Letters from Rifka

Imagine writing the novel from the point of view of Rifka’s parents. What would change? What would Rifka’s parents say about her situation? Why?

Research the HIAS to find out more about this organization and the way it has assisted Jewish and non-Jewish immigrants. Is the novel’s representation of the organization accurate? What do the references to HIAS contribute to the novel and its key themes?

Each letter in Letters from Rifka begins with an excerpt from one of Pushkin’s poems. These excerpts represent the fact that Rifka is writing in the pages of a book by Pushkin, but they also relate to the action of the novel’s plot. Find and discuss a few examples of how the excerpts illuminate key themes or scenes of the novel.

Letters from Rifka is structured as an epistolary novel, or novel-in-letters. However, none of Rifka’s letters, written in the pages of the Pushkin book, are ever actually sent to her cousin Tovah. What does the epistolary structure of the novel provide that would be missing if the novel were simply presented as Rifka’s diary?

By rejecting the US immigration officials’ initial fear that she will not be able to find a suitable husband if her hair does not grow back, and thus she should not be permitted to enter the country, Rifka asserts herself and resists stereotypes of women and immigrants. In what other ways does she resist stereotypes, and why is this important throughout the novel?

Racial and ethnic tensions involving Russians, Jews, Poles, and Americans are reflected throughout Letters from Rifka. How do these tensions highlight characters’ senses of identity, and the conflicts they face? Which characters or settings promote tolerance and acceptance, and how?

Rifka’s religious and cultural identity are referenced at various points in the novel, such as when she makes her own Star of David, when she performs her own mitzvah, when she is given her father’s prayer shawl, and when she recites prayers to distract herself from scratching her head. What do these references say about Rifka’s character development? What do they contribute to the novel as a whole?

Consider one of the minor characters from the novel, such as Rifka’s doctors, Nurse Bowen, or the women from the HIAS. What do they illuminate about the novel, and/or how do they influence Rifka?