JOURNAL CHAPTER 3

The death of Stalin is a turning point in the young life Asher. To him it should mean the end of his father's traveling, because since Stalin is dead there would be no persecution of Jews in Russia. Of course he is unaware of the persecution going on all over Europe, and that Stalin's death means little other than a symbolic victory. More directly the death causes a shift in the emotions of Asher. Asher used to blame the absence of his father, but once he is gone, and his father continues to travel, Asher begins to blame the Rebbe. This is even more amplified when Asher's father tells him of the possibility of the family moving to Vienna. The symbolism involved in the possibility of the family uprooting and going to Vienna means the exit from all things familiar to Asher. When things seem like they will become more normal, it all seems to disappear. Asher can not imagine not having his room, his street, and Yudel Krinsky to talk to. All of this possibility of change including around Asher and inside of him makes a lot of changes in his mind. Asher is tossed around emotionally, he is searching for something that he himself can control. Ironically its the thing that he could not use to make the world pretty. His gift of drawing resurfaces in order for him to control his world. At first he doesnŐt realize it, but after he is done with the picture of Stalin he knows that the gift is the only thing he can control, at least until it becomes uncontrollable.