“The Shawl”: More Than a Piece of Cloth When we think about a shawl, we typically relate it to a garment that one would wear as a fashion statement or something to keep warm. How could a piece of material be anything else? In Cynthia Ozick’s short story “The Shawl,” we see that it indeed can be more than just a piece of cloth. The main character, Rosa is a mother who uses a shawl to protect her baby, Magda, while Magda uses the shawl as a source of comfort and Stella, Rosa’s niece, is envious of the shawl and sees it as a prized possession. The story takes place during a horrific time in history when the Nazi regime is in power. We often wonder how the Jews survived this dark time. Although the Nazi concentration camps were horrific,
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The story gives us excellent examples of how we adapt to our surroundings. We have heard and seen pictures of the deplorable conditions in the concentration camps. The camp in which Rosa, Magda, and Stella were imprisoned was no exception. The walk to the camp, where they knew the horrors that awaited them, was described as a long, cold march. But instead of complaining, Rosa felt like “a floating angel, alert and seeing everything” (Barnet, Burto, and Cain 229). I believe she knew that as long as she was walking it meant she was alive and had chance to survive. That is what kept her walking. There was no food to sustain them during the walk. When Rosa’s milk dried up due to malnutrition, Magda physically uses the shawl to get the nourishment that Rosa cannot provide. Magda is determined to live so she sucks on the corners of the shawl to sooth the hunger. By substituting the shawl for milk she is able to survive the journey to the camp. Once they arrive at the camp, another example of the determination of the human spirit is revealed. Rosa is afraid that “one day someone, not even Stella, would steal Magda to eat her” (Barnet, Burto, and Cain 230). This shows us how people would resort to something as horrible as cannibalism in order to survive. Most people could not even imagine stealing a baby, much less eating it. But if we were determined to survive, we might do things we …show more content…
An article of simple clothing has represented many things: safety, comfort, nutrition, entertainment, jealousy and companionship. This was a story about a shawl that is so much more than a piece of cloth. Ozick reminds us that the Nazi regime was definitely a dark period in our history. The concentration camps were a source of unimaginable suffering, humiliation and injustice. While many did not survive this monstrosity, those who did may tell us that it was because of their ability to draw strength and comfort from an ordinary item that was special to them. The strong survived by not letting the Nazis break their spirit. They may have found ways to cope with the situation because of their determination. Because of their desperate situation, they may have made decisions that seem unkind or barbaric to us. They will have to live with those decisions and find peace within themselves. This story reminds us that we never know how we are going to react to a situation until we are faced with difficult
The story gives us excellent examples of how we adapt to our surroundings. We have heard and seen pictures of the deplorable conditions in the concentration camps. The camp in which Rosa, Magda, and Stella were imprisoned was no exception. The walk to the camp, where they knew the horrors that awaited them, was described as a long, cold march. But instead of complaining, Rosa felt like “a floating angel, alert and seeing everything” (Barnet, Burto, and Cain 229). I believe she knew that as long as she was walking it meant she was alive and had chance to survive. That is what kept her walking. There was no food to sustain them during the walk. When Rosa’s milk dried up due to malnutrition, Magda physically uses the shawl to get the nourishment that Rosa cannot provide. Magda is determined to live so she sucks on the corners of the shawl to sooth the hunger. By substituting the shawl for milk she is able to survive the journey to the camp. Once they arrive at the camp, another example of the determination of the human spirit is revealed. Rosa is afraid that “one day someone, not even Stella, would steal Magda to eat her” (Barnet, Burto, and Cain 230). This shows us how people would resort to something as horrible as cannibalism in order to survive. Most people could not even imagine stealing a baby, much less eating it. But if we were determined to survive, we might do things we …show more content…
An article of simple clothing has represented many things: safety, comfort, nutrition, entertainment, jealousy and companionship. This was a story about a shawl that is so much more than a piece of cloth. Ozick reminds us that the Nazi regime was definitely a dark period in our history. The concentration camps were a source of unimaginable suffering, humiliation and injustice. While many did not survive this monstrosity, those who did may tell us that it was because of their ability to draw strength and comfort from an ordinary item that was special to them. The strong survived by not letting the Nazis break their spirit. They may have found ways to cope with the situation because of their determination. Because of their desperate situation, they may have made decisions that seem unkind or barbaric to us. They will have to live with those decisions and find peace within themselves. This story reminds us that we never know how we are going to react to a situation until we are faced with difficult