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Asher Lev Essay

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Asher Lev Essay
Asher Lev Essay
In My name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok, the main character, Asher lives in a Jewish society almost as an outcast due to his artistic ability and the lack of interest in learning the Torah. Asher had been drawing since he was a little boy but has been criticize by his dad multiple of times by calling it foolish in the beginning of the book. Throughout the book Asher’s artistic talent changes through events or inspiration that happens around him. Asher Lev loved drawing when he was a little as he always drew pictures whenever he could. During the beginning of the story his mother was ill because her brother dies so in order to please his mother he drew pretty pictures of the world in hopes of healing his mother. “I made the world pretty, Mama”(19). He is doing whatever his mother like despite not wanting to draw it. He soon realizes that the world isn’t like that and wants to express what the world is like in his paintings. The mood in his paintings began darken as the story progress as he drew Stalin in his coffin without realizing it and he also drew a picture of the rebbe with a mean look on his face because he believed that he is the cause of all his misfortunes. In the beginning of book two Asher’s dad had just moved to Europe on a mission to help the Rebbe. Asher still drew endlessly in his free time and not paying much attention in school. Asher’s style of art changes in book two as he mature and when Asher’s mother took Asher to the museum and there he gets inspired by the nude drawings he sees and copies it at home. He starts drawing nudes and Jesus which angers his father when he gets back from Europe. Asher still continues to draw despite it angering his father. Asher’s meets Jacob Khan who wants to teach Asher everything he knows about art. Asher begins to study Guernica and the Massacre of the innocents. His artist talent begins to increase as he is able to draw part of one of the paintings based on memory. An important thing that

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