Have you ever owned something so essential to your existence that you felt like you couldn't live without it? For example, I have known many people who have said this. I would die without it! They might be talking about things like their cell phone or Blackberry. In these cases, not having these items would likely not cause them to die. Likewise, there are also people who keep objects that belonged to a loved one, who is no longer in their life, and who believe that without this object, they will die. I have a hope chest that my dad built for me when I was in high school. He passed away a few years later and I have to say I was guilty of thinking I would die without it because the Chest of Hope is so special to me. After reading “The Shawl,” however, I revised my thinking. In the short story “The Shawl” written by Cynthia Ozick, the shawl is an essential element of the existence of this little family. The shawl turns out to be truly a good without which one cannot live. At the very beginning of the story, we begin to discover the importance of the shawl to a small family. Rosa is seen carrying her baby, Magda, wrapped in the shawl. Rosa and her niece Stella are walking down the road together. They are so, very cold, “the coldness of hell”. (Ozick 1) Magda's baby, Rosa, is wrapped tightly in the shawl as she suckles at her mother's breast. (Ozick 3-8) Here we see how essential the shawl is to Magda's warmth. Soon, Orick describes the hunger and how Rosa is starving and has no milk for the baby. We see that the baby is starving. Orick physically describes the baby as being "fifteen months old and having spindly legs that could not support his large belly which was big with...... middle of paper...... a fence and stands stunned looking at his baby. the girl's body. She watches, trying to decide whether to go to her or stay where she is safe. She decides to stay where she is and she takes a corner of the shawl in her mouth and pushes it in as far as possible. Once again, the shawl is there to protect oneself from screams and to comfort oneself in one's loss. Throughout history we have seen the importance of the shawl and the different needs it served. We have seen it used for warmth, to reduce hunger and the need to suckle, for entertainment, love, comfort and protection. Due to the circumstances of Magda's life and her lack of material possessions and emotional fulfillment, the shawl was indeed an item that Magda could not live without! Works Cited Ozick, Cynthia. Mrs. Brogan, English at Harry Truman High School. Ed. Brogan. August 22 2009. .