The Devil's Arithmetic: A Literary Analysis

Throughout The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen and The Color of Fire by Ann Rinaldi, there were many obvious similarities but also several key differences. While analyzing the two stories, comparisons between characters, setting, point of view and theme became apparent. Both stories discuss characters who overcame a struggle in their lives. These historical fiction pieces help readers understand the hardships of certain historical events and the reality of life for people living in those eras. The connections between stories will help readers make connections between important events of the past.

The setting in Jane Yolen’s book, The Devil’s Arithmetic, is similar and different to the setting in The Color of Fire by Ann Rinaldi. In Yolen’s

In Yolen’s book, the author’s point of view is in third person, but in Hannah/Chaya’s perspective. Also in Yolen’s book, Hannah tells Rachel, Shifre, Esther, and Yente about her life in the city. In Rinaldi’s book, the point of view is first person, the author is Phoebe. Also in Rinaldi’s book, she tells the reader what she did/is doing. Therefore, the point of view in both books are different.

The protagonists are similar in characteristics and personality. In The Devil’s Arithmetic, the protagonist is Chaya (Hannah), who became the camp leader. In The Color of Fire, the protagonist is Phoebe, who saved Cuffee and helped him escape from being in jail. They both are generous, courageous, and kind. They both were generous to save their friends lives, they both were courageous for doing so because if they got caught trying to save them, and they had a major chance of getting killed or punished. This proves why they are similar in their characteristics and

They are different in their setting and point of view. Similar in their protagonist, antagonist, and theme. They both are two very great books that teach readers about the tragic history. Most people are too caught up in their electronics these days that they don’t get to learn about what happened in the real world. They worry too much about if their friends or crushes text back, they don’t worry enough about what their family had been through in times like slavery, civil rights, wars, and the Holocaust. Even now their is some rough times, but back then, it was worse, and now readers know that because they read these two books that taught them well about