Throughout the story, the shawl is an idol for Rosa and Stella. Not only did he keep Magda hidden from the Nazis, but he also protected her from the horrors of the concentration camp. Eventually, Rosa began to think that the shawl was the only thing keeping Magda alive. Rosa said, “It was a magic shawl, it could feed a child for three days and three nights” (Ozick 247). Rosa truly believed that the shawl nourished Magda and kept her alive. Furthermore, the shawl represented life for Rosa. Tery Griffin said: “Throughout the story, as long as Magda remains hidden and calmed by the shawl, she remains alive. Magda dies only when her shawl is taken away" (An overview). This is why Rosa still believes today that the shawl has magical powers. The shawl protected Magda from the atrocities of the Holocaust, and those atrocities are the conflict of the