Chaim Potok's "My Name is Asher Lev".

Paper Summary:

This paper presents an analysis of the central character in the novel "My Name Is Asher Lev" by Chaim Potok. It summarizes the background of the book and explains how Potok shows the importance of childhood bonds. The paper then continues to provide findings of several psychological studies carried out on this subject.

From the Paper:

"Lev is a fully developed character living in a community that is largely unfamiliar to most Americans, the Ladover Hassidic community in Brooklyn. This is a highly religious community, but it exists within the mixed religious world of New York and especially within the more secular world of that city. Asher himself will walk the line between the religious and the secular throughout his life, even more so than might have been true because of his predilection for art and the art world. His talent separates him from his parents and is a point of contention between him and them as well as between him and his Jewish community. The leader of that community is the Rebbe, for whom Asher's father works. Asher is formed by his childhood experiences to a great degree and especially by his relationship with his mother and father, but that relationship is strained as he grows to manhood and exhibits his artistic ability and his desire to be an artist."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Belkin, L. (2004). The Lessons of Classroom 506. New York Times Magazine, 40-53.
• Bowlby, J. (1988). Developmental psychiatry comes of age. American Journal of Psychiatry, 145, 1-10.
• Erikson, E. H. (1963) Childhood and Society. New York: Free Press.
• Kim, W.J., Kim, L. & Rue, D.S. (1997). Korean American Children. In G. Johnson-Powell & J. Yamamoto (Ed.) Transcultural Child Development: Psychological Assessment and Treatment (pp. 183-207). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
• Lung, A.Y. & Sue, S. (1997). Chinese American Children. In G. Johnson-Powell & J. Yamamoto (Eds.) Transcultural Child Development: Psychological Assessment and Treatment (pp. 208-236). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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