The Devil’s Arithmetic

by

Jane Yolen

The Blokova Character Analysis

A blokova is a prisoner in a concentration camp who acts as an overseer to the other prisoners. Like many blokovas, the one Hannah encounters is not Jewish and looks down on the Jewish prisoners as beneath her. The blokova has already lost two of her fingers to the Nazis as punishment because she failed to keep the Jewish prisoners in line, and over the course of the novel, she loses a third finger.

The Blokova Quotes in The Devil’s Arithmetic

The The Devil’s Arithmetic quotes below are all either spoken by The Blokova or refer to The Blokova. 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:
Memory Theme Icon
).
Chapter 11 Quotes

“You are zugangi, newcomers, the lowest of the low,” the tall, dark-haired woman said to them as they huddled in the stark barracks room. She was in a blue dress with green piping and the short sleeves displayed a long number tattooed on her arm.

Related Characters: The Blokova (speaker), Hannah/Chaya
Related Symbols: Tattoo
Page Number: 88
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

“When the man finished the number, he reached out and touched the collar of her dress, smoothing it down gently. “Live,” he whispered. “For my Chaya. For all our Chayas. Live. And remember.”

Related Characters: Hannah/Chaya, The Blokova
Related Symbols: Tattoo
Page Number: 100
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Devil’s Arithmetic LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Devil’s Arithmetic PDF

The Blokova Quotes in The Devil’s Arithmetic

The The Devil’s Arithmetic quotes below are all either spoken by The Blokova or refer to The Blokova. 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:
Memory Theme Icon
).
Chapter 11 Quotes

“You are zugangi, newcomers, the lowest of the low,” the tall, dark-haired woman said to them as they huddled in the stark barracks room. She was in a blue dress with green piping and the short sleeves displayed a long number tattooed on her arm.

Related Characters: The Blokova (speaker), Hannah/Chaya
Related Symbols: Tattoo
Page Number: 88
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

“When the man finished the number, he reached out and touched the collar of her dress, smoothing it down gently. “Live,” he whispered. “For my Chaya. For all our Chayas. Live. And remember.”

Related Characters: Hannah/Chaya, The Blokova
Related Symbols: Tattoo
Page Number: 100
Explanation and Analysis: