Eva St. Clare, is not only a Christ figure, but also an evangelist. Her given name, Evangeline, which means “bearer of good news” in Greek, immediately suggests that she will bring good news to other characters; that she will evangelize with the pure heart of a child. Her father confirms this thinking when he tells her, “O’ Evangeline! rightly named...hath not God made thee an evangel to me” (189). Eva brings many people closer to the good news, Christ. Two dynamic characters respond to Eva’s goodness, Miss Ophelia and Topsy, and these two characters appeal the most to me.
Miss Ophelia is the most realistic depiction of human nature in my mind. She is flawed, but she wishes she were not. She would like to believe that she is a good Christian woman who is not prejudiced, but the appearance of Topsy makes it increasingly difficult for her to maintain her position as unprejudiced. Her first reaction to Topsy clarifies her view of her: “Augustine, what in the world have you brought that thing in here for?” (246). Topsy is filthy dirty, and though she gives the appropriate “Yes, Mas’r” response, it is obvious that she is mocking both St. Clare and Miss Ophelia with “her wicked eyes twinkling as she spoke” (246). I must say, I fell in love with Topsy instantly! Despite being brutally abused by drunken masters, Topsy remains spunky and full of life.
When Topsy is caught with the gloves, and Miss Ophelia insists that she confess to her other thefts, Topsy creates stories of other stolen and destroyed items. When she is caught and asked why, she answers, “Cause I’s wicked, - I is. I’s mighty wicked” (253). Topsy’s view of herself is based on the abusive, drunken men who sold her to St. Clare. Her first glimpse of herself as someone of worth comes when Eva readily forgives her and promises her, “You’re going to be taken good care of, now. I’d rather give you anything of mine, than have you steal it” (254). Eva’s charitable nature influences Miss Ophelia. When Eva, the one person who loves Topsy, dies, Miss Ophelia is finally moved to compassion for the grieving Topsy. “Topsy, you poor child…don’t give up! I can love you, though I am not like that dear little child. I hope I’ve learnt something of Christ from her. I can love you; I do, and I’ll try to help you to grow up a good Christian girl” (306). Topsy is transformed by Eva’s love and advice, and she continues evolving with Miss Ophelia’s love. It is Miss Ophelia who fulfills Eva’s wish by freeing Topsy, a promise her father could not keep with Tom and the other slaves due to his sudden death. Miss Ophelia’s growth as a person (or character) inspires me. She brings hope to the book that others can make a similar conversion and learn to love all races.
Like Ophelia, I know that I am flawed. I am not as blind as slave owners to the sins I commit, and I am not as evil as Legree or Marie. I am simply imperfect. I hope that I am like Ophelia and able to see where I might improve. She is admirable in her ability to see the strength in Eva’s gentleness and to try to learn from it. She expresses her desire to learn “something of Christ” from Eva. Christians often acknowledge a more merciful and loving approach in the New Testament. However, the Old Testament shows that God loves even those who are imperfect. One of my favorite books is in the Old Testament, and I gave its name to my son, Jonah. The biblical Jonah does not obey God. Even when he goes against God, God still protects him. I am not a fundamentalist who believes that Jonah was literally swallowed by a whale, carried in its stomach, then spewed on to the shore; nonetheless, I believe in a loving God Who would go to such lengths to save even those who are imperfect. The characters of Miss Ophelia and Topsy speak to that idea. I don’t think we have to be perfect. I think we have to be open to loving and learning as Topsy and Miss Ophelia do in Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Uncle Tom's Cabin 1-250
"But who, sir, makes the trader? Who is most to blame? The enlightened, cultivated, intelligent man, who supports the system of which the trader is the inevitable result, or the poor trader himself? You make the public sentiment that calls for his trade, that debauches and depraves him, till he feels no shame in it; and in what are you better than he?" (138). While Haley is truly a despicable character, this quote speaks to the evil inherent in all aspects of slavery, including the Christian slave owner. Mr. Shelby appears to be a decent, Christian man, but he sells out his most trustworthy servant in order to hold on to his material possessions. St. Clare does not profess to be a Christian man, but he is for the most part a decent man and a loving father who is kind to his slaves. However, as the quote asserts, it is hard to say that Haley is so much worse than Shelby or St. Clare since all three support an evil system.
