Asher Lev and his Ruling Passion
A ruling passion in an individual's life has the ability to demonstrate an effect on a person's life including the atmosphere surrounding them. In the novel My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok, the author traces the making of a great painter from the time of Asher being an ordinary boy, to his response to his ruling passion, leading to his successful yet controversial exhibitions of being a distinguished painter. The book centers on the growing separation between Asher and his family and his community as he devotes himself to painting. Asher's commanding gift of art has resulted in Asher alienating himself from his family and community, his ruling passion comes in conflict with their values. Asher's devotion to painting is at odds with the values of his family and community. Asher states at the very beginning of the novel; (p.3) "As a matter of fact, observant Jews did not paint at all -- in the way that I am painting. So strong words are being written and spoken about me, myths are being generated.." Asher confesses that he is a traitor, an apostate, a self-hater, an inflicter of shame upon his family, his friends, his people. Painting human figures is not a tradition among religious Jews. Asher's mother bluntly say
Every artist who ever lived drew or painted the nude. His family and community were against painting, Asher's gift tore his own family apart. Asher had adopted the crucifixion to express the anguish of his home life, Asher uses an image that disturbs many of the Jews who associate it with Christian anti-Semitism. His everlasting dedication to his paintings sends Asher against his family and community, but it isn't just the act painting that has accomplished negativity apon their values, the subject matter Asher chooses makes it worse. His dedication to paintings distracts Asher from his Torah study, which the community sees as the proper way for a boy to spend his time, and that is defined by the episode in which he draws on a page of the Chumash. It is his art that has captured his imagination and energies. " Asher speaks about his father, seeing the though him, reasoning that his father has no appreciation for art, seeing no beauty, therefore not understanding Asher's work. " "I don't want to sit in a room painting for myself. His ruling passion for artistic expression seems to draw him away from Jewish concerns and family values. Every man is responsible for what he does, because he has a will and with that will he directs his life. The father doesn't understand that Asher's gift consumes him, his talent has possessed him, making it hard for Asher to realize the hurt he has caused. Asher's paintings of nudes soon enough lead to the Brooklyn Crucifixion, which opened up for more values being broken.
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