International Journal Of Language, Literature And Culture(IJLLC)

This paper examines the representation of gendered memory in Cynthia Ozick’s The Shawl, a short but emotionally potent narrative set against the backdrop of the Holocaust. Using a feminist literary lens and memory studies, this research explores how Ozick articulates the fragmented and embodied memories of female trauma, particularly through the character of Rosa. The paper argues that Ozick’s portrayal of maternal loss, physical vulnerability, and psychic dislocation not only underscores the specific suffering of women during the Holocaust but also resists the historical erasure of female perspectives in Holocaust narratives. A close reading reveals how symbolic objects like the shawl serve as vessels of both trauma and remembrance. This analysis contributes to ongoing discussions of Holocaust literature by highlighting how gender shapes memory formation, transmission, and expression.