Response to Reading #2 – Stan says, “Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” Analyze this statement and how this statement may relate to one of the characters. You may choose Gemma, Harvey, Stan and Becca.
You must make an original post of at least 150 words. Then respond to two other posts with at least 100 word responses.
Mrs. Seidel's English Blog 
“Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scares.” Is a meaningful saying, it is a very good way to explain what has happened to Harvey in his past. He was a refugee during the way but he was also in a concentration camp during WWII. His wounds may have healed that he received from the Nazi’s while in the camp but the scares left in his head and on his body will never go away. The scares in his head are the horrible memories he had of what had happened to him while the war was going on. Even when he was in the refugee camp he was not free so the memories were carried over from the war. The scares on his body were physical scares from things such as the number tattooed on his arm by the Nazi that was used as identification number during the war or the scares he may have had from cuts or wounds. No matter what Harvey would do those scares would never go away the wounds may have healed but the scares wont.
I agree with the fact that this quote fits Harvey very well, World War II is a time in history that will never be forgotten. Not only was Harvey involved with World War II, but he was held in a concentration camp, which is not easy to forget. Harvey will never forget about being in a concentration camp, but as time moves forward, he will try not to think about the painful memories in which were created while he was held at this horrific place. Harvey is in a difficult position to the point in which he feels he has to always look out for himself and not let his guard down.
I agree that Harvey fits this quote the best. I like how you explained the emotional scars that Harvey has to endure for the rest of his life with all the horrible memories of the camp and the war that were taking place all around him. It never really came to my attention that he could have had emotional scars and that it would fit with the quote “Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars”. The physical scars and wounds however are very apparent and well related to Harvey’s experiences at the camp and while the war was taking place around him everywhere.
I agree with you that the quote is a very meaningful way to say what has happen to Harvey in the pass. I believe that it more about Harvey than Gemma because Harvey has the tattoo tatted on him and that is never going to go away and that being on his skin reminds him everyday what has went on in his past. I also agree no matter what Harvey will do them scars could never go away because he is reminded everyday that he was there just by looking on his arm. The way he feels about Oswego is very negative and I believe if I was in a place that did that to me I would feel that same way because it would bring back all the memories that has happen there.
I think that the quote also fits Harvey very well even though I chose Gemma; Harvey has gone through a lot in life too. He has seen the horrors of World War II and has seen the inside walls of a concentration camp. He will never forget that time in his life; it will always be there. Even though he will try to forget what has happened he will always be unable to because some wounds cut too deep to be able to be forgotten like a distant memory. So I do agree with you, Zeb that Harvey can also be one of the people that fit the Statement.
Harvey is definitely mentally scared because of his past. He went through very tragic and awful times while he was a refugee at Fort Oswego. Harvey states how he hates the Germans even to this day. His past definitely shaped who he is today because of the brutality of the Nazis towards him. I like that you said his physical wounds have healed but his mental scars have not. I think that Gemma probably experienced the same things that Harvey did. This is why Gemma left the box for Becca and why Gemma retold her fairy tale countless times.
“Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” is a statement that relates to Stan really well. I think this statement relates to him the most because he was adopted because his mother had left him. Time may have healed his wounds that it left him mentally but something that big will never be out of your thoughts forever. Being adopted is something that will always carry over with you through out your life even if the parent decides to come back into your life. It may heal the wounds and hurt but again it won’t erase the memory that is forever with you. Gemma is also a good character for this statement because being in a camp for all those years growing up you will always be able to remember the harsh things that you had gone through. Gemma didn’t want anyone to know the things she went through that is why she kept all the things in the hidden box.
I forgot to say something about being adopted because that was another good one. That never heals because you never know who your actual parents are and I am sure he was dying to know. Gemma like you said did a very nice job of hiding her past with that hidden box.I think another reason she did that was to try and forget it but in all reality you could never forget something like that!
I also, thought about relating this saying to Stan, but I felt like it was directed to Harvey more. I clearly, do not know what it’s like to be adopted or have a parent leave my life, but I could not imagine the pain and hurt it could cause someone. I feel like anyone who was adopted is carrying that burden with them all throughout their life and they want to find out who their biological parents are. Time may have healed Stan’s wounds, but it is something he will live with for the rest of his life. I also, agree with you that Gemma is implied to this saying. She lived in the camps and was treated poorly and it may have caused her a lot of trauma that she will never forget.
