ASHER LEV

THE SECOND CHAPTER

INFERENCES .

The second chapter of My Name is Asher Lev has several themes, or topics which reappear constantly. Some of these indirectly say things to the reader, while others hint at the future of the book, and Asher’s life. The topic of this journal, shall be what it is thought some of these things mean and hint at. Surely some of these inferences, will be partially “off” o incorrect altogether, but the inferences purpose is for the reader (in this case, myself) to try to look beyond the mere words of the book, or in more cliché terms “read between the lines.”

One topic which I’m not quite sure really means anything, but which I have observed, and am thus going to write about is that Asher and his mother seem to be becoming opposites. This is “documented” quite a bit within the second chapter. In the first chapter the mother is described as a “big sister” and she and Asher are very much alike, the same. However, in the second chapter, the mother becomes the “organizer,” a person of order. This is also seen in how Asher’s mother wants him to draw, yet he no longer does. However, the more “symbolic” evidence here seems to be in their schoolwork. It seems that when the mother started her schooling, Asher stopped trying. This is clearly seen by this: Before Asher’s mother had her big exam, Asher said “I hope you get a good mark on your test.” And she very much did, or at least we assume she did, as she thought it was easy. Later in that chapter before Asher takes his big exam, Asher’s mother says to him “I hope you get a good mark on your test,” thus exactly replicating the words mentioned earlier. However in the last line of the chapter, Mr. Potok makes Asher tell us “I failed the Arithmetic test.” As he (Potok) seems to like ending each chapter with some short, blunt, comment, which shocks us and leaves the chapter wide open for all our thoughts about “What’s gonna’ happen cause of that?” etc. Anyhow, returning to the topic, this repeating situation, essentially in reverse is obviously meant to show something with my guess at it being meant to show the ever widening gap between how Asher and his mother think, and live. Of course, once Asher starts drawing again, it seems logical to predict that Asher and his mother shall see each other’s ways once again, as as I have stated in other journals, art is Asher’s language, his great speaking tool. The other purpose (that I will mention, there are many more I am sure) of this chapter seems be to develop…well everything. The first chapter of the book as it is recalled in my mind, seemed totally engulfed in art. The reader got a wonderful sense of Asher’s art, and how he felt about things, not to mention how morbid his mother was; but didn’t get a really good sense of the people, or what the heck was going on in the world. Yet, the second chapter seems to primarily be on what is going on in the world, and the people around Asher, such as his father, and the Russian fellow, who works at the store. In this chapter one gets a great sense of the world situation, especially as far as Jews are concerned, and Asher, for the most part, seems more just an observer than a participant in the book. It seems that since this chapter has established all this setting for us, the following chapters are likely to have Asher rapidly thinking more and more about art, until he once again will start drawing again. Within a few chapters it seems, it would be logical for art to once again have taken over the book.

In the end, I don’ think I’ve said much here, even though the typing is rather excessive. I have also referred to myself an odd amount, and coincidentally, I have a Math test tomorrow, and thus I shall end this particular journal entry. I passed the Math test. ( Hopefully )