Stripped Of Humanity

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On this earth humans have the ability to make choices concerning their welfare and that of their neighbors. How humans act and respond to other humans greatly impacts and can have a lasting effect on humanity. In Cynthia Ozick’s novella “The Shawl” readers experience first hand how cruelty and sinister power strips humans of their humanity and robs them of their sanity. It also demonstrates the incredible injustice of poverty and prejudice. Using the new critical approach will help farther uncover evidence to support this idea. In examining the powerful and explicit imagery and the different points of view, one is able to better grasp the driving theme of injustice and poverty. The story seems to entertain three different points of view all from one family who are in a concentration camp. A mother, daughter, and toddler are all trapped in a world of cruelty and hatred. Although all of the characters experience extreme injustice and pain, none is equal to that of poor and helpless Magda. She is the youngest in the story and only a mere baby. A child of her age should be experien...

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