illustration of main character Hannah opening a door which leads to a barbed wire fence

The Devil's Arithmetic

by Jane Yolen

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The Devil's Arithmetic Questions on Rivka

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The Devil's Arithmetic

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...

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The Devil's Arithmetic

In The Devil's Arithmetic, Rivka is a young girl Hannah meets in a concentration camp when she travels back in time, and when Hannah returns at the end of the book, she realizes that Aunt Eva is...

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The Devil's Arithmetic

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...

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The Devil's Arithmetic

Chaya remembers her number in the concentration camp by assigning personal meanings to each digit, a method taught to her by Rivka. She interprets "J" as Jew, "1" for being alone, "9" as "no" in...

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The Devil's Arithmetic

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...

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The Devil's Arithmetic

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...

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The Devil's Arithmetic

Hannah and Rivka are two characters suitable for comparison and contrast. Hannah, initially overwhelmed and vulnerable in the concentration camp, evolves through the guidance of Rivka, who embodies...

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The Devil's Arithmetic

Rivka's statement highlights the balance between being a giver and a taker, emphasizing that one should not be exclusively one or the other. In the camps, survival requires adopting a pragmatic...

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