53+Compare+and+Contrast+Essay

=PARAGRAPH 1=

The Devil's Arithmetic is a commending novel written by Jane Yolen and has also been made into a movie. The main character, Hannah, a girl in present-day New York City goes to a Seder hosted at her grandparents' house. She faces considerable problems, such as remembering her life in New York, when she is thrust into the time period of the Holocaust and lives through the hardships for Jews who lived at the time. She has to overexert herself and toil in the concentration camps created by the Nazis. Finally, Hannah remembers and, when she is condemned to death by the Nazis, is transported back to the Seder in New York City. There she relishes the remainder of the Seder since she knows what they are remembering and why it is something to remember very well. However, there were a number of differences between the book and the movie.

=PARAGRAPH 2=

In The Devil's Arithmetic, many similarities between the novel and the movie are present. Firstly, in the novel, Chaya learned about her parents' death and that she was horribly sick. Next, there was a haircut given to all the Jews who came in to prevent lice. There was also a tattoo of a number given to the Jews because they were said to be an inferior race. Next, everyone had to watch those who attempted to escape die. Moreover, Hannah switched places with Rivka to keep the future intact. Also, Aunt Eva revealed that she was really Rivka. Similarly, the movie had many more of the same incidents. First of all, in the movie, Hannah was told of the deaths and her illness as well. Secondly, the haircut and the tattoo were vital parts of the concentration camps, therefore those experiences transpired in the movie as well. Third, everyone wanted to witness the killings of the four men not for gratification, but because they had to have evidence for posterity. Furthermore, Aunt Eva was still alive in the future because of Hannah's switch with Rivka. Then, in the end, Hannah learns that Aunt Eva is really Rivka. These are some of the similarities between the movie and the novel.

=PARAGRAPH 3=

There were also many discoverable differences in the movie and the novel. In the first place, Rivka appeared in camp and was a close friend of Hannah's in the book. Furthermore, there was only one Seder, at Grandpa Will and Grandma Belle's house in the Bronx, where decent items and rituals were performed. In addition, Gitl told Hannah about the plan about escaping the concentration camp. Further, when Hannah was Chosen to be processed(killed) she was sent with Shifre and Esther. Additionally, Hannah had a brother named Aaron, who was a little younger than herself. Nevertheless, the movie had many more contrasts. As opposed to the novel, the movie included Rivka being shown in the onset as Hannah's cousin. Secondly, the camp Seder used petty items and had very little food. Third, Hannah was informed of the escape by Rivka. Next, Hannah was Chosen alone as opposed to the novel. Finally, Aaron wasn't in the movie so Hannah didn't have a brother. Undoubtedly, the novel and the movie were indeed two astonishingly dissimilar stories.

=PARAGRAPH 4=

The novel, I found, was more pleasurable than the movie. This is so because the novel was easier to comprehend and I could feel the emotion behind the words. There was also some symbolism, which makes the book a finer read. For instance, Jane Yolen wrote, "The snake smiles but it shows no teeth," and "Better the fox to guard the hens and the wolves to guard the sheep." My favorite part was when Gitl told Hannah that the shoes were the blokova's, not Hannah's because it was amazing that they were able to trick the Nazis and get the blokova in a plight, and they didn't have to get in trouble for stealing the shoes. On the other hand, my least preferred part was when those who attempted to escape were executed. I didn't like this because it was an example of the horrific things the Nazis did to Jews, just because of their religion. This book is one that I would recommend to those who would like to know what the concentration camps were really like. Anyhow, it was a good read and I enjoyed it very much.