Asher Journal 4

In the end of chapter 4, the usual lat sentance of the chapter blow is delivered when Mr. Potok/Asher writes "On the thursday after Passover, I went with my parents for our passports. I might as well start this journal with that thought. What exactly does it mean, that Asher after all the trouble he has gone through to make sure that he dosen't go to Vienna (Refusing to go to the passport place, asking his uncle to keep him etc.) suddenly goes? Especially when, the way that it is stated, it seems that Asher went without protest, almost willfully. As usual this is the last thing we expect to happen even though it isn't quite as shocking as my personal favorite, Stalin dead in his coffin.

It seems that this could mean several things, some more likely than others considering what type of book that this is. The first possible explination would be that Asher simply just kind of "gave up." His "troublemaking" if one wishes to call it that, hadn't been helping his cause much, and people were getting progressivley more angry, and annoyed at Asher. So Asher, realizing it is useless just goes and gets the passport. But this seems unlikely considering Asher's rather stubborn personality, not to mention it is in a literary sense, quite lame.

What seems to be the case to me, is that Asher has started to scare himself into thinking that his gift, his art, has come from the "other side." This is hinted at near the end of the chapter with Asher; firstly wondering in bed if his gift could have come from the other side, after another appearance by his mythic ancestor, who says "It is colder inside than outisde." This I interpret to mean that it may be physically cold outside, but the mood and feelings which abound inside due to Asher's art, and perhaps even Asher's apparent lack of feeling for others, is even colder. It could/probably does also refer to the way that the world was at the time, as considering he is "peering into the barracks of siberia," it seems he means how cold humans are in general towards one another as I would assume that a barracks in sibera, would either have Russian slaveworkers---Jews, or soilders/gaurds of the slaveworkers. It seems it would apply well to both explinations. Anyway, I have gone horribly off track it seems. So, after Asher wakes and thinks "is it from the other side?" he realizes that he had violated Shabbos by turning his light on and off again. This makes him trully consider the matter, as apparently, the devil or "Sitra Archa" would very much like for a person to violate Shabbos. This seems to me, very much like when one thinks that they are sick. If one starts to wonder "Am I sick?" every little cramp etc. is suddenly noticed, and soon one can convince themselve that they really are sick. It is probably not true, but fear makes one realize these things. Asher's worries seem comparible to this. So it seems to me atleast, that Asher probably decided to go get his passport because he feared that the devil might be starting to take him over, and that maybye his parents knew best all along. Perhaps he thinks the devil won't follow him to venice. This seems to probably be the reasoning behind Asher's decision, especially if combined with the scenerio suggested earlier in the journal.

There is ofcourse, other important stuff that happens in Chapter 4, such as the continuation of the Stalin in his coffin series, and what seems to be an attempt by Asher to make his first "Beautifull" drawings in quite some time. (More evidence of Asher being afraid of the other side in his drawings? Is he trying to deny this influence by drawing beautifu?) But everything pretty much builds up to the ending described here, and my mind is out of anyhing except "fluff" so I'm going to stop here. Goodbye.