The Devil’s Arithmetic

Report by Andrew Han

The Devil's Arithmetic written by Jane Yolen is an intense and thought-provoking novel that unveils the horrors of the Holocaust through the eyes of a teenage girl named Hannah. Hannah is a regular American kid who is not completely aware of the significance of her Jewish history in the novel, which starts off in modern times. She is however sent back in time to a concentration camp in Nazi Germany during a family Passover supper. Hannah learns about the cruelness of the Holocaust via her camp experiences and develops a new respect for her history. It is a unique way to set the point of view since she already knew the future but that experience made her grateful for what she has.

The Devil's Arithmetic is an emotionally charged novel that left a lasting impression on me. Yolen's prose is simple yet powerful, and she does an excellent job of capturing the emotions and experiences of her characters. The readers will feel like they are right alongside Hannah and they can experience every bit of emotions. Reading this book is a unique experience.

The Devil's Arithmetic's ability to portray the horrors of the Holocaust is one of its most amazing features. While Yolen does not downplay the severity of the concentration camps, she also avoids using excessive violence or harsh language. Instead, she focuses on the events' emotional impact and lets the reader see the terror through the characters' eyes.

The novel also portrays Jewish faith and culture. Hannah's journey through time allows her to experience the traditions and customs of her ancestors and gain a new appreciation for her heritage. It also explains a lot of traditions to her. Yolen emphasizes the importance of remembering the past in order to understand the present. The novel emphasizes hope and ability to not give up. According to the novel, a lot of people become the so-called “musslemen,” which are the people who gave up on their chances to survive in the harsh conditions. However those people never survive. The ones who survive are those who never give up on their hopes and chances.

Even though The Devil's Arithmetic is a work of fiction, it is based on real historical events. The book is a crucial reminder of the Holocaust's tragedies and the importance of preserving historical knowledge. Yolen makes the Holocaust more relatable and approachable for younger readers by recounting the tale through the perspective of a young girl.

In conclusion, this powerful novel is a must read for all the teenagers. The Devil's Arithmetic has a unique way to teach history since the reader actually gets to experience the history himself. Personally, this novel was able to send shivers down my body. When I closed my eyes, I could see the pictures from the book in front of me. That is something I rarely experience from books. And above all, The Devil's Arithmetic serves as an important reminder of remembering the past and the need to never forget the lessons of history.