This is a very interesting book. A few things came to my mind while I was reading these pages. One theme that I am seeing is that of the unfinished work. Aryeh is continually talking about the unfinished work. There is so much work for him to do in Europe. He travels and works very hard to set up the yeshivas all over Europe. He continually refers to it as his "unfinished work." Rivkeh has decided to go to college and get her master's degree and now a doctorate in Russian studies. Her motivation for this is to complete the "unfinished work" of her beloved brother Yaakov. There is great importance placed on the "unfinished work" by the adults in this book. I think that Asher also has some unfinished work. Each time he creates a drawing or is drawing in his mind, he cannot accomplish anything until the drawing is complete. He tunes the world out and is unaware of the events around him until his work is complete. He also will have "unfinished work" if he is not allowed to continue drawing. I don't know that the adults in his world see his gift as a continual process. The same feelings and drive that they have for their work, Asher also has for his work. I look forward to the understandings that come as the story unfolds.
I have new insight into the Jewish religion. I was especially amazed at the perceptions of this Jewish community on Jesus. Aryeh will not even say his name and will only refer to him as "that man." The feelings are very hostile, for example Aryeh describes this in the recollection of his speech to Asher on page 173.
"He kept talking about my drawings of "that man." He would not pronounce his name. Did I know how much Jewish blood had been spilled because of that man? Did I know how many Jews had been killed in the name of that man during the Crusades? Did I know the reason Hitler had been able to slaughter six million Jews without too much complaint from the world was for two thousand years the world had been taught that Jews, not Romans, had killed that man?..."
This quotation was very profound and insightful for me. I knew when "The Passion of Christ" came out that there was some controversy in regards to how the Jewish people were depicted, but I didn't see it in the same light. This passage makes it clear what the Jewish perspective and point of view of Christianity is for them.
The painting are very interesting to me. I am now going to have to find a way to view them,"The Massacre of the Innocents" especially. I look forward to the new conflicts that will arise with the introduction of Jacob Kahn.
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2 comments:
I hope this comment works this time; I have not been able to make this work correctly - which brings me to the idea I love in your blog - that of unfinished work. You make an excellent point. For some people unfinshed work causes palpable anxiety, and I think it especially affects creative people that way.
In my class on aging, we are discussing this idea as aging people near their end.
Yes, Asher's art is unfinished work... and he HAS to finish it. I don't think he can survive in the world without painting. I know writers who feel that way about writing; not only do they want to write, but they have to in order to get through the day.
In my mind, there are worse addictions out there!
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