Devil's Arithmetic And Shooting The Moon: A Thematic Analysis

In the novels Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen and Shooting the Moon by Frances O’Roak Dowell the theme, What you once thought was small or pointless, could mean all the difference to someone else, is shown by Hannah’s rejection of knowledge, her thought’s outcomes, and Jamie’s relationships. The authors of these novels express the theme of the book by placing the characters out of their comfort zone or by living in a different scene where the character can experience and learn new things.
One reason why this book shows this theme is how Hannah rejects her memory and her knowledge. She thinks it is small or pointless. “All Jewish holidays are about remembering.” She then goes on to say, “I’m tired of remembering” (Yolen,4). Later in the story, Hannah is transported back in time to

“The moon was just a bright blob of light in the night sky” (Dowell,48). Jamie talked about how the moon didn’t do anything spectacular. “ A comet would be interesting, and a meteor plummeting toward Earth would be very interesting. But the moon just kind of sits there all night” (Dowell,49). Her brother on the other hand, TJ, who went missing in the Vietnam War, saw the moon as a piece of art, he studied it every night. “I think the shadows are interesting. And I like the idea that there are human footprints on the moon’s surface” (Dowell,49). In this story, Jamie thought the moon was pointless and that it didn’t and wouldn’t ever affect her. Her brother TJ, though, admired the moon. The author revealed the theme in the same way as the author did in the book Devil’s Arithmetic. She revealed it by putting the character outside of their comfort zone or by living in a different setting then what they’re used to. The author put TJ in such a vulnerable and dangerous position at war that it made him realize the significance of the moon and all of its