The Shawl

In Ozick's "The Shawl,"  the shawl is considered "a magic shawl."  How is it magical?  In what ways does it nourish?


I believe that the shawl is considered magical because it somehow kept Magda, the small child/baby, alive without much food or water. Somehow, it tasted like nuts and Magda would gnaw on it all day. Her mom, Rosa, was mystified by this and the shawl never left Magda. Until one day, Rosa's niece Stella steals the shawl because she is cold. When Magda cannot find it, she screams until a Nazi guard throws her into the electric fence and she dies. To make herself feel better, Rosa then sucks on the shawl trying to get the same magic nourishment that Magda did. Except Rosa needs hope and a reason to live.

Are there ways to celebrate the human spirit and the strength of humans based on Ozick's text?
Yes. The Shawl highlights the human spirit's ability to stay strong and adapt even in cases of enormous hardship.  Humans will do many things to survive.