Please post responses to questions on "Heat" "Hunters in the Snow"and "The Shawl"
HMWK: Read "If Wishes Were Horses"
Continue to work on your exercises synaesthesia or others or (or "Because")
Questions for "The Shawl":
1. Where and when does the action take place?
2. Does Rosa think Stella is responsible for Magda’s death?
3. Why
doesn’t Rosa run to protect Magda at the end? Is it because she fears
death? Because she is traumatized? Because she is physically
exhausted?
4. What do we make of Magda’s physical appearance?
5. What is the significance of the shawl?
Point of View
"The Shawl" is written in an omniscient third person point of view. It is omniscient because the narrator can see things through the eyes of all the characters. For instance, the narrator tells readers that "Stella wanted to be wrapped in a shawl," and that "Rosa did not feel hunger" -things which could only be known by that character. The point of view is said to be thIrd person because the narrator speaks about the characters from the outside, referring to them as "she" or "he."
"The Shawl" is noteworthy because of its scrupulous control of its limited point of view, with the point-of-view character being the mother of a starving infant during the Holocaust. There is nothing in the story about the political conditions in Germany’s Third Reich, which developed a policy of mass extermination of Jews; yet, within just a few pages, the story provides an inside view of the horror as it affected those who were the victims of this unspeakable policy. The story requires great attention, for the details are not described objectively but rather appear as they have been filtered through the suffering eyes and mind of the major figure, Rosa.
Survival
Underlying Ozick's story is the theme of survival. Rosa struggles with this constantly. During the march to the concentration camp, Rosa struggles over whether or not she should pass Magda to an onlooker, possibly ensuring her child's survival. Rosa decides against this, however, realizing that she would risk her own life in doing so and could not guarantee Magda's safety. Rosa chooses survival in the moment for both of them, rather than probable death for herself and uncertainty for her child. As Rosa struggles over what to do about Magda, Stella longs to be Magda: a baby rocked and sleeping in her mother's arms. Rosa also thinks that the starving Stella gazes at Magda as if she wishes to eat the child. Magda, though far too young to have any knowledge of what is happening to and around her, gives up screaming and quietly sucks on the shawl.
Life in the camp is a constant battle for survival. Rosa, apparently caring more about Magda's survival than her own. gives most of her food to her child. Stella, caring mostly about her own survival, gives no food to Magda. Magda herself turns to the shawl for comfort: it is her "baby, her pet, her little sister"; when she needs to be still—and stillness is necessary to her survival—she sucks on a corner of it.
Halfway through the story, Stella takes Magda's shawl because she is cold. It is, perhaps, the only one of her afflictions that she can do anything about. There is no food to ease her hunger, and there is nothing she can do to escape from the camp; but Magda's shawl might ease her cold. This, too, is a form of reaching for survival. Stella has chosen to bring what small comfort she can to herself, ignoring the potential cost to Magda and Rosa.
Magda, knowing no better, leaves the barracks in her search for the shawl. Again, Rosa has to make a choice about her survival. If she runs to Magda, they will both be killed. If she does nothing, Magda will be killed. The only solution she can think of, however slim, is to get the shawl to Magda before she is discovered by the camp's guards. She runs for the shawl and returns to the square with it, but she is too late. A soldier carries Magda away toward the electric fence at the other side of the camp. Rosa watches her baby fly through the air, hit the fence and die, then fall to the ground. Again, there are choices. If she goes to Magda, she will be shot; if she screams, she will be shot. Rosa chooses survival, using the shawl to mute her scream.
Motherhood and Nurturing
Closely linked to the theme of survival are issues of motherhood and nurturing. Throughout "The Shawl," Stella longs to be nurtured. On the march, she longs to be a baby, comforted by her mother's arms. In the camp, she longs for food, sometimes causing Rosa to think that she is "waiting for Magda to die so she could put her teeth into the little thighs.'' She takes the only bit of nurturing she can find: warmth from Magda's shawl.
The issues of motherhood are more complex. Because she is a mother, Rosa cannot think only of herself, as Stella does. Each decision must be weighed. What is the possible benefit to her? To Magda? What are the possible costs? With each decision, Rosa must decide whether it is in her best interest to sacrifice herself, her baby, or both of them.
Prejudice and Tolerance
Issues of prejudice and tolerance are also raised in "The Shawl." Rosa, Stella, Magda, and the others are imprisoned or killed in concentration camps simply because they are Jewish. Prejudice exists on then- part too—at least on the part of Stella. Looking at Magda's yellow hair and blue eyes, she says "Aryan," in a voice that makes Rosa think she has said, "Let us devour her."
The issue of tolerance is raised in the camp itself. Rosa and Magda are not alone in the barracks they occupy. The other occupants are aware of Magda's existence and of Rosa's deception. In the camp, "a place without pity," they cannot know what might happen to them if Magda is discovered in the barracks. Yet no one reports her presence.
