ASHER LEV:

THE FIRST CHAPTER JOURNAL

In the first chapter of Asher Lev, Asher, the main character of the story, who often draws, and finds it as his one true “gift” is faced with the idea/problem from his father that Drawing is nothing more than a stupid little thing kids like to do, and that if they are normal, will stop doing once they grow older. It is in short, is nothing more than a hobby at most, and “is foolish” and useless. In the end of that first chapter, due to his father’s thoughts, and the other troubles in his life, he stops drawing. However, the drawing may have much symbolism in the book, and the consequences, and symbolism of Asher stopping his drawing, is almost surly of great consequence to him, and the story.

The drawings themselves mean many things in Asher Lev. One can always tell what Asher is thinking by his drawings. Through the drawings we see what Asher is seeing, and thinking, possibly better than we do through the main narrative itself. When Asher has had nothing bad happen in his life yet, all his drawings reflect this with their bright colors, and “making the world pretty.” However, once his uncle dies, and his mother, for all intents and purposes, goes insane, his styles change. One can see him realize the true world, which in a way is hidden behind the pretty pictures. It is a realization to him similar to the book A Separate Peace (read it last year) In which “Finny” who had previously been so open to the world, saw it’s Dark side, and because being so open, was hurt most by it. Similarly, this dark hidden, and evil world, comes as a shock to Asher, and his drawings reflect it with “the dark swirling shapes” and the painting of his mother with cigarettes. In a way, one can see Asher’s maturation through this as his drawings go from what he sees to what he feels. But it is probably the events rather than the drawing itself which make Asher mature.

Which brings one to the question: Is drawing foolish? In Asher’s case at least, the answer is most definitely no. This is because as has been in a different way already stated in this essay, Asher expresses his true self much more in his drawings and paintings much more than he could possibly do with his voice, as his paintings can “say” things that are not even in Asher’s vocabulary, possibly not in the vocabulary of any man, those things that one can always think but not say. Even Ashler himself at this point at least probably doesn’t recognize it, but his drawings are his communication device, more so perhaps than his vocal cords.

Which is why stopping the drawing for Asher, could have horrible consequences. To stop his drawing would be like most people never being able to open their mouths. (Even though he must’ve gotten more fluent real quick after the story ended cause he sure didn’t use simple language narrating the thing.) This is because Asher can not really communicate how he really truly feels if he can’t paint. He will become even more sad, and disturbed because he will have trapped his emotions inside himself.