I totally agree with your analysis of the statement and whom you thought the statement closely relates too, which is Gemma of course. The things she has seen and has experienced are so terrible that I find it hard to believe that anyone could possibly for get it. She has probably seen her entire family killed and has had close friends taken away but, somehow I think has found a way to move on. She never forget what happened but she was able to move on from the past and make a family of her own and have a life.
I definitely agree that being adopted would leave deep, deep scars on anyone. It would be awful knowing that one or both of your parents gave you up. In Stan’s case, his mother did not want him. This would be a pain that never ends because how can one have confidence when even their own mother did not want them. It makes me feel really sorry for Stan but I am happy that he does not seem to let him bother him. I also agree that Gemma has many emotional scars because of everything she experienced.
I didn’t really think about this affecting Stan, but it does. It had to be a very emotional time for him when his mother left him. Being adopted would affect anyone physically or emotionally. Stan will never be able to get rid of that memory of being adopted. Gemma is also a great example of the statement, “Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” She went through the concentration camps and she will never be able to get rid of those scars. She didn’t tell anyone about her times there because she doesn’t want anyone to have to think about all of the horrible things that happened while she was there.
The quote Stan says, “Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” the first part of the quote means that as time moves on, people do not think about that pain they have had experienced. The second part of the quote, “But it won’t erase scars.” means that even though the people do not think of the experience, the fact is still that this event has taken place and nothing can change to make time go back and change the outcome of the event. Gemma is a character that can relate to this quote. In Gemma’s younger years, she had been placed at an extermination camp. Gemma was a character that had the experience and over time, has tried not to think about this horrific event. Gemma knows that the extermination camp had taken place but can not go back in time to try to change this life changing event.
When Stan says, “Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars.”, he means that time can heal all physical wounds, however will not get rid of the memories or mental pain that went with the those physical wounds. This statement could relate really well to Harvey. Harvey was one of the prisoners in Oswego during World War II and talks about how there was barbed wire surrounding the camp. Randolph, an old school teacher, speaks of how he used to bring his students to go see the prisoners in Oswego when Harvey interrupts him and says “and you shoved it through the wire as if we were animals in a zoo.” By saying this Harvey is clearly still affected by what happened to him during his time in Oswego. He pulls up his sleeve and reveals a faded tattoo with numbers on it and also states that by looking at the old picture Becca showed him, it brings back some of the horrible nightmares of what happened to him. Through all of this, it is clear that Harvey is still bitter and angry with what happened to him in Oswego and that his mental scars will never heal.
I completely agree that he means that time can heal all physical wounds but not the emotional ones. I also agree that he relates this very much towards Harvey, she says this after Harvey reveals his old number from the internment camp that is tattooed in fading blue. I also agree that Harvey is still very moved and emotional when it comes to his time there in Oswego, he seemed to have a lot of bad memories from his time there as well. Harvey also seemed very upset about Randolph bringing his students to the camp and how they put food through the wires. However I also think that Randolph thought at the time that he was doing something right and showing the kids that the rumors that they hear from their parents weren’t true.
When Stan says, “Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars” I feel like he’s directing this towards Harvey the most. Harvey was at the same internment camp as Gemma but he was tattooed with a number. Internment camps when people entered them they often had a number tattooed on each person in blue ink. However when stan says this I feel like it goes to Harvey more because he still has that tattoo that he sees everyday that brings back the pain and the memories of being there. By the statement “time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars” Stan is saying that physical wounds will heal eventually but scars never fade and never go away. Kind of like Harvey’s tattoo its always there always a reminder of what happened. All of the wounds that they all got while there are now long healed but never can the scars be removed and all of the people that were in that camp have those numbers on their arms reminding them of all the horror and injustice for the rest of their lives.
I agree with you Carrie even though Gemma and Harvey were at the same concentration camp for some of the time Harvey does have to live with the number that was burnt into his arm for the rest of his life. Harvey also says that when the saw the Statue of Liberty he and the others started crying because they thought they were going to be free, but it turns out they were put in a different concentration camp behind barbed wire. I also agree with your definition of what Stan means when he says, “time may heal wounds. but it won’t erase scars.”
I agree with that statement, Harvey is the person who is most affected by this comment. He has been through so much in his life, which has contributed to his permanent scars, one which will never go away. Oswego is a constant reminder of the past, especially the tattooed numbers that are upon his body. Harvey hated Oswego, because it had barbed wire just like the concentration camps that so many Jew were held unwillingly. The barbed wire reminded him of all the hurt him and many other had gone through. Time may eventually heal him, but it will never heal him mentally, emotionally, or physically. Something will always trigger his memory of the hardships he endured during that time period. He will never be the same person he was before, his scars will never vanish and will always remind him. This is a problem for many people, and it is also a reminder to them of their trouble or the hurt they have gone through in their lives.
