Stella's Letter

   So far into the book Rosa is the main narrator of the story.  We see from an outside view but we get her opinions and her take on what is going on.  One thing she keeps bringing up is how cold-hearted Stella is.  An example of this on page 15 Rosa says, "Stella was cold.  She had no heart.  Stella, already nearly fifty years old, the angel of death."  So the readers only impression of this character is that she is cold and probably has no feelings towards other people.  When they were in the camps and even after Rosa describes Stella as cannibalistic.
     I think the truth comes out when we see a letter that Stella has wrote to Rosa with sending her the shawl she had asked for.  You can tell that there was probably an argument over giving Rosa that shall for her mental health.  It says, "All right I've done it.  Been to the post office and mailed it.  Your idol is on its way, seperate cover.  Go on your knees to if you want.  You make yourself crazy, everyone thinks you're a crazy woman."  You can tell from this beginning part of the letter that Stella did not want to send the shall to Rosa.  She was afraid because it relates to her being crazy.  One of the reasons why it may be a sign of her being crazy is because it relates to Magda.  We already know by this point in the book that Magda, her child, died in the concentration camps and now in the recent time in the book she is writing letters to the dead child.  These is an evident attachment still present in Rosa's heart that leaves her bitter and in a sense insane.  Stella not wanting to send her the shawl could have been to keep her aunt away from one thing that makes her look mad.
     You can also tell from this letter that Stella has moved on from her experiences in the concentration camps and is enjoying her new life.  She says, "I shouldn't lecture, but my God!  It's thirty years, forty,who knows, give it a rest."  You can tell that she wants her aunt to move on and in a way cares about her aunts mental welfare.  Considering that they are all they have for family left that she wants to take care of her, but I feel that Rosa isn't letting her become close because of her resentment and blame towards Rosa.
     This letter reflects what the real relationship between the two is.  I think this changes the perspective of the story from Rosa being a victim of the Concentration camps living in a poor "hotel" and only having a cold niece to support her.  To someone who isn't willing to recieve help and has gone a little crazy and her views on Stella aren't neccassairly true.