Many different characters in Asher's life also symbolize his apparent duty to his ancestry.Ī. Jewish appearance and his inward Western love for art.

The earlocks (payos) that Asher wears symbolize his feelings toward his outward

Jewish tradition, as well as reminds him of his mother.ī. The crucifix is shown several times to show his conflict between Western art and There are many different religious objects shown throughout the book to haunt Asher and remind him of what his family expects.Ī. This is represented through a variety of symbols, used throughout the book to remindĪsher of the religious pressure he has to undergo. His traditional family and his love for art.ī. The character of Asher Lev is a haunted yet inspired young boy who is torn between My Name is Asher Lev follows the story of a young Jewish boy growing up in the 1950s.Ī. his mythic ancestor, his rebbe) help to express the themes of personal growth, and the conflict between artistic expression and familial/religious tradition. crucifixes, earlocks, etc.) to important figures in Asher's life (e.g. THESIS: Many symbols in My Name is Asher Lev, from the recurring use of religious iconography (e.g. The hope is to determine subtextual and textual messages on the themes explored in the work, which are important to fully understand and engage with this particular piece of literature. These meanings will be applied to My Name is Asher Lev through close literary criticism, in order to further discover the underlying messages that lie deep within the text. The meaning and historiography of these symbols will be researched in the following piece, through religious, historical and literary scholarship.

Many symbols, from the recurring use of religious iconography (e.g. The result is an incredibly touching and thought-provoking story that combines the coming-of-age tale with explorations of the divide between religious tradition/conservatism and the expression of artistic and creative ideas.īeing a story that is filled with allegory and deep, pervasive themes, there are many symbols throughout the book that are used to express those themes and ideas. At the same time, these conflicts cause him to grow substantially as a person, and through that suffering his art flourishes, showing him new notions and concepts of beauty, and shaping his life irrevocably. Asher's artistic preferences are directly conflicted with the expectations and attitudes of his family, causing him great suffering and self-reflection. In My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok, a young Hasidic Jew experiences growth and turmoil in 1950s New York City as he demonstrates his desire to express himself through art, a concept at odds with his traditional Jewish family.

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