I agree with the statement that you had proven. Harvey is the character that fits this quote best. He went through a lot more in life then many of the others. What he has gone through has put permanent scars physically and mentally. He hates Oswego because it reminds him so much of the camps. Even though Harvey fits this pretty well I also think Stan and Gemma could fit this too. I think they could because Stan went through a lot as a child that he will never heal all the way from. And Gemma she went through the same camps.
The statement, “Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars” effects many people within the book, especially Gemma and Harvey who had been through a lot. Harvey has numbers on his body, proving that time will never erase his pain mentally or physically. He is scared for life, and will never be able to forget what had happened in that time period. Stan’s story is completely different, his involving his birth mother who he had just recently discovered. Not knowing his mother for all those years must have hearted him as a child, but with time he healed. The only thing that didn’t heal, was the scar or abandonment from his mother, and the questions that he must have thought. He must have wondered is his mother even loved him or even wanted him. Becca is another person who will be permanently scared, due to the fact that Gemma had just passed away, a person who she was really close to and had spent time with even as an adult. The biggest thing that scared Becca, is the part of not knowing who Gemma really was and why she would keep her past a secret. This is what really hurts Becca because without knowing the past, she can’t move on in the future and keep her promise with Gemma. These are all examples that time can heal, but the damaged can never be erased mentally, physically, or emotionally.
I never really thought about Stan being affected by his mother’s abandonment leaving a mental scar, which it is obvious that it does. Being adopted would definitely affect me until I had all of the answers and even then, I would still be bothered by it. I, too, was also going to consider Gemma as a choice for having mental wounds, but I didn’t because I am still too confused by her mysterious past. You made good points with Becca having scars, too. Becca is definitely affected by the death of her grandmother whom she was extremely close with her entire life.
I love the way that you characterized all of them. I was struggling to think of how Gemma could be related to “Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” I guess my confusion came about how we aren’t sure what Gemma’s past was like. We’re not even sure who she really is in this point of the book. I think that if I were Gemma and was so unsure about everything, time would help heal me, but then I would also be very scared about the fact that I do not know who my parents are, where I came from, or even questioning who I really was.
The quote by Stan saying “Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” I think relates most to Harvey. In these chapters we meet Harvey and right from the start he has a very negative and emotional response about Oswego. Harvey says these two quotes “Time does not excuse conscience.” “Time does not erase this.” At this point in the chapter Harvey pulled up his sleeve on his shirt to reveal a large blue number that had been burnt into his skin at the extermination camp. I think the very first quote from Stan “Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” can be related directly to Harvey’s scar of the numbers on his arm. Harvey still feels very emotional and has anger towards Oswego. Some of his wounds and hurt may have healed but that scar of the numbers on his arm will never be erased and forever be a part of him and that’s something time can never heal.
I agree Bethany the quote “Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” relates to Harvey the most because he has the tattoo that was burnt into him for the rest of his life. He does get very negative and emotional after Becca and Stan brought something up about Fort Oswego. I also think that Harvey is not only physically scarred by the numbers on his arm but also emotionally and mentally. Harvey says that when all of them saw the Statue of Liberty and they all started to cry because they thought they were going to be free, but soon they were put into Fort Oswego behind barbed wires.
I agree with you Bethany. I think Stan would have been easier for me to characterize. Stan has been through a lot. I think it would be the hardest thing to. I would never get over what I were to see in those concentration camps. The scar of the tattoo of the number would be too overwhelming to live with. I would need to get it cover up because it would always be a reminder of all the awful things that took place in Oswego. Even though the memories might get better, and heal with time, it would be very scaring.
I agree, Harvey has had a past that he does not want to be remembered. His time in Oswego was painful and filled with horrific memories. Harvey wishes he could forget about those days as much as anyone that had been there as well. Every time that somebody brings up Oswego, Harvey becomes very emotional and angry that such a thing has taken place and will forever be being talked about in some way. “Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” This is a very powerful quote and can relate to Gemma and Harvey. Both Gemma and Harvey were stationed at Oswego.
