Refugee (Alan Gratz)

character trait of waleed and one quote from the book that supports that

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Waleed is Mahmoud’s younger brother, and the son of Joussef. Waleed is another motivation for Mahmoud to grow up quickly, but Waleed also saves the family in his own way. Waleed also shows that recovery from trauma is possible for refugees. Mahmoud’s story begins as he picks up his little brother at school. Gratz writes, “Waleed was ten years old and two grades below Mahmoud . . . He too wore his black hair cropped short but he looked more like their mother, with narrower shoulders, thinner eyebrows, a flatter nose, and bigger ears” (13). Gratz describes his teeth as sticking out like a squirrel, compared to Ruthie’s like a chipmunk. Mahmoud has noticed that Waleed does not smile anymore, and the war in Syria has made him an impassive robot. Waleed’s emotional state forces Mahmoud to grow up, in that he cares about him, buys him toys, and worries about his well-being.