Hannah Stern Analysis

Hannah Stern is a young Jewish girl living in New Rochelle, NY. Her and her parent are going to visit her grandparents. Her grandpa Will was telling her about WW2. She was tried of it. When Hannah rises from the table to symbolically open the door for the prophet Elijah, she is transported to Poland in 1942. She took over the life of Chaya Abramowicz. She tells everyone that she is Hannah Stern and from America. Chaya's aunt and uncle, Gitl and Shmuel, dismiss these claims as effects of Chaya's ordeal with cholera, from which she barely recovered. The disease claimed Chaya's parents and the adults assume Chaya is probably still grieving from this loss. She tries to explain why they must not go with the soldiers, but the adults explain that they have little choice. …show more content…
The ride on the train lasts for days and several children and infants do not survive. Soon after ariveing, some of the men, including Shmuel Abramowicz, Chaya's uncle, attempt to escape from the camp. The escape attempt is thwarted but Yitzchak, a butcher from Chaya's village, is able to get away. The next morning those who were captured are executed in front of the others. Shmuel is among them. Fayge runs to be with him and they die together. Wolfe emerges from "Lilith's Cave", the name the prisoners have given to the doorway leading to the gas ovens. He carries Fayge's body away as part of his gruesome job. At dinner Hannah sees a her Aunt Eve (in the current time) and sees a tattoo. A prisoner tattoo from the