I agree that Harvey has had a terrible past that has scared him for life. His time when he was in Oswego was something he will never forget, between the horrible memories and the time he spent there. All he wants to do is to forget his time there but he can’t. Anytime someone brings up Oswego he becomes very, bombarded with emotions and anger. He is forever scared because of Oswego, and what happened. “Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars” is a very strong quote and is relatable too Harvey and Gemma. They both went through the hard times in Oswego and survived them.
Just as you said I highly agree to the fact that the quote fits Harvey the best because out of all of the characters other than Gemma he has been through the hard times of the war. No matter what Harvey ever does he will never forget what happened to him during the war. Harvey just like Gemma had went through some of the worst times in a war when the Nazi’s were a horrible influence in the country and did a lot of things that are frowned upon ethically.
I also agree with you Bethany that the quote “Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” fits Harvey the most because he has physical wounds from the burn marks with his concentration camp number. After Stan and Becca brought something up about Fort Oswego Harvey got all defensive because he hates Oswego so much.
Bethany I do agree with you. Harvey is a very negative person. He is still very emotional and angry towards Oswego. I do believe when you say his wounds and hurt may have healed and but the scars on his arms will never go away. That is true that he is will forever be part of him. I personally think that as much as he wants to forget about what happened he never will forget about it no matter what he will always think about it because that was a terrifying time in his life for him.
The statement “Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars” means that over time wounds go away but you can never get rid of scars because they are permanently there. When we first met Harvey and Becca mentions Fort Oswego, the reader can tell that he doesn’t like Oswego and that it was not a good place. Harvey shows this to the audience. The scars may not always be physical some can be emotional and mental scars. Harvey lived through the war. Once he and all the others with him saw the Statue of Liberty, Harvey thought he was coming to America so he would be set free but he was put in Fort Oswego behind barbed wire. Harvey had a number burned into his skin. This number was a scar he could never get rid of and every time he sees it it’s a reminder to him that he lived through a terrible time.
I agree that Harvey fits with the quote “Time may heal wounds, but won’t erase scars.” Harvey endured so much while the war was going on and being sent to Oswego. He truly had emotional wounds and permanent scars. He had emotional wounds because of the all the horrible memories and thoughts about the past in Oswego. This is very apparent to us by how he talks about it and portrays the negative opinion of Oswego. He had permanent scars because of the blue number that was burned into his arm as identification. That will never go away, he’ll have that for the rest of his life. Harvey truly has been there a lot and fits this quote perfectly.
By Stan saying, “Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars,” he’s talking about a very difficult time in someones life. Even though someone could forget about their problems for awhile, the awful memory about the tragic accident is always going to be there. This statement could be best related to Harvey. Harvey was a refugee in the war. It was the most difficult time in his life. Harvey was also in a concentration camp. By Stan’s quote, he’s saying that the time passing by may help to not focus on the situation with the concentration camps, and all the bad memories he has from war, but it won’t completely erase the terrible pain from what he went through and had to see first hand. He also had the scars from the number that was tattooed on him when he was in the concentration camp. Even though this scar may start to fade, it will never completely go away.
I agree, this statement is toward Harvey as well as many other characters in the book. Harvey and Gemma had both been stationed at Oswego, a refugee camp in American, however Harvey had hated it there. He dislike Oswego due to the barbed wire that surrounded, it was a reminder of the concentration camps that he and so many other were held against their will. He has a tattoo permanently put on his body, a constant reminder of the past and all the pain he had endured. This proves that scars will never go away, and that the pain afflicted mentally, emotionally, and physically will never go away. Stan is another person effected by this comment, however his pain is not quite the same situation. He has pain built up from not knowing his biological mother for the longest time, and as a child he must have felt abandonment and like he wasn’t loved. That is one of the hardest things for a child, which must have scared him emotionally. These are scars that will never go away, no matter how hard they are tried to forget.
The quote by Stan saying “Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” I feel that this is most implied to Gemma. I feel this way because Gemma has had a terrible past, and now as a free women time has healed her wounds but her past will never change. She somehow managed to survived everything that happened to her in Poland, but she will never forget the terrible things that has happened to her. She could hide the truth, but in the end someway, somehow her family is bounded to figure out that she was part of the jewish extermination camps. Gemma was a very strong women, that keep everything a secret so her family will never have to know her past and the horrors that were apart of it.
This is so true and I do believe that Harvey does fit this description. You are right that the scars will never completely go away, and he will always have those memories of when he was in the concentration camp. He will remember that this was one of the worst things that has happened to him in his lifetime. And though he will never forget about what happened he can move on from this horrid time in his life. I do agree with you when you say “Even though someone could forget about their problems for awhile, the awful memory about the tragic accident is always going to be there.” This is one hundred percent in my eyes true.
