The Devil's Arithmetic Group

Question:

kbbaby
kbbaby
Student
High School - 9th Grade

How would describe Chaya in comparison to Hannah in "The Devil's Arithmetic?"

What was Chaya like, was she brave, or scary?

Rate question:

Posted by kbbaby on Wednesday November 11, 2009 at 2:39 PM and tagged with characters, the devil's arithmetic.

Answers:


  1. akannan Teacher
    Middle School

    eNotes Editor

    Seeing that both characters are extension of the same, I would propose that the dichotomy reflects different expressions of the singular person.  At the start of the work, Hannah is the stereotypical teenager who is more concerned with the setting of the here and now and the superficial reality that inundates it.  She is concerned with her own sense of being and assimilating to others and achieving acceptance of her peers.  Only when she opens the closet door to symbolically receive Elijah does she become Chaya.  In this phase, she learns to sacrifice for others, such as the experience in the camp.  She learns how painful and difficult it is to be Jewish, and that her heritage is not something to disparage, but rather praise.  In the final analysis, it is this particular element which distinguishes her from her former self, making her stronger and more actualized as a human being.

    Rate answer:

    Posted by akannan on Wednesday November 11, 2009 at 4:33 PM