Betrayal
Rosa constantly fears that Stella—or someone else—will kill Magda to eat her. While this does not happen, it is Stella's betrayal that costs Magda her life and Rosa her child. "The Shawl'' points to one reason for this kind of betrayal: the inhuman treatment Stella has received has made her pitiless. "The cold went into her heart," the narrator says. "Rosa saw that Stella's heart was cold."
https://www.arts.gov/partnerships/nea-big-read/the-shawl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFIgXhScfzY
ReplyDelete1. The action takes place during the Holocaust while many Jewish people are walked to a concentration camp. The portion of the end takes place at the camp.
2. She does initially believes that Stella is responsible for Magda’s death as she took the shall that Rosa thought was keeping her alive. In reality, Magda was dying because of malnourishment, the final act of death being the soldier throwing her against the electric fence. Her death is the fault of their circumstances.
3. Rosa doesn’t run to protect Magda at the end because she knows that Magda is dying anyway and she isn’t able to sustain her. She is doesn’t want to see her baby die but it was inevitable. Rosa wants to protect Magda, but so many things are running through her head and she knows that ultimately Magda will die anyway.
4. Magda has blonde hair and blue eyes with contrasts with traditional Jewish appearance. She is described as beautiful and because she does not look like the other two and eats Rosa’s food, Stella despises her.
5. The shawl symbolizes safety and life, at least concerning Magda. Rosa believes that Magda is able to sustain herself with only the shawl as she is still full of life with her air-filled stomach while the others are withering. Once the shawl is taken from Magda by Stella, Magda is killed, but Rosa believes it is a result of the stolen shawl.
Karina Le, Isabella Watts, Deja Simmons
ReplyDelete1. The story is set in what is described as “a place without pity” (603), and it can be assumed that the characters are in an internment camp. If they’re in an internment camp, one can then assume that the story takes place within the time of the Second World War (1939-1945)
2. Though it’s a bit hard to say, since the story is stylized in such a way that emotions are hard to decipher under the layers and layers of prose. However, under the idea that the story was told in limited perspective rather than objective, one can believe that Rosa does put the blame of Stella as there is a line that writes “Stella took the shawl and made Magda die” (603), and under the pretense that the story is in limited third perspective this would show Rosa’s feelings on the matter.
3. Rosa doesn’t run to protect Magda, even before she runs to grab the shawl from Stella, because no matter what she does to try and save or even show grief for the baby, she would be shot and die—being identified as the mother. She fears death, as most people do, but there’s also the fact that Magda was slowly dying anyway, and Rose seemingly mentally prepared herself for it, as seen through a passage that describes her fear that Stella or anyone else would find Magda and eat her.
4. She was an infant, with a plump stomach and a round face, as described as “a pocket mirror of a face, but was not Rosa’s bleak complexion” (602). She was unlike her mother and Stella, so that she could be easily mistaken as another person’s child. She seems well, at least in comparison to her mother or sister, who are both relatively skin and bones.
5. The shawl is described as a magical one, being able to “nourish an infant for three days and three nights” (602), that could protect Magda and keep her safe even when Rosa and Stella are gone for long hours. It could be argued that it is like the comfort of a mother’s womb, that brings the beholder warmth.
1. The action takes place during the Holocaust outside and in a concentration camp. This initial setting sets the tone for the rest of the story, highlighting the terrible events these people have experienced and will have to experience.
ReplyDelete2. While Rosa does, initially, blame Magda’s death on Stella, I do not think she truly wanted to. The situation is much more complicated than responsibility or blame. While Rosa is more protective of Magda since she is younger, Stella is having the same experience with even less comfort. While Rosa understands the hardships that they have endured, she knows that the shawl is comforting to Magda and states that Stella is not allowed to have possession of it. When Stella does take it, Rosa says that she made Magda die, but later, little thought is given to Stella and her ravenous demeanor, because the shawl was not truly magic and would not have helped any of them survive for that much longer.
3. Rosa wants to protect Magda at the end of the story, that much is clear. Her true motivation to stay put is never specifically referenced, leaving it up to the reader to decide what it was. Honestly, at the moment that Magda is being carried away, there are many options running through Rosa’s head, but all of them end with her getting shot. Rosa is not selfish or an unworthy mother, but she never gets to a point where she can make a clear decision. While it is a mix of trauma and exhaustion, it comes down to her inability to think and make a clear decision, and at the moment when she could, it was already too late.
4. Magda is seen as beautiful and happy with a small face with blue eyes and golden hair, and a belly seemingly full of air. This description seems a bit idealistic for a Jewish child enduring the Holocaust. Although she is eating more than the others, she would still be malnourished and her complexion would not be so clear. It is almost as if Rosa is projecting what she hopes Magda will look like onto her body and that becomes her reality.
5. The shawl is a symbol of protection and is utilized in the story as a physical object to protect Rosa from her reality. The shawl keeps Magda from screaming, keeps Stella warm, and stifles Rosa’s screams at the end. The shawl is a barrier that keeps the characters at least contented enough to survive. It’s a piece of magical realism. It represents all of the happiness for these women and becomes unrealistic because of their terrifying experiences.