When Stan says “time heals all wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” I think that Stan is talking about a very rough time in someones life. No one can ever just forget about their problems, the memory of what has happened with always be there. I think that statement best describes Harvey. Harvey was in the war and he was a refuge. This was the most difficult time in Harvey’s life, he was also in the concentration camp as well. By Stan’s quote when he says that time heals, meaning that Harvey can forget about the hard times he had in the war he will never forget it, but he can move on. Harvey got tattooed and he had scars from it from when was into the concentration camps. His scars will never completely go away the memory and the scar will always be there. This is what I think it means.
When Stan says, “Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars” I feel like he’s directing this towards Harvey the most. Harvey was at the same internment camp as Gemma but he was tattooed with a number. When we first met Harvey and Becca mentions Fort Oswego, the reader can tell that he doesn’t like Oswego and that it was not a good place. The scars on his body were physical scars from things such as the number tattooed on his arm by the Nazi that was used as identification number during the war or the scars he may have had from cuts or wounds. At this point in the chapter Harvey pulled up his sleeve on his shirt to reveal a large blue number that had been burnt into his skin at the extermination camp. Harvey also says that when the saw the Statue of Liberty he and the others started crying because they thought they were going to be free.
I agree with that Harvey went through a war that could never be forgotten by the ones in it or the ones caught in the center. Harvey also knows that no matter what he ever does he will never forget what had happened to him because he has that permanent reminder on his arm of his number and false identification to the Nazis. He also knows that to the Nazis he was just another number on a list of millions of people in concentration camps. Harvey also knows that even when they saw the Statue of Liberty and thought they would be free right away the truly were not because they were put into another camp and confined there with barbed wire and had barracks.
I agree with you Thomas. This quote could be pointed towards both Gemma and Harvey but I think it is more towards Harvey than Gemma. I think the place scared Harvey more than Gemma because he was there longer than Gemma and he has the number tattooed on him and that will always be a scar for him. Even though Gemma also has the memories of the place. I believe it scars Harvey more just because of the scars he has on his body that can never go away. I also believe that Harvey attitude towards Oswego is very negative because it bring back so many bad memories for him.
When Becca first meets Harvey I think that she realizes that he is very similar to her grandmother, Gemma. I think she sees a lot of Gemma and Harvey and it makes her very interested in Harvey and finding out more about his past in order to learn about Gemma’s past. She finds out that they were in the same concentration camp and experienced a lot of the same pains and memories. The memories that they both have will never heal because they are such strong memories and times that no one can forget. Injuries and things like that heal over time, but memories stick around forever.
The quote from Briar Rose said by Stan is a very powerful and meaningful quote. Stan says “Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” The meaning of the quote is that you may go though something tragic in your life and you will as time pasts feel better but time will never erase your memory and visions of what you went through. This statement can go with anyone who went through the Holocaust because of the horror those people went through. This quote realtes to Gemma the most in the novel of Briar Rose because of her living through the Holocaust and all that she has been thorough. Gemma went through a horrible thing but it is in her past, but she still has the memories that will never leave her about her past that will always haunt her.
I agree with what you think the quote means, it definitely does mean that exactly! When you go through something tragic its often forgotten for a little while but its always there. In the back of your head the memory and the visions of what happened will always be there no matter what. I agree that the statement could stand for anyone of them however I think it refers more so to Harvey than to anyone else. Gemma was there during the holocaust but she didn’t have a number tattooed on her arm like Harvey did. She also never talked about it she always told the story of sleeping beauty and didn’t say much about her past.
The quote by Stan saying “Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” I feel that this is most implied to Gemma. I feel this way because Gemma has had a terrible past, and now as a free women time has healed her wounds but her past will never change. She somehow managed to survived everything that happened to her in Poland, but she will never forget the terrible things that has happened to her. She could hide the truth, but in the end someway, somehow her family is bounded to figure out that she was part of the jewish extermination camps. Gemma was a very strong women, that keep everything a secret so her family will never have to know her past and the horrors that were apart of it.
I gotta say, Michael Jenny, I couldn’t agree with you more completely. I did choose Becca for my post, however you made me consider more and see a different kind of opinion. It is so true that Gemma has had (what seems to be) a horrible past! And the more, and more we read in class(or at home) the more we learn about what has happened to her. So far what we’ve learned about gemma, I find that the most interesting thing about her so far, is that people actually used to call her a princess. (Though I forget the actual name, I know it was princess.)