"Are you educated and he ignorant, you high and he low, you refined and he coarse, you talented and he simple?
In the day of a future Judgment, these very considerations may make it more tolerable for him than for you"(138). I believe these lines hold true in all walks of life. As the old saying goes, to whom much is given, much is expected. Or in the words of Spiderman, "With great power comes great responsibility." I feel that responsibility as an educator. Thank goodness I have no need to take a stand against slavery, but even today, I must take a stand against racism and other forms of discrimination. For those who know better to stand by idly is unconscionable.
I remember attending a party at a country club. A man I did not know well began to tell a joke. When it became clear that the joke would involve a white napkin and a pepper shaker, my friend quietly walked away from the group. I followed her. In that moment I was a follower, but I have been a leader ever since that learning experience. Because I know better, I believe I am held to a higher standard. I believe that I will answer for my actions on some judgment day, and I want to be able to say that like Eva, I loved all human beings. To allow that man to tell a joke that goes against my beliefs would "debauch and deprave him" or at least encourage him to "feel no shame in it." I have forever been grateful to my friend for her courage and for the lesson I learned with her. If good and decent people go along with things they know to be wrong, then evil will thrive.
As Maya Angelou says, "When you know better, do better." I learned that I am not unkind when I quietly walk away from a joke that is prejudice and mean. I know better. I believe it is the smallest things in life contribute to the bigger picture in life. I can't imagine being involved in a world where a child slave is abused as Topsy is in the book. I cannot fathom the horrors that the Jews faced during the Holocaust. The truth is that I probably cannot truly understand racism. What I can understand is that I must be stronger than Shelby or St. Clare in the face of evil. I can have the moral convictions of Mrs. Shelby and Mrs. Bird in a world where my female voice is heard.
"Are you educated and he ignorant, you high and he low, you refined and he coarse, you talented and he simple?
In the day of a future Judgment, these very considerations may make it more tolerable for him than for you"(138). I believe these lines hold true in all walks of life. As the old saying goes, to whom much is given, much is expected. Or in the words of Spiderman, "With great power comes great responsibility." I feel that responsibility as an educator. Thank goodness I have no need to take a stand against slavery, but even today, I must take a stand against racism and other forms of discrimination. For those who know better to stand by idly is unconscionable.
I remember attending a party at a country club. A man I did not know well began to tell a joke. When it became clear that the joke would involve a white napkin and a pepper shaker, my friend quietly walked away from the group. I followed her. In that moment I was a follower, but I have been a leader ever since that learning experience. Because I know better, I believe I am held to a higher standard. I believe that I will answer for my actions on some judgment day, and I want to be able to say that like Eva, I loved all human beings. To allow that man to tell a joke that goes against my beliefs would "debauch and deprave him" or at least encourage him to "feel no shame in it." I have forever been grateful to my friend for her courage and for the lesson I learned with her. If good and decent people go along with things they know to be wrong, then evil will thrive.
As Maya Angelou says, "When you know better, do better." I learned that I am not unkind when I quietly walk away from a joke that is prejudice and mean. I know better. I believe it is the smallest things in life contribute to the bigger picture in life. I can't imagine being involved in a world where a child slave is abused as Topsy is in the book. I cannot fathom the horrors that the Jews faced during the Holocaust. The truth is that I probably cannot truly understand racism. What I can understand is that I must be stronger than Shelby or St. Clare in the face of evil. I can have the moral convictions of Mrs. Shelby and Mrs. Bird in a world where my female voice is heard.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
My Name is Asher Lev: Part 2
“Every great artist is a man who has freed himself from his family, his nation, his race” (203). Asher remembers this quote from The Art Spirit, the book his mother brought to him from her professor. Asher also learns from the book that he must be careful of the influence of his community “for large bodies tend toward the leveling of individuality to a common consent” (202). Asher struggles with the need to stay within the parameters of his family and religious values, but in the end, he simply must express himself. From the beginning of the book, we know that Asher’s art and his strong sense of self will prevail. He reminds us several times, “I was introduced over and over again as Asher Lev, son of Reb Aryeh Lev” (319). Throughout Asher’s life he is known as the son of Aryeh Lev, but as early as six years of age, he asserts his independence. When his uncle refers to him as “a regular Chagall,” Asher turns and says, “No. My name is Asher Lev” (31). From his refusal to stop drawing to his refusal to move to Vienna, Asher consistently stands as an individual, but he is not without sensitivity. His compassion for his mother’s pain is as constant as his rebellion against his father’s lack of understanding. Nearly every scene of the book builds toward the climactic Crucifixion paintings, yet nothing prepares us for the painting or its unveiling.
Asher’s focus on his mother as his favorite subject in art begins at a tender young age when he draws her rowing a boat or spending time with him. Rivkeh wants him to draw a pretty world for her, but her depression does not create a pretty world for Asher. He begins to express what he really sees when he uses cigarette ashes as charcoal to capture the shadows in her depressed face. Later when he is faced with the loss of his mother as she prepares to move to Europe, Jacob Kahn tells him, “Your feelings about your mother are producing terrible art” (240). His art turns malevolent as he emulates Michelangelo’s Last Judgment with the face of the bully from school, but his ability to express his feelings deepens. Once he has dealt with that anger, his preoccupation returns to mother and child paintings. It is not surprising that his masterpieces end up including his mother and her anguish as the focal point, but the brilliance of the book is the mental gasp that is caused by visual image of his mother with her arms outstretched along the window blinds in a crucifixion pose.
Even though we are told on the first page of the book that Asher Lev painted the Brooklyn Crucifixion, nothing prepared me for the scene when he finally expresses the anguish that he sees in his mother. Asher’s fixation on the paintings of the Crucifixion of Jesus also foreshadow his masterpieces, but at the time when he was emulating crucifixion paintings from the museum, he was also relating to the darkness and cold that Yudel Krinsky must have felt in Siberia. Asher lived a cold and lonely childhood while his parents sacrificed everything in order to follow their passion of saving innocent Jews and building yeshivas. Asher followed their example and sacrificed everything for his passion. It is ironic that Christians see the Crucifixion of Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice, which gives the symbol an even greater impact even though or perhaps because it is written from a Jewish perspective. Wow. Gasp. The painting screams, “I cannot be Aryeh Lev’s son. My name is Asher Lev.” I think this book is a work of art!
Asher’s focus on his mother as his favorite subject in art begins at a tender young age when he draws her rowing a boat or spending time with him. Rivkeh wants him to draw a pretty world for her, but her depression does not create a pretty world for Asher. He begins to express what he really sees when he uses cigarette ashes as charcoal to capture the shadows in her depressed face. Later when he is faced with the loss of his mother as she prepares to move to Europe, Jacob Kahn tells him, “Your feelings about your mother are producing terrible art” (240). His art turns malevolent as he emulates Michelangelo’s Last Judgment with the face of the bully from school, but his ability to express his feelings deepens. Once he has dealt with that anger, his preoccupation returns to mother and child paintings. It is not surprising that his masterpieces end up including his mother and her anguish as the focal point, but the brilliance of the book is the mental gasp that is caused by visual image of his mother with her arms outstretched along the window blinds in a crucifixion pose.
