In Chaim Potok's My Name Is Asher Lev we come to know an ordinary boy, with an extraordinary gift. He has been given the gift of art. This gift shapes his life, and the lives of those around him. Once Asher starts using his gift his course is already set. The only outcome to be had is Asher's forced departure from his home, and in turn, faith. As you will see this pre-determined journey takes place because of the gift he has, his strict religion, and the relationships he fashions with those around him.
Asher's talent for art affects all the other aspects of his life. Asher ""ægrew up encrusted with lead and spectrumed with crayons"àHe has realized this gift since an early age. Asher draws whenever he gets the chance to. He will make doodles in the margins of his papers, and even will draw unconsciously. Asher paints his feelings and how he sees the world.
English: Mateh Asher Regional Council building
"Kelty" in Merion (1897), designed and occupied by...
English: Chaim Potok, Miami Bookfair International...It is his way of expressing himself. In school he took in only what didn't interfere with his art. He really doesn't have a choice about whether or not he draws, it's the only way he can express himself. He doesn't have any other way to do it. Asher could have stopped painting to spend more time with his parents and religion, but that was not an option for him.
Asher's first picture with clothes on
My Name Is Asher Lev