The moment Magda dies, Rosa's life falls apart. She becomes weaker as she tries to move on with her life, without her daughter. For the rest of Rosa's life, she keeps Magda alive mentally and emotionally. She continuously writes Magda letters, sharing her innermost thoughts and feelings, as Rosa expresses that, ". . . half a day passes without [Rosa] taking up her pen to speak to [Magda]," (40). By writing letters to Magda, Rosa feels more at ease, giving her the sense of feeling that Magda is still with her, in her heart, as well as in her memories. Rosa's only motivation to continue living is Magda, as the shawl gives her hope, keeping the life of her dead daughter alive. .
Throughout the story, Rosa is portrayed as a woman who doesnt trust anyone, due to the Holocaust. During the Holocaust, it is very hard to trust people because everyone is fighting on their own to stay alive. One day, Rosa meets a man who also survives the Holocaust, and she becomes his acquaintance. After doing laundry with her new friend, Persky, she realizes that a pair of her underpants is missing. Without any valid reason, "it later came to her that Persky had her underpants in his pocket," (34). Later, she comes to find out that her underpants are folded up in a towel in her apartment. In Rosa's eyes, it is normal to not trust others so easily, considering the way people live their life during the Holocaust. For them, friendship does not exist, as individuals struggle to survive on their own, without the help of others. Trust isnt considered to be of any value, reason being that people have no choice but to turn their backs on each other, due to the circumstances during the war. One day Rosa receives a letter from the American Association of Clinical Social Pathology, asking her to join a medical study of theirs. Automatically, Rosa makes it a huge deal and blames Stella for this invitation, "it comes from Stella, everything! Stella saw what this letter was, she could see from the envelope.
