Characters
Hannah’s name in the past
Chaya
Hannah opens this and time-travels
The Door for Elijah
Time where story begins
Modern day
This theme shows how the past guides characters in understanding who they are
Memory
What tattooed numbers represent
Dehumanization or Loss of Identity
The friend who struggles to breathe
Rachel
Celebration interrupted in Chapter 6
Wedding
Time period Hannah enters
1940s Poland
This item, used during the Passover Seder, represents tradition and the connection between past and present.
The Seder cup or the door
Meaning of “arithmetic” in title
Calculating losses and survival
The girl who teaches survival skills
Rivka
How villagers are transported (What were they transported in?)
Cattle cars
Location of the painful labor
Concentration camp
This is what the Nazis attempt to strip away from the villagers through control, fear, and dehumanization
Their Identity
Purpose of the Seder story
Remembering past struggles
The bride from the interrupted wedding
Fayge
What replaces the prisoners’ names
Numbers
Why time feels confusing to Hannah
Future knowledge
According to Rivka, survival depends on remembering these crucial details about routines, rules, and people.
Remembering what truly matters
A rule Rivka teaches
Avoid certain officers or conserve energy or support each other
Hannah tries to sacrifice herself to save this character
Rivka
The act that returns Hannah home
Self-sacrifice
What was-Symbolic purpose of the Seder
To remember history
This theme becomes even stronger when Hannah chooses to take Rivka’s place at the camp.
It is important to remember the past
Concept Hannah finally learns & appreciates
Remembering the past is important