Hannah is a spoiled Jewish girl with no sense of her own
religion. She is self-centered and dislikes many of her family members. Her world
abruptly changes when she whisked back in time to experience the
Holocaust.
Chaya is the alter ego of Hannah. If not for
her, Hannah would remain clueless about her religion and the past. Though she at first
is confused about the transition between the future and the past, she soon becomes a
strong, caring person. Her sacrifice in the place of Rivka showed her strength. The
story-telling at which she excelled entertained the girls in the face of a bleak
existence.
Rivka is the most courageous of the characters
remaining kind where Gitl is angry and brittle. Rivka helps the newcomers and deals with
the Nazis on their terms. Her kindness saved many lives and eased the sufferings of
others. She is the one to remind others to keep the memories to share with the future
generations. She is strong both mentally and physically to survive the nightmarish
concentration camp.
Shmuel is a kind-hearted, loving,
generous man whose death at the hands of the Nazis after his escape attempt shows his
bravery. He helps Hannah adjust to her new life as Chaya. His love for Fayge never dies
as he holds her in his arms at their execution.
Gitl has a
hard exterior and a no-nonsense demeanor. They serve her well in the concentration camp.
She fights for what she needs and has a sharp tongue for those who do not do things as
they should. Beneath her grumpy exterior of "The Bear" she loves Chaya and helps her
adjust to camp life. She is distraught at the death of the little girl Tizpporah who was
the daughter of her suitor.
Fayge is a spoiled-little-rich
girl in the sense that her father was the rabbi in the village. Though not rich by our
standards, she expects things to be of a certain standard for her wedding, which never
occurs. She refuses to marry Shmuel without a proper ceremony until she is killed with
him. The fact that she survives at all until then is surprising.
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