Asher Lev Character Analysis

Asher Lev Character in Conflict Essay

In Asher Lev by Chaim Potok, Asher faces a treacherous decision. For most of the book, it seems as if he can find a balance between his religion and his art. He is able to do both without causing any major issues. However, towards the end of the book, these two choices collide and he finally has to decide between the two. Either way, he will hurt himself and the ones he loves the most. Asher and his family are Hasidic Jews. They have strict morals and values and live by centuries-old beliefs and traditions. They follow Orthodox law very closely and refuse to adopt the practices of modern society. In fact, “observant Jews do not paint at all-in the way that [Asher] [was] painting.” (Potok, 1) Therefore,

He admits that he has the power to do many things with his art, to create, destroy, to bring both pleasure and pain.

When Asher was young and restive, his art was excusable. It was just a way to keep himself entertained since he never felt part of the world. But as Asher gets older, people begin to notice how much he is painting, and they aren’t too happy about it. Also, because Aryeh Lev, Asher’s father, is so committed to his religion, it causes major divisions in the family. It affects everything so much that Asher calls himself “a traitor, an apostate, a self-hater, an inflicter of shame upon my family, my friends, my people.. (Potok, 1)

At last, the pressure to make a decision becomes too much. In the end, art wins out. His good friend, Jacob Kahn, has a big influence on his decision. He tells Asher“ to “become a great artist” because “that is the only way to justify what you are doing to everyone's life.” (Potok, 278) “You can do anything you want to do. What is rare is this actual wanting to do a specific thing: wanting it so much that you are practically blind to all other things, that nothing else will satisfy