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Mama, Are We There Yet?
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Plot Summary of Mama, Are We There Yet?
"When the Bolshevik Revolution erupts in 1917 persecuting Jews, murdering Mama's family, she and her six-year-old daughter, Raizle, flee to Odessa where her family is again attacked. Mama decides to leave for America to join her husband who left earlier. Sympathetic Christians assist them, but along the way to Romania, Mama is raped. Traveling to the Rothschild House in Paris, the train leaves without them and they board a cattle car for the trip. Paris is a time of stability and happiness while waiting for their visa to Cuba. During a turbulent ocean journey in steerage, Raizle develops the mumps and is allowed to remain in first class. In Cuba, Raizle creates relationships with shopkeepers and becomes fluent in Spanish.   Raizle, a precocious and curious child narrates the story of their five-year journey, expressing feelings of anger and insecurity when repeatedly wrenched from people she grows to love and trust. Mama, a strong, determined woman deals with a multitude of life and death situations, driven by the desire to take Raizle to a land of safety."
Bettina Gantsweg, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Mama, Are We There Yet?
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - very sensitive (sigh)
Time/era of story - 1900-1920's
Inside culture (main char) - Jew
Other aspects: - immigrant story
Culture clash? - Being oppressed by outside culture
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Outside culture (society) - Eastern Europe
War/Revolt/Disaster on civilians Yes
Ethnic/regional/gender life Yes
Conflict: - Russian commies!

Main Character
Gender - Female
Age: - a kid
Ethnicity/Nationality - Jewish
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters

Main Adversary
Identity: - an organization
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - dictator
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - throughout most of the book.
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 10 (a tremendous amount)
Europe Yes
European country: - Eastern Europe
City? Yes
Farm/Ranch? Yes
Misc setting - moving train

Style
Person - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - explicit references to deaths
Amount of dialog - mostly dialog
Most similar books to Mama, Are We There Yet?
Salome of the Tenements by Anzia Yezierska
Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska
Jews Without Money by Michael Gold
The Butcher's Dog by Eliza Hemingway
The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander


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Rose Saposnek Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Bettina Gantsweg  

SCHOLARS:


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