My Name is Asher Lev Journal Entry 8

In chapter 8, Asher is beginning to work with Jacob Kahn. He goes to the museum to see various works, and to the library to research various aspects of art and religion. His parents are able to slowly start to come to terms with the fact that this is what Asher will be doing with his life, and that they can’t really do anything about it. However hard it may be, this is what they must do. Asher will meet with Jacob Kahn for the first time as well. He travels by himself to his apartment, which is almost symbolic. Asher had been doing this artwork without the support of his family, and alone. Now, when he persues his interest, he is still alone and on his own.

At the apartment Asher in inducted into the realm of the art world. He meets a friend of Kahn’s, Anna, who remains a little mysterious, but he learns that she will become more important when time goes on. Basically, they both just want to meet Asher before they start to really work with him.

I think that this visit intimidates Asher. He is not used to the bluntness of such people as Anna and Jacob, and to be a part of this is sort of frightening. He as well needs to adjust to this new lifestyle that has been assigned to him, it’s something different for everyone that takes a part of it. Only time will make it more comfortable.

When Asher gets home, he learns from his mother that no one knows where his father is. He is somewhere in Europe, but no one has received contact from him in a long time. This worries both Asher and his mother. Asher is in a state of confusion because he has no idea where his father is, and he can’t get any straight answers from his mother. His mother is frightened because she remembers what happened to her brother, and doesn’t want it to become true for Asher’s father as well. It shocked me that even though all this is going on, Asher, at the end of the chapter is still able to go to the library to study art, and to meet with Jacob Kahn that Sunday.