seem to know how the world works. I think the loss of his parents and having to hide from people has given him a broader world view. I also think that his culture has played apart in his calm attitude. He was always telling Hazel moral stories from his Japanese upbringing. I think they helped him be as stoic as he was. Like you said, Hazel hasn't experienced as much turmoil in her life yet, but she is starting too. I think Hazel has that true grit American spirit about her. She wants to fight until the end. I feel Sogoji started exhibiting that spirit as well when he tried to hide in the water per Hazel's suggestion. I like how you referenced a personal experience to make a connection. Great thinking.
Mara
I think that Sogoji is right about some things just can’t be helped. Sometimes you can’t do anything about what happens, or who you are. Maybe thats why he is so calm about the current situation, Sogoji can’t change who he is. He is a Japanese character on the outside, but a true american on the inside, he knows that, and Hazel knows that. Sogoji is probably calm because he knows that he would get caught anyway because he looks like a ‘Jap’ to everyone but Mr.Lanski, himsef, and Hazel. Sogoji knew that he might get caught... but maybe it was ok, because when the war is over, he can and will come back to Hazel. I think that we can apply this, “Some things just can’t be helped” to Jed’s M.I.A (missing in action). He wanted to go to war and fight for our country, and things in war really can’t be helped once it’s happened. War is very gruesome.Some things just can’t be helped, like those things.
ReplyDeleteAnna - You can tell that you have been thinking quite alot about how Sogoji and Hazel are the same and different. I would agree that some things in life cannot be helped, but that we can and should always make the best of life. Sogoji, because of his life's experiences such as his Japanese upbringing, his parents' deathes, the prejudices of being a war enemy, and his "servant" position in the Lanski home has lived through much for a young man. He has had many things just happen to him because he has had little to no power as a child. Hazel on the other hand has had mostly positive and empowering experiences in her life given her family support, education (although limited by lack of good teachers, and growing up in the United States where there has been support for fighting for what you feel is right. She supports her friend the best way that she knows how with the escape plan. Although it was not a success, at least they tried. As for Jed's M.I.A. status I agree that in war this cannot be helped most of the time. It is a part of the whole idea of war. I did notice that there was a sense in the story that perhaps he was only missing not dead. That hope is what they will hold onto although being prepared for the worst (as others stated above) is perhaps a more realistic way to live.
DeleteWhy Sogoji is so calm and not Halez is because Sogoji really has a lot practice with this he has no family no brothers no sisters no friends so it really does not matter to him i guess he is thinking this I have already lost my parents,brothers,sisters what else can I loose it doesn't matter to me!!! That makes a lot of sense to me you have lost all so what more can you lose!!!
ReplyDeleteOkay now lets move to Hazel she really has no experience with this `loss` she has not lost that much but the has lost Jed and Frank much more but I do not want to go on with that. She has not lost that much so she fights for the person unlike Sogoji she has had experience with this so she is calm about it. So its like a lesson you lose someone you have nothing to go for so you give up basicly.
I super believe that Sogoji being true and that is a FACT .
There are always things that can't be help for say in The Hunger Games when Peeta gets captured there is nothing nothing nothing District 13 can do to help him so I guess there's some things that can't be helped,and how I can apply this to Jed`s missing in action is that you know how when war is going on one person from every single family has to battle well you can`t resist that because you have to so then when Jed was in war he is missing so I guess it can relate to `Jed missing in action`.
@Anna I agree with what you said about how war is something we as citizens cannot control. I liked this because it’s just so straightforward yet true. I also liked what you said about how Sogoji knew he would get caught. I liked this because you pointed out something that I didn’t want to think about because of how Sogoji is so kind and caring. This thought had to be recognized sometime and I am glad that you pointed it out. One thing that knocked me out of the park was when you said “ Sometimes you can’t do anything about what happens, or who you are.” I loved this part so much because it tells the truth in such a way that leaves you saying, “That is so true.” But it is only in one sentence. Great Job! :D
ReplyDelete-Quincy