When trying to figure out which character I could compare the saying too, I did not even consider Gemma. I just felt like we really don’t know, Gemma that much yet to know everything that she went through. After reading your response I now know how well this saying fits Gemma. I agree with you everything you pointed out. Keeping all of that a secret from her family had to of been hard, but she was strong enough to survive the holocaust, so she was strong enough to keep it a secret. Gemma may not be with her family and have to think of all the horrible things she went through, but its still the fact that she experienced everything and her family is going to find out soon enough.
Now that I stop and think about it your truly right. We don’t know much about Gemma, but we are learning over time. So with that being said I now feel like it is Harvey that is most described by the quote from Stan. Time could have healed the wound but the memories and the scar will always be with him and remind him what he had to go through. The tattoo that Harvey has is also a reminder of the camps and what he had to deal with for a long period in his life. So I now truly feel that Harvey is more affected by the past the Gemma was.
I agree with this and I feel this way because Gemma has had a terrible past, and now as a free women time has healed her wounds but her past will never change.. I also think that Harvey is not only physically scarred by the numbers on his arm but also emotionally and mentally. I think the very first quote from Stan “Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” can be related directly to Harvey’s scar of the numbers on his arm. Harvey still feels very emotional and has anger towards Oswego.
I think that the statement “Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” Really relates to Harvey but also Gemma, because we see that they were tattooed with a number at the concentration camps. Harvey was also burnt while at the camps. Time could have healed the wound but the memories and the scar will always be with him and remind him what he had to go through. The tattoo that Harvey has is also a reminder of the camps and what he had to deal with for a long period in his life. Harvey and Gemma were in the same concentration camp so they both knew what it was like and could feel each other’s pain. No matter what they did in their life the scars and tattoos will always be a reminder of the horrifying things that they were forced to live through.
Stephen, you make a good point by saying it that this quote always relates to Gemma as well as Harvey. The tattooed number that was burned on each of their arms will stick with them forever because of the story behind it all. Harvey and Gemma have suffered a lot of the same pain because they were in both in the same concentration camps. Certain wounds that both of them received have healed or will heal over time, but certain scars and burns will stick with Harvey and Gemma for their whole life because of the story and meaning behind it.
I agree with you Stephen Harvey was at the same internment camp as Gemma but he was tattooed with a number. When we first met Harvey and Becca mentions Fort Oswego, the reader can tell that he doesn’t like Oswego and that it was not a good place. Some of his wounds and hurt may have healed but that scar of the numbers on his arm will never be erased and forever be a part of him and that’s something time can never heal. It is a reminder of the horrifying things that they were forced to live through.
It had to be very emotional to Harvey when he showed everyone his tattoo. I can’t imagine what horrible memories that concentration camp gave Harvey and all of the others that were in it. That tattoo will always be with Harvey, just like scars. It is crazy to think that Harvey and Gemma were in the same concentration camps. The memories they have will always be with them. I’m sure it is very hard for them to think or even talk to anyone about their times in the concentration camps. Gemma kept all of her documents and information in the hidden box and she probably did this because she didn’t want anyone to know all of the horrible things that went on during the concentration camps.
“Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” I feel that this quote applies to Becca the most due to her experience with her grandmother’s death. With her being the one who had the closest relationship with her grandmother, she was the one that happened to be effected the most. For example, the first night following her grandmother’s death, she couldn’t sleep and sorted through all the things in her grandmothers box. The others seem to accept Gemma’s death just fine and got a good nights rest. However as the story goes on, the reader can see that time is healing becca, and she has learned to direct her emotions toward the drive to find more about her grandmother’s life. We also see a new relationship growing between Becca and Stan. So far, he seems to be a gentleman seems to be keeping her chin up. (I Love english)
Casey, I couldn’t help but notice that we have a lot of the same material in our posts…… Thats Awesome! My apologies, I mean, oh my good sir that was quite the delectable post you have made there! You supported your opinion with detail of the story, yet included the handsome man of stan in there as well. It was hard for me to choose Becca. Was it hard for you? I think the quote applies to any of those characters. Harvey, for his experience with war in the past, Stan with his grandmother passing, and Gemma having some of the same experiences Harvey had.
