MilkWeed - Blog #2

Blog #2 – Milk Weed

Since my last post a couple of important events in the book have occurred. Misha continues to not recognize the danger that is all around him. The German soldiers are continuing to invade his town, burning down buildings and taking supplies on their way.  Misha and Uri have been living in the basement of an abandoned barbershop.  They run away from this home because they were afraid of being found by the jackboots. These events lead me to make some inferences about this book.

Throughout the beginning of the book Misha is unaware of the danger that surrounds him. I infer that the jackboots will directly affect Misha at some point in the story. As the soldiers take more and more control, they are also becoming more powerful and violent.  If the soldiers see a Jew out past curfew they are shot. If a shop owner is a Jew the soldiers paint a big yellow star on the window. They also paint the shop owner to make sure nobody shops at a Jewish owned business. This inference makes me wonder when and how the jackboots will affect Misha. I am also curious to find out if Misha will survive the encounter.

While the German soldiers continue to become more powerful, less food and supplies are available. I infer that survival for Misha and Uri will grow harder. Many stores are burnt down or abandoned because of the owner’s religion and or appearance. In the story Spenelli writes,  “I was shocked. On the shelves against the wall there was no bread at all, only one single, sad round roll.” (p.50) As there is less and less food I wonder how long Misha and Uri will survive. With this amount of sparse food Misha and Uri will need to try to find a new home.

At the beginning of the book, Misha befriends a young Jewish girl, named Janina. Their friendship becomes stronger, but is it too good to be true? This makes me conclude that the soldiers will soon take Janina and her family away. From prior knowledge and the context of this story I can infer that there were not many second chances or happy endings in the Holocaust. I wonder when Janina and her family will be taken away. I also wonder how Misha will react.  It just does not seem like Janina and Misha will live happily ever after.

MilkWeed - Blog #1

Blog #1 – Milk Weed

The story MilkWeed by Jerry Spinelli is a story about a young orphan boy in a ghetto in Warsaw, Poland during the holocaust. The book starts with the main character running through the streets with stolen goods wrapped in his arms. A man is yelling from behind him, “stop thief.” Shortly after this encounter he meets a boy named Uri. Uri is a part of a group of boys that live together, and like him, do not have parents. At first the group is skeptical of his lack of identity.   Uri, the ringleader of the group believes that he should stay with them. When they ask him his name he answers,  “stop thief”. This is the name he goes by until Uri gives him the name Misha Pilsudski. Misha continues to prove himself to the group by being extremely helpful when scavenging for food. However, this is not the only problem the group of boys face.

We meet the other main characters shortly after the book begins.  These characters are, a boy named Uri and a group of orphaned boys.  After meeting Uri and the group of boys, Misha, for the first time belongs somewhere. Another important character in this story is a young Jewish girl, Janina. Misha meets Janina while searching for food in a garden near her house. The two become inseparable friends. He attends her birthday party and visits her regularly. That is until the real danger commences.

The protagonist is oblivious to the world around him. He does not know what a Jew is or know anything about the dangers surrounding the German troops. Throughout the first couple of days he realizes he does not know who he his or have memories of his past. With the help of Uri he creates his own story. He is now named Misha Pilsudski, who has wandered to Poland after escaping his kidnapper. Soon after he becomes comfortable with his new group, he comes to learn about the trouble and danger he is about to face.  He realizes that jackboots and tanks are nothing to be in awe of and that he should be afraid.