Devil's Arithmetic 2/25/16
Why was Rachel exited about meeting Chaya?
Chaya was from the city
Contrast the ways in which Gitl and Fayge adapted to life in the conversation camp. Which of the two do you think would be more likely to survive?
Gitl doesn't show feelings, Fayge try's not to, Gitl will survive because she follows the Nazis orders
Why do you think Hannah felt that "thinking was dangerous" in this place?
Hannah would be depressed
Drone
a low continuous humming sound
Discernible
able to be perceived or recognized
Affirmation
affirming something
Orchestrated
arrange or direct the situation
Muster
assemble (troops)
Arbitrary
based on random choice
Periphery
boundary line; surrounding space
Garish
bright and showy
Desecrate
dishonor; defile
Dissipating
disperse or scater
Temporarily
during a limited time
Lucid
easy to understand
Bellowing
emit a deep loud roar
Crematoria
furnaces for burning bodies
Ominous
giving the impression that something bad is going to happen
How did the Rabbi react to Hannah's warning about the Nazis?
he didn't believe her
Prominent
highly noticeable; favorably known
Mesmerized
hypnotized
Eternity
infinite time; forever
Fervor
intense and passionate feeling
How did the Rabbi interpret the sign over the gate leading into the camp?
it meant that work makes freedom and they weren't afraid to work
Why did Gitl become upset when Hannah went to brush the fly off Tzipporah's cheek?
it shows that she had feelings and she was dead
Why didn't Hannah dare turn around to look at the men getting into line behind them?
it was a reminder she was next
Protruding
jutting out
Timidly
lack of self-confidence
Rummaged
looked through
Billeted
loved military personnel
Dour
mad or unhappy
What was the role of the shadchan in the village? What role did the badchan play at the wedding?
matchmake, intertain
Dominant
more powerful
What kinds of stories did Hannah tell the girls? How did they respond to her stories? What did this reveal about the girls?
movies and fairy tales she has seen/watched, they thought they were cool, they didn't get a good knowledge and were poor
These chapters give a colorful description of the prelude to a Jewish wedding in a country village in Poland. What are some of the customs and rituals that are described? Compare and contrast them to a wedding that might take place in your community.
no shadchan, yes with the badchan
Do you think the Jews really believed they were being "resettled"? Why do you think they continued to believe they had a future despite what was happening to them?
no, they wanted to believe
Unwarranted
not authorized
Indecipherable
not easy to understand
Uninflected
not varying in pitch or tone
Why were the girls surprised when Hannah told them she went to school?
only boys went to school where they lived
Unadorned
plain
Vivid
producing powerful feelings
Tremulous
quivering; fearful
What "government policy" did the villagers have to enforce?
relocating
How did Hannah respond when Rachel declared she would be her best friend?
she already had a best friend but Rachel could be her second
Why did Hannah regret not telling Rachel she would be her best friend?
she died
What deformity did Hannah notice about the woman in the blue dress who gave the orders? How do you think this had happened to her?
she had three fingers, she was a Jew
How were Hannah's feelings about her home and the Seder changing?
she realized what her family went through
Why do you think Hannah gave an "involuntary shudder" when she saw the army trucks and old-fashioned cars in Viosk?
she remembered the old photos on the t.v.
Why did the woman force Hannah to hand over the blue ribbons in her hand?
she wanted them and was higher class
Why was Hannah relieved when cold water came out of the showered?
she was worried it was going to be gas
Why do you think the Nazi soldiers shaved the heads of all the prisoners and tattooed numbers on their arms?
so no lice spreads, so the Nazis could identify the Jews
When the badchan saw the Nazi soldiers, he said "I see the malach ha-mavis. I see the Angel of Death." What do you think he meant by this? How do you think his comments might foreshadow events to come later in the book?
that it was bad and it was going to lead to death
What do you think the badchan meant when he uttered "Better the fox to guard the hens and the wolves to guard the sheep."
the Nazis are stronger
What do you think the badchan meant when he uttered "The snake smiles but shows no teeth."
the Nazis were creating an act
How did Shmuel explain Hannah's confusion with time and place?
the sickness
How did Fayge and Gitl respond to Hannah's warning about the concentration camps?
they did not believe her
How did the Rabbi try to calm the fears of the people in the boxcar after they heard stories of atrocities committed against the Jews?
they were in Gods hands and rumors
Why was Hannah revolted by the clothes in the pile for the Jewish inmates? What did this suggest about the orgin of the clothes?
they were old clothes, they were old Jews clothes
How did Shmuel reassure Fayge?
they're were going to get married by her Rabbi no matter what
Why did Gitl make Hannah promise not to cry?
to show they were strong
Abrupt
very sudden and not expected
Hannah finds that she is no longer Hannah, but Chaya, which means "life" in Hebrew. What significance do you think this name might have, given the setting of this book?
you have to remember the past, present, and future of life
