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An Apostate's Fate

Contumacious.   A single word describes a young iconoclast's ardent struggle to discover his proper identity in a conservative Ladover Hasidic community.   In My Name is Asher Lev, a young Hasidic Jew, Asher Lev, acquires the seemingly abominable gift of drawing, destroying his perspective on Hasidic values.   As he tries to feel a sense of completeness, Asher deliberately works against the conventions of his society by choosing self-expression over the moral duties of his religion.   This unorthodox decision creates a cultural struggle, a struggle between individuality and religious expectations.   Throughout his novel, Potok embraces the theme of religious censorship and illustrates its significance
Asher's banishment stems from Asher's desire to conform to Hasidic tradition, yet at the same time, enter the world of art.   In Asher's doctrinal Hasidic community, adherents cannot exercise total free will.   Instead, they look to the Rebbe, who appears as a dominating and divine force in the Ladover community, for guidance.   Rather than offering general advice, the Rebbe bases his decisions on the community members' innate talents and personalities.   However, Asher's unconventional aptitude for art, which seemingly defies Hasidic values, forces the Rebbe and others around Asher to question the true meaning of personal expression.   Throughout much of his youth, Asher appears unaware of his artistic instinct, such as when he desecrates his Chumash.   The Mashpia, who merely dissuades Asher, "looked hurt" but remained "patient and gentle" (Potok 123).   Although such incidents lead to chastisement from the community, they do not cause complete alienation.   Having no power over his drawing skills, Art controls Asher, but at the same time, Asher controls art.   However, as Asher grows older, the rift between Asher's art world and Hasidic world becomes increasingly wider.   He makes decisions that are more conscious and begins to understand his compulsion to express his feelings...