The Devil's Arithmetic

The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen explores the conflicts and events surrounding the Holocaust through the experiences of Hannah Stern, a modern Jewish American teenager. Initially set in...

The allusions and symbols in The Devil's Arithmetic include the title itself, which refers to the cruel calculations made during the Holocaust. The number tattoos symbolize dehumanization, while the...

The Yiddish term "Malach ha-mavis" means Angel of Death. This term is notably used in The Devil's Arithmetic, where Hannah's grandfather, a concentration camp survivor, refers to the horrors of the...

In The Devil's Arithmetic, Hannah changes by experiencing the horrors of the Holocaust and concentration camps first-hand. She therefore comes to understand why certain rituals are so important to...

In The Devil's Arithmetic, Gitl is initially described as wearing a dark-colored skirt, apron, and kerchief while busy with domestic duties. Her character traits include being selfless, motherly,...

Hannah and Chaya are central characters in "The Devil's Arithmetic." Hannah is a modern Jewish girl who is initially indifferent to her heritage. Through time travel, she becomes Chaya, a...

In The Devil's Arithmetic, the protagonist, Hannah Stern, is a young Jewish girl who time-travels to 1940s Poland and experiences the Holocaust firsthand, growing braver and more empathetic. The...

In The Devil's Arithmetic, "chosen for processing" signifies selection for death in the concentration camps. It is a euphemism used by the Nazis to mask the grim reality of the Holocaust, where...

Rivka's survival rules in "The Devil's Arithmetic" include staying unnoticed, remembering and using numbers to identify safe people, knowing when to stay silent, and helping others when possible. She...

In The Devil's Arithmetic, blokovas are prisoners who are in charge of other prisoners in the concentration camps. They enjoy some privilege but are punished when their prisoners do not fall into...

Hannah reacts with disdain to the dress Gitl gives her, describing it as frumpy and like a "shmatte" or rag, unsuitable for a wedding. The dress is a blue sailor-suit with white piping, which Hannah...

In The Devil's Arithmetic, Lilith's Cave is the name the prisoners in the concentration camp use to refer to the gate by which people enter the crematorium/gas chambers.

In The Devil's Arithmetic, chapters 5-7 depict Hannah's disorienting immersion into 1942 Poland, where she struggles with cultural shock and a sense of belonging. A pivotal moment is when Hannah's...

In The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen, both Hannah and Rachel face tragic deaths. Hannah sacrifices herself by taking Rivka's place in the gas chamber, displaying bravery and selflessness. Rachel,...

Fayge's story of the werewolf's heart full of pain in "Devil's Arithmetic" symbolizes the earth's wickedness and her own pain from losing her father. In the story, a boy named Israel defeats a...

In The Devil's Arithmetic, Aunt Eva is Hannah's great aunt. She is the sister of Hannah's paternal grandfather.

In Jane Yolen's The Devil's Arithmetic, Shmuel is Chaya's (Hannah Stern's) uncle in 1942 Poland, characterized as brave, kind, and loyal. He is about to marry Fayge when they are arrested by Nazis,...

In The Devil's Arithmetic, the swallows symbolize the prisoners' yearning for freedom and also the cruel indifference of the natural world.

The theme of resilience in "The Devil's Arithmetic" is developed through the characters' experiences in a dehumanizing death camp, where they face constant threats of death, starvation, and forced...

In The Devil's Arithmetic, Jane Yolen uses similes to enhance her descriptions. One simile describes Hannah's heavy feeling after arguing with her mother as "the argument lay there like unleavened...

The term "devil's arithmetic" is used in two main ways in the book. First, it describes the grim calculation determining life and death in the concentration camp, providing a semblance of order in...

The badchan observes that Hannah has "faraway eyes" and is an "old girl in young-girl disguise," indicating her wisdom and anachronistic knowledge. This reflects Hannah's dual identity as Chaya, a...

In the concentration camp, meals are scarce and consist mainly of "a dipperful of watery potato soup" and "a small slab of dark bread." Occasionally, those on kitchen duty, like Hannah and Shifre,...

In chapters 14-16, Gitl is nicknamed "Tante Gitl" and "Gitl the Bear". "Tante Gitl" reflects her role as a caregiver and mother-figure to all, treating everyone like family. "Gitl the Bear"...

Rivka's number in "The Devil's Arithmetic" is J18202. She remembers it by assigning personal meanings: "J" for Jew, "1" because she feels alone, "8" for the original eight family members, "2" for the...

