Rosa is walking to the concentration camp with Stella and has the infant Magda hidden away “[...]between sore breasts” (Ozick 675). She is aware of what the guards would do to the child if they ever find out that Rosa has her. Rosa with her “[...]bleak complexion, dark like cholera[...]” sneaks glances at baby Magda, who has “[...]eyes blue as air, smooth feathers of hair nearly as yellow as the Star sewn into Rosa’s coat” (676). She dreams of giving Magda away, but she knows that if she lef

They were in a place without pity, all pity was annihilated in Rosa, she

Ozick’s interpretation of the Jews in the concentration camps reveals how months and even years in captivity can turn the most-loving hearts to stone. Surely at some point Rosa has loved both of her children, but eventually she finds that she only has room enough in her nearly starved body for her love of Magda. However, even in Magda’s death she was able-albeit barely-to contain herself by staying in the barracks and swallowing her screams. Her disdain and non-pity towards Stella in the end shows how she has conformed to living in the concentration camps and lost all human emotion that a mother may exhibit towards her own child.

Months of captivity has caused Stella’s heart to turn cold, and she has always been jealous of Magda and her shawl. One day, Stella takes the shawl away from Magda, saying, “ ‘I was cold’ ” (677). Magda begins tottering around the barracks searching for her shawl and cries her first words “ ‘Maaa-’ ” (678). Magda’s search brings the child to the open door, and before Rosa can grab her, Magda walks into the r

Some topics in this essay:
Rosa Rosa, Shawl” Countless, Magda Magda’s, Surely Rosa, concentration camps, shawl magda, Jew Ozick’s, ozick’s “the shawl”, “the shawl”, 677 rosa, roll call, ozick’s “the, baby magda, magda die, concentration camp, nearly starved,