Asher lev
Asher levThere are many choices that Asher Lev is faced with as he journeys from childhood to manhood. These choices define who Asher is, and what he believes in, as well as shattering the boyhood innocence he once possessed.
One of the first choices which alter Asher's life is his decision to visit Yudel Krinsky for the first time (page 69). Although this act might seem miniscule, it was the beginning of a friendship that fostered Asher Lev's love for art.
Once during his elementary years, Asher Lev stopped drawing all together and forgot his gift. However, Asher makes the choice to continue drawing (page 97). Had Asher abandoned his gift, he would have continued in the steps of great Ladover Jews, and faced little religious hardship. Instead, Asher continues to draw, causing a wall to go up between him and his family, and him and all that he's been taught to obey.
Asher also visits many people and places that force him to mature quickly. One of these places is the museum in Brooklyn, where Asher first sees the work of non-Jewish artists (page 134). This choice to tour the art museum without the permission of his parents was the first conscious decision Asher makes to disregard his Jewish background for the...
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