The Shawl

How does “The Shawl” depict grief and the process of healing? How might this story suggest it is possible to heal from generational trauma?

Discuss the symbolism of the shawl itself. Throughout the course of the story, the shawl takes on multiple meanings. What are they and how do they change as the reader learns more about these characters and their lives?

How does Erdrich use imagery, including figurative language, simile, and metaphor, to shape her characters and provide further insight into their identities?

What broader argument about the loss and reclamation of Anishinaabeg culture does Erdrich make in “The Shawl?” How do the characters in this story lose and regain key pieces of their culture?

Consider the way that Erdrich structures “The Shawl.” There are two distinct sections, the first of which uses the third person and the second, the first person. What impact does this have on the story?

Erdrich uses ambiguity in this story. In the first section, the reader is led to believe that the young girl has been sacrificed. The narrator in the second section suggests that she instead sacrificed herself. How do you interpret that ambiguity and what impact does it have on the story?

“The Shawl” depicts multiple relationships between family members. Discuss those relationships and provide an interpretation for what Erdrich might be arguing about familial love.

How do you interpret the character of Aanakwad? Her actions reverberate through successive generations. Initially, she is figured as the story’s antagonist. How does the ending complicate that characterization?