Remembering The Past In The Devil's Arithmetic

Generally, if you experience a tragic event it will make an impact on your life. Everyone in the world is unique from the events in their life that they take on. It is meaningful to remember those events because the challenges in the past are what make you the person you are today. The main character, Hannah, changes her values over the course of the novel after undergoing an evil event. In the Devil’s Arithmetic, the author develops the theme of remembering the past may be challenging, but it is an important part of our history that one should never forget.

In order to see how Hannah’s development effects the theme, it is necessary to understand what caused her mind to change. Hannah Stern is a twelve year old, Jewish girl who lives with her family in New Rochelle, New York. She is disinterested, embarrassed, and strives to distance herself from her family and her heritage. Hannah’s family is going to her Grandparents house in Bronx to celebrate Passover with a traditional Seder dinner. Not quite understanding the importance of this family gathering, Hannah whines and complains to her parents that she doesn’t want to go. Several members of her family suffered at the hands of the Nazis during World War II and it still has made large impact on their lives, especially her grandpa's. Hannah hates recalling the traumas of

the past and exploring the teachings of the Jewish history. Remembering what happened is essential to her grandparents, but is uninteresting to Hannah at the start of the story. At the dinner, Hannah opens the door for the prophet Elijah and is mysteriously transported back in time to Poland in the 1940s. She learns the importance of remembering only after she takes a journey to a concentration camp. Throughout the novel, it is obvious that Hannah develops into a dynamic character as she begins to perceive the value of remembering.
As Hannah's morals of her religion evolve from ignorant to understanding, the central theme of the importance of remembering also develops. At the beginning of the novel, Hannah seems close minded and intolerant because she truly cannot understand why the Holocaust continues to be such an importance to her grandparents. Hannah complains, “And I don't want to go to the Seder. Aaron and I will be the only kids there and everyone will say how much we've grown even though they just saw us last month. And, besides, the punch lines of all the jokes will be in Yiddish” (Yolen 4). It is clear that Hannah is dreading the Seder dinner and doesn’t want to remember. When Hannah is transported back in time to a Jewish village, she remains stubborn and difficult. However after a horrendous, four day journey to the concentration camp in a smelly, overcrowded boxcar, Hannah has already begun to change. As Hannah adapts to the hard work, hunger, and constant loss in the camp she refuses to feel sorry for herself, like the old Hannah would have done. She tries to help others in the camp and is less self focused. For example, “Hannah noticed that one of the camp babies was still cradled in a washtub. Without stopping to ask, she grabbed it up and ran with the child into the middle of the midden” (Yolen 123). Hannah’s actions prove that she is being compassionate towards others. Soon Hannah becomes thankful for what she had, though she did not appreciate it before. By having living Chaya’s life, Hannah better understands her Jewish past, and the importance of memory. Obviously, Hannah’s mindshift proves that she is a dynamic character.
The theme of remembering the past may be challenging, but it is an important part of our history that one should never forget, develops as Hannah’s character grows.

At first, Hannah was a pesty, teenage girl who didn’t care about her family or religion. After undergoing a harsh journey, Hannah soon began to change her attitude. She now understands her family and her heritage better. As Hannah’s mind shifts, the theme is developed. Hannah understands how the events in a person’s life can impact the person they are today. In addition, she learned that it is important to remember our history. Those who do not remember the past are destined to repeat

it.