The Struggle in Chaim Potoks My Name is Asher Lev Essay

If you were a genius in mathematics, I would understand. If you were a genius in writing, I would also understand. If you were a genius in Gemorra, I would certainly understand. But a genius in drawing is foolishness, and I will not let it interfere with our lives. Do you understand me, Asher? (Potok 136). The struggle begins for young Asher Lev, a talented artist who tries to convince his father and the rest of his family of his artistic ability, when his father refuses to recognize his talent. Set in a tightly knitted Jewish community in Brooklyn, Chaim Potok successfully depicted a young boy torn between his orthodox Jewish tradition and his passion for art in his best seller My Name is Asher Lev. Asher Lev knew from†¦show more content†¦Instead of compromising with his son, Aryeh Lev becomes very bitter about his sons persistence to prove him wrong. Every man is responsible for what he does, because he has a will and by that will he directs his life (169). Ar yeh also felt that his sons gift must have come from the Other Side after witnessing his sons paintings that featured nudes and portraits of Jesus. Their struggle became so great as to strain their relationship to a breaking point. Listen to me, Asher. This will stop. You will fight it. Or I will force you to return to Vienna with me after the summer. Better you should stay in Vienna and be a little crazy than you should stay in New York and become a goy ( Potok 169). In the end, Aryeh Levs futile attempt to stop Asher came out sounding like a threat to his only son. His father was not the only authoritative figure Asher struggled with. His mother, Rivkeh, was also extremely weary of his behavior. She would try to talk to Asher but Asher would be so focused on his art that he would not hear her speak. In the end, she gave in to Asher and ruined her relationship with her husband. Asher also struggled with his mythic ancestor. He would have nightmares about his mythic ancestor that left the taste of thunder in his mouth. The struggle with his mythic ancestor would lead Asher to question his gift. After aShow MoreRelatedBenjamin Lev s Struggle With Their Ultra Orthodox Religious Beliefs1242 Words   |  5 PagesCritical Lens Hypothesis: Asher Lev’s struggle to reconcile his â€Å"gift† with his ultra-orthodox religious beliefs can be explained in Freudian terms. The human psyche is an incredibly complex system. It controls us in every aspect of our lives, rewarding us for a job well done while also making us feel guilty for each mistake we make. Our psyche is influenced by the world in which we live, by our immediate family and friends and also by those who we will meet during our lives. Each andRead MoreEssay on My Name Is Asher Lev2011 Words   |  9 PagesThe struggle to find ones identity is a universal theme that is especially prevalent in Chaim Potoks novel, My Name Is Asher Lev. As an Orthodox Jew, Ashers gift for art is looked upon very unfavorably. Despite the disapproval of his community and father and the pain his art causes those around him, he pursues his passion and must find a way to reconcile the conflict between his religious identity and his individual identity. Potok starts off with the main character delivering three short sentencesRead More My Name Is Asher Lev Essay2474 Words   |  10 Pages Asher Lev Essay: Minor characters are central to our understanding of any text. Analyse their significance in My Name Is Asher Lev. Central to our understanding of â€Å"My name is Asher Lev† by Chaim Potok, is the dynamics of Asher’s relationship with different minor characters involved. Each minor character such as Yudel Krinsky, Uncle Yitzchok, the Rebbe, and Jacob Kahn each help Asher in a different way allowing the reader to interpret the text more thoroughly. Their guidance to the antagonistRead MoreThe Glass Menagerie, Their Eyes Were Watching God, And My Name2015 Words   |  9 Pages In the books Candide, The Glass Menagerie, Their Eyes were Watching God, and My Name is Asher Lev written by Voltaire, Tennessee Williams, Zora Neale Hurston, and Chaim Potok, they are all discernibly different stories, yet they all appear to share the common theme of perseverance in varying degrees to find that happiness is not always awaiting them. I have found that the various symbolic language combined with each author’s different style of writing not only makes each story unique, but they