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ReplyDeleteFrank Cruz
ReplyDelete1.The action takes place in Germany and during the time of world war 2 and the Holocaust.
2. Rosa thinks Stella is responsible for her death because she took the shawl away from her. Rosa was thinking that the shawl was what was keeping Magda alive through all the hard times.
3. Rosa doesn’t run to protect Magda because of she’s afraid to die, she’s traumatized, she’s physically exhausted, and her trying will not accomplish anything but both of their deaths instead of one.
4. From all the description Magda appears healthy, with plump cheeks and stomach, all signs of good health for a baby. Meanwhile, they are not getting fed well so it doesn’t make sense that Magda should appear this way.
5. The shawl represents so many different things in this story, protection, nurturing, and survival. It served as protection in that the shawl was the only thing keeping Magda alive through everything, even when people wanted to eat her the shawl kept her safe. Nurturing in that when there was no food to eat the shawl provided sustenance for Magda.
1. The action takes place at a concentration camp.
ReplyDelete2. It is seen that Magda is not the same when she doesn’t have her shawl, so by Stella stealing the shawl from her, she is responsible for her death.
3. If Rosa were to run to protect Magda at the end of the story, she would have gotten shot to death because she’d consequentially be identified as the mother.
4. An Aryan toddler. Seen as pretty and bright.
5. Supposedly, the shawl is magical. It can “nourish an infant for three days and three nights.” It protects Magda throughout the story, and without it, she dies.
1.The action takes place during the holocaust at a concentration camp.
ReplyDelete2.Rosa places the blame on Stella. She believe she is responsible for her death because she took the shawl away from her.
3.At the end of the story Rosa runs to protect Magda because she is the mother and feel as if she's responsible. She does show the us she fear death just like most people ,but she runs because Magda is slowly dying.
4.Magda appears very healthy. She has blonde hair and blue eyes. She is seen as a very bright intelligent Jewish girl.
5. Throughout the story the shawl is symbolized as a object to protect Rosa and her safety. It also symbolizes survival.
The action takes place during WW2 in a camp.
ReplyDeleteRosa thinks stella is responsible because she took away the shawl which she believe was keeping her a alive.
She didn’t run because she didn't if she did protect her they would’ve killed her. She also knows that Magda is already dying and it would be no use.
She is a beautiful baby with blue eyes and golden blonde hair.
The shawl symbolizes safety because that is what Rosa believes it was keeping Magda alive.
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ReplyDelete1. This takes place at a concentration camp in the holocaust.
ReplyDelete2. In a way yes, since throughout the story Stella is referred to as selfish, a girl who steals. However, the blame is also put on the shawl itself for not being there.
3. I think it was because Rosa knew Magda was going to die for a long time at that point. She also knew going to save her would put everyone in danger of being killed. As well as her being in shock might have even stopped her.
4. She is described as very young and malnourished. It implied from the beginning she was close to death.
5. The shawl represented protection, comfort, and safety that wasn't ever really present in their situation. To Rosa, the shawl was the only thing keeping Magda alive and losing it meant she would lose her too.
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ReplyDeleteAlexis and Liana
ReplyDelete1)The action takes place during the Holocaust most likely somewhere in Germany. This makes sense because barracks are often mentioned along with the harsh conditions and crowds of starving people. Also Rosa had a star sewn to her coat.
2)Rosa does not think Stella is responsible for the death of Magda’s death because she understands how Stella’s heart has been turned cold because of the treatment she has received. Rosa herself has even had thoughts of giving Magda away or eating her. Rosa and Stella are not inherently like this it is their circumstances that have made them like this.
3)Rosa does not run to Magda because either way it would mean death. Magda would die regardless and so would she if she had taken any action.
4)Magda is emaciated and far too skinny for a baby who is meant to be plump and well fed. Her legs are slim and stick like, her stomach is full of air. All of these characteristics show how underdeveloped she is, and the effect that her environment has had on her.
5)The shawl symbolizes humanity. It provides warmth and comfort something the girl’s environment lacks. The shawl nourishes Magna not literally but her soul. It is mentioned that Magna smiles and laughs even though she has never seen it done. It is the shawl that has acted as a parent and a teacher. The shawl provided comfort when the humans around have been drained of all their humanity.
1. The action of this story takes place during the Holocaust.
ReplyDelete2.Rosa doesn't initially blame her but because of how Stella is described the author alludes that Rosa does feel that once she took the shawl which was the only think Magda had to keep her warm on the inside and out it that Stella did play apart in her death.
3.Rosa doesn't try to save Magda because she knows that her end is near anyways. It would have caused more trouble and more risks.
4.MAgda is described as underdeveloped and malnourished which is an understatement. She is supposed to be small as a baby but they describe her limbs as stick like and her stomach empty.
5. The shawl represents many things. It was a metaphor of protection and comfort. After the shawl is gone Magda dies and that was the last thing Rosa thought was keeping Magda alive.