Donatello's Reflection

After finishing the conversation with Raphael, I learned different things about the book that I did not get from reading the book myself. When Raphael answered the third question about Michael and going off to war, I learned something. I knew Hannah was affected because she had to take care of Yair on her own and the fact that she realized that she missed and needed Michael, but I did not realize that many other people were affected by his leaving as well. The other people Raphael mentioned were his friends and colleagues and also the maids he hired to help out around the house. Another thing that I learned from Raphael was how soon after Yair was born, Michael started taking things into his own hands with Yair and took care of him when Hannah did not. Raphael used the quote, “Michael stood silent in his gray suit. The baby was asleep in his arms. Michael’s eyes pleaded with the women to take the baby from him. He had the look of a man who is desperately struggling to hold back a sneeze. I smiled at him” (Oz 76). The quote that Raphael used clearly shows that Michael started taking care of Yair instantly and I did not realize that. I knew Michael took care of Yair more than Hannah did, but I never noticed how old Yair was when that happened. For the most part however, Raphael and I understood the book and got the same concepts and ideas out of it. I enjoyed reading, My Michael and I think I learned a lot from it. I always knew that you should never take things for granted, but a situation in the book highlights that idea. When Hannah took Michael for granted and then he leaves for the war and she misses him and realizes she needs him just proves my point even more. I am glad that I chose to read My Michael for my independent reading book and think Amos Oz is a good author.