Letters from Rifka

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Tovah’s Letter”

In this activity, students will write a creative letter from the perspective of Tovah.

Hesse’s novel is made up of letters to Rifka’s cousin Tovah; however, in the novel, there is no response from her cousin. In this Activity, write a letter from the perspective of Tovah, responding to Rifka’s letters. Use the following questions in order to shape your narrative:

• What is the date of the last letter you received from Rifka? What are the main events that have occurred in your cousin’s journey so far?
• What are your thoughts on Rifka’s journey? Choose specific examples from the letters you’ve received so far.
• How has your life changed since Rifka left? What are your plans for the future, and what have you learned from Rifka’s experiences that might impact your decisions? Explain.

After drafting your piece, read your letter to a partner or small group. Consider how each of your classmates’ letters addresses the themes of America as Land of Opportunity, Empathy for Suffering Individuals, and Writing as Freedom in a post-presentation discussion.

Teaching Suggestion: This Activity invites students to consider characterization, plot development, and setting through a creative writing exercise. Depending on the level of the class, this activity may be amended to a group assignment, where each member is responsible for writing a portion of Tovah’s letter.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Throughout much of the novel, Rifka and her family members refer to America as a land of hope and opportunity. 

• How do Rifka’s expectations of America change as a result of her experiences on Ellis Island? (topic sentence)
• Choose 3 of Rifka’s experiences on Ellis Island that clearly show the ways in which her expectations change. Analyze and discuss these circumstances in support of your topic sentence.
• In your concluding sentences, summarize how Rifka’s experiences bring more complex meaning to the theme of America as Land of Opportunity.

2. Rifka witnesses tensions between different groups of people in the novel.

• Choose a character other than Rifka who represents a strong sense of acceptance of all religions, ethnicities, or other differences. (topic sentence)
• How does this character demonstrate acceptance and inclusion toward others? Identify 3 actions or circumstances involving this character to analyze in support of your topic sentence.
• In your concluding sentences, summarize the impact that this character’s actions have on Rifka or other characters.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Alexander Pushkin’s poetry is highlighted throughout the story. In what ways are the poem excerpts significant? Why do you think Hesse chose to display this particular poet? In a 3- or 5-paragraph essay, discuss how the inclusion of poetry impacts the narrative. Choose at least 3 examples and analyze the ways in which these excerpts connect to key plot events, character actions, or themes.

2. Many novels include an antagonist who works against the protagonist. Who or what serves as the antagonistic force in Letters from Rifka? How does that character, group, or situation shape Rifka’s journey to America? In a 3- or 5-paragraph essay, discuss the impact of the antagonistic force on Rifka’s character and goals.

3. Hair is an important motif in the novel. What connection does this motif have to the plot? How does this motif connect to Rifka’s inner conflicts? In a well-structured paragraph, analyze and discuss the importance of the motif of hair in the novel. Include in your discussion what hair symbolizes to Rifka and how the author uses this motif to demonstrate traits and characterization details.

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. As Rifka recounts her journey in her letter on September 2, 1919, she says: “The guard with the unshaven face held my curls in his hand. He looked up and down the length of me as if he were hungry and I were a piece of Mama’s pastry. I held still. Inside I twisted like a wrung rag, but on the outside I held still.” Which of the following literary devices does Rifka use in this quote?

A) Allusion

B) Onomatopoeia

C) Personification

D) Simile

2. Which of the following characterization details are different between Rifka and Tovah?

A) Religion

B) Gender

C) Socioeconomic status

D) Ethnicity

3. During her illness in Poland, Rifka mentions in her letter on October 5, 1919: “They left me with Saul, of all people. Saul, who never has a kind word for me. Saul, who pulls my hair and punches me, even though Mama says at sixteen he should know better. Saul, with his big ears and his big feet, was all I had for a nurse.” What is the author’s most likely intended purpose in including this passage?

A) To highlight Rifka’s growing suspicions that her family should return to Berdichev

B) To demonstrate how Rifka often feels that her parents do not understand her

C) To prove how the siblings often experience discord and arguments

D) To show how much Rifka’s feelings about Saul change by the end of the novel

4. Which of the following conflicts does Rifka struggle with throughout the novel?

A) Having her belongings stolen from her

B) Being rejected by her friends

C) Learning new languages at a slower pace than her family

D) Losing interest in eating foods

5. How does Rifka’s mother view a woman’s place in society?

A) Domestic

B) Professional

C) Feminist

D) Directorial

6. Which of the following reasons best describes why Rifka and her family leave Berdichev?

A) Because Rifka could not attend school

B) Because the family did not speak Russian

C) Because Rifka’s mother was pregnant with her sixth child

D) Because the family did not want their sons to be drafted to the army

7. Overall, how does Rifka feel about living alone in Antwerp?

A) Excited for the independence

B) Nostalgic for her parents

C) Jubilant to make new friends

D) Uninterested in the Flemish culture and language

8. Which of the following moments in the novel does Rifka share as an example of the word “democratic”?

A) The treatment of her typhus by the Polish doctors

B) The floor plan of her train to Warsaw

C) The seating arrangement on her ship to America

D) The games between her and her friends in Antwerp

9. Which of the following phrases best describes how Ilya and Rifka are similar?

A) Their preference of Russian over English

B) Their desire to be accepted in their new land

C) Their fear of illness and death

D) Their love of American customs

10. Which of the following abilities are many of the characters impressed that Rifka demonstrates throughout the novel?

A) Aesthetic

B) Artistic

C) Mathematic

D) Linguistic

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. What does the format of the novel contribute to story elements like characterization and point of view? How does each new section begin and how does this beginning connect to the rest of the section?

2. What do brass candlesticks symbolize in the novel, and how is this symbolism developed over the course of the narrative?