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Rivka/Aunt Eva
Gitl is a stern but kind woman who is Shmuel’s sister and who acts as Hannah’s mother figure when she gets sent back in time to 1942 and takes on the identity of Chaya. While Gitl seems tough on the outside, as illustrated by her refusal to marry, she shows her caring nature as she helps Hannah adjust to her new life in 1942 Poland. Later, in the concentration camp, Gitl selflessly gives away much of her own food to the children in the camp. Despite her many sacrifices, Gitl manages to endure her time in the camp, and she eventually moves to Israel to form an adoption agency named after Chaya. Gitl represents the resilience of Jewish people and how difficult circumstances can reveal the real strength of a person’s character.
Gitl Quotes in The Devil’s Arithmetic
The The Devil’s Arithmetic quotes below are all either spoken by Gitl or refer to Gitl. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 4
Quotes
“Never mind, little Chaya, never mind,” Gitl said. “Shmuel and I—we are your family now.”
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Chapter 5
Quotes
“But if there is no Old Rochelle, how can there be a New?” Shmuel mused out loud. “Perhaps there is a Rochelle all alone, though the child does not know it.”
Chapter 6
Quotes
Photographs of Grandma’s family but none of Grandpa Will’s, because, Aunt Eva had once explained, no photographs had been saved in the death camps. “We are our own photos. Those pictures are engraved only in our memories. When we are gone, they are gone.”
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Chapter 8
Quotes
“The men down there,” she cried out desperately, “they’re not wedding guests. They’re Nazis. Nazis! Do you understand? They kill people. They killed—kill—will kill Jews. Hundreds of them. Thousands of them. Six million of them! I know. Don’t ask me how I know, I just do. We have to turn the wagons around. We have to run!”
Chapter 10
Quotes
“Of course, Jew,” came the officer’s voice. “And then my men will move among you and take your papers and jewelry for safekeeping.”
Chapter 13
Quotes
Something forced Hannah to bend down and stare into the shelf. Little Tzipporah lay curled in a ball, her finger in her mouth like a stopper in a bottle. There was a fly on her cheek. Hannah reached out to brush it off.
“Do not touch her,” Gitl said.
Chapter 16
Quotes
Part of her revolted against the insanity of the rules. Part of her was grateful. In a world of chaos, any guidelines helped. And she knew that each day she remained alive, she remained alive. One plus one plus one. The Devil’s arithmetic, Gitl called it.
Chapter 17
Quotes
“If something happens to us, you must remember. Promise me, Chaya, you will remember.”
Hannah’s lips moved but no sound came out.
“Promise.”
“I will remember.” The words forced themselves out through her stiffened lips.
Epilogue
Quotes
It later became an adoption agency, the finest in the Mideast. She called it after her young niece, who had died a hero in the camps: CHAYA.
Life.
Get the entire The Devil’s Arithmetic LitChart as a printable PDF.
Gitl Quotes in The Devil’s Arithmetic
The The Devil’s Arithmetic quotes below are all either spoken by Gitl or refer to Gitl. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 4
Quotes
“Never mind, little Chaya, never mind,” Gitl said. “Shmuel and I—we are your family now.”
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 5
Quotes
“But if there is no Old Rochelle, how can there be a New?” Shmuel mused out loud. “Perhaps there is a Rochelle all alone, though the child does not know it.”
Chapter 6
Quotes
Photographs of Grandma’s family but none of Grandpa Will’s, because, Aunt Eva had once explained, no photographs had been saved in the death camps. “We are our own photos. Those pictures are engraved only in our memories. When we are gone, they are gone.”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8
Quotes
“The men down there,” she cried out desperately, “they’re not wedding guests. They’re Nazis. Nazis! Do you understand? They kill people. They killed—kill—will kill Jews. Hundreds of them. Thousands of them. Six million of them! I know. Don’t ask me how I know, I just do. We have to turn the wagons around. We have to run!”
Chapter 10
Quotes
“Of course, Jew,” came the officer’s voice. “And then my men will move among you and take your papers and jewelry for safekeeping.”
Chapter 13
Quotes
Something forced Hannah to bend down and stare into the shelf. Little Tzipporah lay curled in a ball, her finger in her mouth like a stopper in a bottle. There was a fly on her cheek. Hannah reached out to brush it off.
“Do not touch her,” Gitl said.
Chapter 16
Quotes
Part of her revolted against the insanity of the rules. Part of her was grateful. In a world of chaos, any guidelines helped. And she knew that each day she remained alive, she remained alive. One plus one plus one. The Devil’s arithmetic, Gitl called it.
Chapter 17
Quotes
“If something happens to us, you must remember. Promise me, Chaya, you will remember.”
Hannah’s lips moved but no sound came out.
“Promise.”
“I will remember.” The words forced themselves out through her stiffened lips.
Epilogue
Quotes
It later became an adoption agency, the finest in the Mideast. She called it after her young niece, who had died a hero in the camps: CHAYA.
Life.
