By Jane Yolen

The Devil’s Arithmatic

Jane Yolen- Born in February 11, 1939 in New York City.

She is a poet/journalist/nonfiction writer. She later started writing children’s books.

She has written over 300 books.

Author

This book starts out with Hannah (the main character) going to her grandparents house in New York for Passover.

Hannah doesn’t like going to Passover because she hates when her family always talks about the same stories over and over again.

Hannah’s family are few of the people who survived from the Nazis.

Exposition

Hannah is asked to open the door for the prophet Elijah in the ceremony.

When Hannah opens the door, she finds herself someplace else.

She wakes up as Chaya, a girl recovering from Cholera. Her parents died so she is living with her aunt Gitl and Uncle Schmuel.

The next day, Chaya attends her uncle Schmuel’s wedding where they get taken away by Nazi’s. They say they are “relocating” them, but Hannah knows where they are really going.

Chaya meets a ten-year-old girl named Rivka who has been living at the camp for a year. Rivka tells her how to survive the camp. They immediately become friends.

Rising Action

The Nazi’s come to take Rivka to take her away to die in the gas chambers.

Chaya sacrifices herself and takes Rivka’s place.

She walks into the gas chamber and it takes her back to her grandparent’s house in New York. She is Hannah again.

Climax

She realizes that Rivka is her favorite aunt Eva and she was Eva’s dear friend who which she got her Hebrew name after.

Falling Action

Hannah has learned her lesson to never complain about Passover.

She learns to appreciate her family and the stories that they have to tell.

Resolution

Hannah Stern is the protagonist in this book because she saves Rivka (her aunt Eva) in the concentration camp.

Protagonist

The antagonists in this book would be the Nazis who take them away to concentration camps for them to be killed.

Antagonist

My favorite character is Hannah/Chaya because she knows everything that is going to be happening at the camps so she tries to help everyone and she stays strong throughout the camp.

Favorite Character

My least favorite character is Hannah in the beginning because she complains about Passover and she doesn’t like seeing her family.

Least Favorite Character

Family- Family is one of the themes because she learns to appreciate her family in the end.

Acceptance- In the beginning, Hannah really doesn’t care about being a Jew. She wants to celebrate Easter like all of her friends. In the end she accepts what she is and appreciates it.

Friendship- Hannah and Rivka become great friends. Hannah sacrifices herself for Rivka.

Rating: I would rate this book an 8.

Themes

Genocide is the extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group.

Genocide

Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, that turned my life into one long night seven times sealed.Never shall I forget that smoke.Never shall I forget the small faces of the children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky.Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith for ever.Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence that deprived me for all eternity of the desire to live.Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes.Never shall I forget those things, even were I condemned to live as long as God Himself.Never.

Never Shall I Forget - Elie Wiesel

The Hutus (majority) and the Tutsis (minority) were the two main social groups.

Belgium placed the Tutsis in power. In 1962, Rwanda gained their independence, and the Hutus exiled the Tutsis.

In 1990, the Tutsis formed an army and the whole country fell into a civil war.

In 1994, the Rwandan president was assassinated.

800,000 Tutsis died within 100 days.

The Genocide in Rwanda

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__kf7TljgGs

Genocide in Rwanda

Genocide is not only happening in Rwanda, it is happening all over the world.

Darfur is anotherMain country whereGenocide is a massive Problem today.

Where is genocide happening?

We don’t realize how many people are dying all over the world because of genocide.

Most of us don’t want to get involved, we choose to have a blind eye.

These acts of genocide are a holocaust. It is still going on today. A never ending holocaust.

What is going on…

How do you think we can prevent genocide or help it?

Why do you think so many people turn away when it comes to dealing with this problem?

Questions…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H1r1BMmGbc

Where is the love?

http://www.hmd.org.uk/resources/poetry/never-shall-i-forget-elie-wieselhttp://onemansblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/DarfurGenocide.jpghttp://www.ppu.org.uk/genocide/g_rwanda.html

Bibliography