Asher's Conflict

Often times in a child’s life, their parents are the two most influential people in their lives. Parents ordinarily teach their children everything in the first five years of life. In My Name is Asher Lev, Chaim Potok clearly illustrates the influences that Asher’s parents have on his life from the moment that the story begins. What happens to be unusual about Asher’s parents is that they are two completely different types of people. His father is a religious extremist who has a clear cut perspective on life and has very little room in his mind for other opinions. Asher’s mother has more of a relaxed personality, and she is willing to listen to others opinions and ideas even if her heart tells her that they are wrong. Because of Asher’s parents extreme differences in personality, ideals and beliefs, Asher grows into an adult that finds a balance between these two truly differing lives.

The first parent we meet in Potok’s novel is Asher’s mother, Rivkeh. Asher speaks of his mother fondly, saying “They were very happy years; laughter came easily both to me and to my mother. We played. We took long walks. She was a gentle big sister.” (Potok 7). Here we know that Asher has a strong relationship with his mother. She is not only a caretaker but also a friend. She is also among the first things that Asher begins to draw, most definitely because she is his biggest influence. Asher’s mother has a gentle way of reminding Asher of right and wrong. Once Asher began showing his mother the pictures he has drawn of her, she kindly tells him “Asher, it isn’t nice to draw your mama like this... It isn’t nice. It isn’t respectful. But the shore is very pretty. How did you do that?” (Potok 7). She nurtures Asher by condemning what is wrong, but praising him with what is right, which is what many parents strive for when teaching their children. Later, Rivkeh becomes quite ill after finding out that her brother has died in a car accident. She becomes immobile, unable to do much...