Cynthia Ozick's-"The Shawl"

Could you ever imagine having a child and keeping them a secret beacause if anyone found out there could be severe consequences? What about having a child and trying to take care of them under the worst circumstances while trying to remian strong enough for the both of you? That is exactly the struggle that Rosa had in Cynthia Ozick's, "The Shawl." Rosa had a daughter named Magda who was only 15 months old when they were placed in the German concentration camp. Sh ehad to keep Magda a secret from the guards due to the fact she had no idea what would happen if they discvered her. They were barely given any food to eat, and the small amount that she had was given to Magda. She did everything in her power to make sure that at least her daughter's needs were met. There soon came a time when she was unable to produce breast milk and feed her because she was so weak from hunger. She then has no choice but to let her suck on the very shawl that was hiding her for some sort of nourishment. By sucking on the shawl, Magda also remains quiet and calm. It has now been dubbed as a magical shawl. One day Rosa's other daughter, Stella, could no longer stand the cold and took the shawl that was covering Magda. As Rosa sees that she may be discovered she runs to retrieve it as fast as she can to protect her baby. Unfortunately, she is to late and one of the soldiers took Magda away. She cried out for her mother, but there was nothing Rosa could do. She was forced to stand there and watch as the guard tossed her poor, innocent daughter into an electrified fence. In order to keep her composure she just placed the shawl in her mouth and began to suck on it. It was as though she wanted to recieve the same comfort that it provided for Magda. This story shows what great lengths parents, especially mothers, will go to for their children. No matter how much she suffered or how hungry she was, she kept going for her baby. The relationship between mother and child is one that can never be broken. It can withstand any hardship. It was clear that she thought the end was near, but she was not about to let that stop here from saving her daughter's life for one more day. 

Tadeusz Borowski-"Ladies and Gentlemen to the Gas Chamber"

Tadeuzs Borowski was one of the few that survived the horrific time period known as the Holocaust. After the ordeal he decided to put into writing what he was forced to go through. One story in particular was entitled, "Ladies and Gentlemen to the Gas Chamber. In the story he gives an account about how he helped lead poor unsuspecting people to the gas chambers in the concentration camps. Even though the main character does not have a name, it is believed that this is what happened from his point of view. He had to watch as people got off the train thinking that maybe there was a chance that they were going to get help, when in actuality they were going to die. And even though he knew the fate of these strangers, he had to keep it together and do his job. He didn't enjoy what he did and it made it sick, but he felt as though he had no choice. He just continued to lead more and more people to the chambers. The theme of this story is the idea that these killings were a neverending cycle. As people were sent to the chambers by the hundreds and thousands, another train would soon be coming to bring in more victims. It is stated in the story how once you entered, you would not be coming back out. After his experiences in the camps, Borowski was never the same. He later killed him self by gas because he just couldn't cope with the pain anymore. That dark period in out history is one that no one can forget, and reading the stories and watching the movies, just shows that the memories will never truly go away.

James Joyce's "The Dead"

"The Dead" is a story that emphasizes on the idea of love and relationships and what they really mean. The main character, Gabriel, is a man who is successful and thought of highly in his social circle. The story begins at Christmas time and he is attending an annual party thrown by his ederly aunts. While at the party, he has some unfortunate encounters with some of the people in attendance. He offended the young cleaning girl, he upset one of the ladies he was dancing with, he was involved in an awkward moment with his wife and aunts, he wasn't confident about his speech, and he ended the night by making his wife cry. The subject of death was mentioned quite often. For example, Gabriel thought about how things would be if one of his aunts died and how he would be forced to console the other. And in a surprising twist we learn that his wife that his wife used to be in love with a boy named Michael in her younger years and he never knew. This is where the theme of love and relationships can be tied in, because here is this man that married a woman that in actuality he didn't really know. Before they met she was in love with a boy who risked his life for her and he had done nothing that could even compete with that. Their relationship was not as strong as thought it was and he began to question if his wife even loved him at all. He forced to re-live that sad time in her life and then could not comfort her while she cried. And rather than take the blame for bringing back those memories, he just began to think about how he was affected and how his life could change. Relationships are founded on love and with Gabriel it was pretty clear that he was lacking. 

Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis"

The story begins with Gregor Samsa waking up to the reality hat he has somehow morphed into a bug. While changing into a bug over night may seem strange to most people, Gregor was incredibly calm about the situation. While trying to adjust to his new body, his family was outside his room trying to figure out why he has yet to come out. He was going to be late for work which was definitely not like him at all. It was so unlike him, that even his boss showed up at his house to investigate the problem. We soon learn that Gregor is the sole provider of his entire family and by not being able to go to work is a more of a problem to him than being transformed into a bug. As the story continues Gregor's personality begins to change. He is no longer that hard working and determined man he once was. Instead, as time passes by he becomes more and more depressed due to the fact that his family has officially turned against him and aren't concerned about his well-being. Due to the events that unfold throughout the story, one learns that a possible theme is the true meaning of family. When Gregor was working hard to take care of his family, he was a hero. However, when he turned into a bug he became usless to them. One begins to wonder if his family even cared about him in the first place. It seems as though his family is what ultimately caused his death, because without them being there for him he felt all alone in the world.