Hannah is a dynamic character who evolves significantly throughout the novel. Initially, she is dismissive of her Jewish heritage and stubborn, but her experiences during the Holocaust foster bravery...

Yes, Yente dies in "The Devil's Arithmetic." She is one of the four girls Hannah, also known as Chaya, befriends before Shmuel's wedding. Yente, along with Shifre and Esther, perishes in a...

At the camp, the sign reads "ARBEIT MACHT FREI," which translates to "Work makes you free." Initially, the rabbi interprets this as positive, reflecting a belief in the redemptive power of hard work....

Hannah faces the challenge of understanding and accepting her Jewish heritage. Initially indifferent, she is transported back in time to a Nazi concentration camp, where she experiences the horrors...

Reuven and Tzipporah are young, blond children holding hands. Yente, Shifre, and Rachel are girls around Hannah's age with braided hair and ribbons. Rachel has green eyes and a breathy voice, while...

The flashback-type memories that Hannah has in chapters 11–13 include stories of the gas chambers in the showers and her memory of tattooing and a man’s shout. These memories, which start to slip...

Hannah time travels to Poland during a Passover Seder celebration when she reluctantly opens the door for the prophet Elijah, who transports her to 1942. In this supernatural experience, she assumes...

Examples of foreshadowing in The Devil's Arithmetic include Hannah's initial reluctance to attend the Seder, which hints at her eventual time-travel experience, and the dark, foreboding descriptions...

Gitl refuses to marry Yitzchak because she is disillusioned by her past relationship with Avrom Morowitz, who promised to send for her from America but never did. This experience has seemingly soured...

The rising action in The Devil's Arithmetic includes Hannah's mysterious time travel to 1940s Poland, her adoption of the name Chaya, and the journey to Viosk for a wedding. Upon arrival, the...

The door in Jane Yolen's The Devil's Arithmetic symbolizes the transition between the past and present. It serves as a portal that transports Hannah back in time to experience the horrors of the...

In The Devil's Arithmetic, "midden" means the garbage dump.

In "The Devil's Arithmetic," prisoners are assigned six main jobs to keep the concentration camp functional: cleaning barracks, guards' houses, the hospital, and kitchen; cutting and hauling wood for...

In The Devil's Arithmetic, Fayge is tragically executed by the Nazis. She is carried to her death by her fiancé, Shmuel, who is also being executed. This moment underscores the brutal reality of the...

The family opens the door for the prophet Elijah as part of the Passover ritual, symbolically welcoming Elijah's promise. In "The Devil's Arithmetic," Hannah performs this ritual but, instead of...

Hannah has a complex relationship with her family in The Devil's Arithmetic. She is initially ambivalent about visiting her Grandpa Will and Grandma Belle, with whom she shares a paternal connection....

In The Devil's Arithmetic, Blokova loses her fingers as a punishment for failing to maintain order in the concentration camp. Each time she fails to control the prisoners or an escape occurs, she...

In The Devil's Arithmetic, Grandpa Will's upset demeanor stems from his traumatic experiences during the Holocaust. His anger and emotional outbursts are manifestations of the deep pain and suffering...

Hannah says "Thinking is dangerous" because she is in a Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust, where survival depends on not dwelling on the horrors around her. In this brutal environment,...

Rivka and her family arrived at the concentration camp a year ago. Rivka was ten. They came as a family of eight, and now there are only two left. When Rivka meets the girls upon their arrival at...

The moon symbolizes the consistency of the external world. It serves as a fixture to alert Hannah that she is away from her home and in a very different world, and yet, the moon symbolizes that the...

In The Devil's Arithmetic, Yitzchak's daughter, Tzipporah, dies in her sleep. She is a young girl who quietly suffers in the death camps. Hannah finds Tzipporah with her thumb in her mouth, appearing...

The Devil’s Arithmetic is told from third-person point of view. Third person refers to “he,” “she,” “it,” or “they” as the subject of a sentence. This type of point of view or perspective uses a...

Hannah tells the girls stories about her life in New Rochelle, which amaze them due to the luxuries and opportunities like attending school, which they don't have. They are shocked by the concept of...

Jane Yolen uses the contrasting settings of modern-day New York and a Nazi concentration camp to highlight resilience in her novel. Hannah's transformation from a disinterested teenager to a...