English would love you more if you capitalized names and proper nouns while typing in this academic blog!! 🙂
The statement “Time may heal wounds, but won’t erase scars.” that Stan says could relate to all of the characters there. I believe that this relates a lot to Gemma and Harvey, But I do believe it relates to Harvey more than it does Gemma. The reason I say that is because Harvey was actually there longer than Gemma and he had the number tattooed on him. The quote is saying that even though there wounds may be healed the scars that they have as Harvey has that number tattooed on his body can never be erased. This could also be saying that all the scars that are in Harveys brain as he remembers everything that went on in there can never be erased from his head or even the ones that are on his body. Even though the time may heal the wounds on them all in the camp they will never be forgotten.
Stan says, “Time may heal wounds, but not erase scars.” This saying has a strong meaning. It can relate to many of the characters in different ways, but it relates to Harvey and his past the most. Harvey lived in concentration camps during the war. While in the camps he experienced many scars physically and emotionally. The scars that he experienced physically may have healed over time, but the ones that are engraved in his head will never leave him. He will always have to live with knowing what he experienced as well as others. He also, has scars that will never go away that he has too look at everyday. The number that was burned on his arm to indicate who he was will never go away. When Becca and Stan first met, Harvey we see how he reacts to everything that Becca is telling him and showing him. This tragic event is something that will never leave Harvey no matter how much time has passed.
Yes your exactly right the emotional side effects from this whole thing are much greater than the physical. Like you said time heals all physical wounds but mentally it sticks with you forever. The reason it stays with you forever is because its so terrible and what they went through and what they saw people go through was bad. Harvey definitely acts weird and reacts when they talk about Oswego so that was another good point you had there.
There are a lot of characters in this book that can take claim to that quote. I think as the book goes on, we will find that even more characters than we thought can say this about themselves. Harvey probably has more emotional scars than physical scars. He had to go through that here in America, where no one was expecting this to happen. We see that Harvey has not forgotten about the past one bit, and is still very hurt by everything that happened at that camp. His physical scars will never go away. Instead, they are there to remind him everyday.
Stan says “Time may heal wounds, but not erase scars.” This is especially relevant to Harvey and Gemma. Harvey and Gemma were in the same concentration camp during the Holocaust. They saw so many gross and terrible things at those camps, things that they could never forget. That phrase can be both physically and emotionally. It can be physical because the number tattoo they received. It can be emotionally or mental which is actually way worse than the physical because what they did to them and all the physical pain they went through heals except the tattoo they still have. One way it can be emotional is just every time they see that number or barbed wired fence they have flashbacks and remember what happened. When something terribly significant happens like that you do not forget.
“Time to heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars” is talking about Harvey’s past. Harvey was at the concentration camp and was a refugee during WWII. This means that he may have healed physically but emotionally he is still wounded. He has scars that reminds him of the hell he went through at the camps, the horrid memories from the places he went and people he had seen die. Even though he was a refugee he still thinks about his horrible memories from there. His physical scars are, him being tattooed for his identification number for the Nazis and he had cuts and wounds. Harvey tells Randolph “ and you shoved it through the wire as if we were animals in a zoo” by saying this he is telling Randolph he was a sick man for doing that. Harvey is forever scared and they will never go away they will always stay with him even though they are healed.
“Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” is a very strong and meaningful quote. Harvey was a refugee and also lived in a concentration camp during World War II. The wounds that Harvey received during his time at concentration camp such as, injuries, cuts and things like that may have healed over time, but the terrible times and bad memories will always stick with him. Harvey will life the rest of his life thinking about all the tough times that he went through because he will never be able to just forget and stop thinking about the memories. It’s also not just the memories that will stay with Harvey forever, it is also the scars on his body. The burn on his arm that shows the number he received during the concentration camp will stay with him forever. All the scars that he has will also stay with him forever because every time he looks at one or someone else notices it he will always think of the story behind that scar.
I didnt even think to put Harvey down, but that does totally make sense that you did because the quote relates alot with him and what he’s been through. I chose Gemma, but Harvey relates just as much as her. The quote takes a more litteral sense with him because he actually does still carry the scars not just mentally but physically. Overall I thought you did a good job showing how much the qoute relates to Harvey.
The statement “time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” means that in time the hurt and pain will stay in the past it is impossible to erase the memory of what cause that pain and hurt. This statement most closely relates to Gemma obviously because of her past as a holocaust survivor. She may have been able to go on with her life after that event but nothing will ever make her forget what happened there. The fact that she retells the story of Briar Rose and uses it, as a metaphor for her real story of how she survived the extermination camp is enough evidence to show that she has not forgotten about the past and even in old age did not forget about it. The scars of her past are still there and will always be there. This goes for all of the people who have survived something as traumatic as that.
“Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” This saying can relate to every person, everywhere. There has been hardships in everyone’s lives at one point. Harvey for example, lived through the holocaust as a Jewish man. He was a refugee in concentration camps during World War II. Even many years later, when he is talking to Becca, Stan and Samantha about being in Fort Oswego, he is still very hurt by what he went through. His physical wounds may have healed, but the scars left in his memory will never fade. What he went through at Fort Oswego was torturous and he described it as hell. Gemma, although she never spoke about it, most likely experienced the same pain and torture as Harvey and many others did. As time healed her wounds, she never stopped telling her fairytale and that may have been part of her scars.
I think that everyone can relate to this quote. Everyone does have a hard time in their life that they will not be able to forget. Being in a concentration camp would be the worst scars I could imagine. Not only the scars for yourself, but the scars of losing the people you loved. Harvey will always have that scar on his arm to remind him of how awful the holocaust was. I can imagine why Gemma never spoke of it to her family. She doesn’t want to show them the scars that she will carry the rest of her life.
“Time may heal wounds, but won’t erase scars.” This is a great way to analyse Harvey. Harvey is a old man who was in the refugees at Oswego. Harvey was tattooed with numbers on his arm and with this quote its means that the time may heal his physical wounds but it will leave the scars and he will still remember the pain he went through. This quote is also a great way to analyse Gemma. Gemma kept all her secrets hidden from the ones she loved because it was a hard life she lived. This is why she told the story to her grandchildren. The story told of her past but with them not knowing it was of their Gemma being the young child in the story.
I agree with you, this quote does relate alot to Gemma and how much the quote relates to her. I also chose Gemma because of how much it relates to her. I like how you added why Gemma told her grandkids that story which is actually her and helps describes her past. The quote also relates alot to Harvey and his past and how his scars wont erase after what happend to him during the holocaust.
“Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” This quote can fit with Harvey’s life. Harvey was is an old man that lives in Oswego and has been there his whole life. Harvey was in the refugee camp in Oswego. He knows first hand what it was like to be in those concentration camps as a Jewish man. He remembers everything he had been through. He had been starved and hurt physically, along with emotionally. As years past, he gained is health back, put the scars still remain. One of the scars being his number on his arm from the concentration camp. When they were put in the camps, they were marked like animals. Harvey not only has the awful memories of the time he spent at the camp, but a scar of his marking on his arm to remind him everyday. No matter what he does, those scars will always remain.
You know Taryn I never really saw it that way but I think you are defiantly right. He was the one who actually was there he was the one that experienced Oswego and what it was like. He remembered every detail of what he went through emotionally even the physical parts of the camp. So no matter how long its been how much time has past he will still have his scares and he will never forget the things he went through the things he saw they will always be there right along with his scares and his memories yea.
“Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” This quote I think defiantly fits for Becca. The way that Becca could take this is with Gemma’s death. Over time I think that Becca will get over Gemma’s death. But with her trying to find out what Gemma’s past is and where she came from I don’t think that that will help Becca her scares because all that is going to do is make her remember and make her more sad than she already is. Her finding out about Gemma may help but in the end it may still feel the same. So time may heal her wounds and finding the castle may heal her wounds but it wont erase the scars or memories of her grandmother.
The quote “Time may hear wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” Means time may help to forget certain things but the memory will always be there. I think this would relate to Harvey’s past more. He went though a very tough time in his life he made it though the Holocaust and it affected his life in many ways. He had to see people be killed and I couldn’t imagine having to live like that. Stan has also had a rough past, growing up and not knowing your mother can take a toll on anyone. And to think that after spending a great amount of time searching for your mother just to discover that she didn’t know your father. Stan acts like it doesn’t bother him to get through his life. Facing either of these obstacles would be difficult for anyone to deal with.
“Time may heal wounds, but it won’t erase scars.” This quote fits both Gemma and Harvey’s life. Harvey was in the concentration camps in Oswego. While he was there, he was put through some pretty horrible things. He was beat physically and emotionally. He still has his number on his arm. Even after all these years, he still doesn’t like to talk about it, or even think about it. These memories will stay with him forever, just like scars. Even though Gemma never talked about it, she was put through the same thing as Harvey. She keeps all of her documents in the hidden box because she doesn’t want to have any reminder about her horrible times in the concentration camps. The both of them, along with all of the others at the camp, had to see people being killed. I cannot imagine seeing that or imagining what kind of horrible memories that would be. This quote can relate to anyone in everyday life.