Even though we are told on the first page of the book that Asher Lev painted the Brooklyn Crucifixion, nothing prepared me for the scene when he finally expresses the anguish that he sees in his mother. Asher’s fixation on the paintings of the Crucifixion of Jesus also foreshadow his masterpieces, but at the time when he was emulating crucifixion paintings from the museum, he was also relating to the darkness and cold that Yudel Krinsky must have felt in Siberia. Asher lived a cold and lonely childhood while his parents sacrificed everything in order to follow their passion of saving innocent Jews and building yeshivas. Asher followed their example and sacrificed everything for his passion. It is ironic that Christians see the Crucifixion of Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice, which gives the symbol an even greater impact even though or perhaps because it is written from a Jewish perspective. Wow. Gasp. The painting screams, “I cannot be Aryeh Lev’s son. My name is Asher Lev.” I think this book is a work of art!
Monday, April 7, 2008
My Name Is Asher Lev: Part 1
"A life should be lived for the sake of heaven. One man is not better than another because he is a doctor while the other is a shoemaker. One man is not better than another because he is a lawyer while the other is a painter. A life is measured by how it is lived for the sake of heaven” (192). These words are the Rebbe’s gift to Asher. The Rebbe, a wise and moral man, can see that Asher has a gift that should not be discounted or discarded. His father, on the other hand, needs Asher’s life to reflect his own to the extent that his fatherly instincts are warped. Aryeh Lev’s harsh judgment of his son is a far greater obstacle on the path to heaven than Asher’s artwork is.
Aryeh Lev regards Asher’s drawings as “foolishness,” but Aryeh is pushed further by Asher’s paintings and particularly his drawings of Jesus and the nudes, which enrage Aryeh. He rages and shouts until Asher is afraid of him. At the Seder supper, as they are “reading the section about the four sons,” Asher notices, “my father looked up at the mention of the evil son and glanced at me. It was an involuntary gesture; I saw he regretted it immediately and looked away” (178). Aryeh’s glance sends a “shiver of dread” through Asher and cannot be considered a righteous act. Areyah is more concerned with tradition than he is with the loving principles behind the traditions. Admittedly, I may not fully understand the Jewish way of thinking, but I simply cannot imagine being so unhappy with my own son. The worst thing Asher has done is steal the oil paints, but in returning them he shows morality and a good heart. I cannot fathom Aryeh’s anguish over having an artist for a son. His distress causes him to tell Asher: “No, it isn’t foolishness any more. It’s worse than foolishness. You bring drawings of that man into the house. You bring drawings of girls without clothes into the house. What next? Next you will become a goy. Better you should not have been born” (176). Rivkeh Lev gasps at her husband’s harsh words.
Rivkeh Lev would never wish that her son were not born. She loves him and supports him to the extent that she is able to do so. She buys him the oil paints so that he will not steal them, but also because she knows how deeply he feels the need to express himself through art. Her support obviously goes beyond trying to stop him from doing wrong because she allows him to go to the museum and even goes with him. Ironically, their first trip to the museum leads Rivkeh to say, “I don’t begin to understand it…Where your painting has brought me, Asher. To Jesus” (170). Obviously, the Levs do not want to be brought to Jesus, to “that man.” She tries to explain to Asher: “Do you know how much Jewish blood has been spilled because of him, Asher? (172). There is further irony in the fact that Asher’s greatest interest in the paintings of Jesus is in the wounds that appear so real.
Asher’s wounds are real, but they are impossible to paint or draw. He wants to learn to draw his own “feelings of ice and darkness” (49) after learning about Yudel Krinsky’s years in Siberia. Even before Reb Krinsky runs the art store, Asher feels a kinship with him, saying, “I could feel our darkness. It seemed to me then that we were brothers, he and I, that we both knew lands of ice and darkness. His had been in the past; mine was in the present. His had been outside himself; mine was within me” (41). Asher’s loneliness and confusion cannot be expressed because he is uncertain of the colors of ice and darkness just as he is unsure what it is exactly that causes his mother’s depression and his father’s absence. By the time Asher is old enough to grasp the meaning of the noble work of saving Jews that his parents have undertaken, he is suffering from being different and from feeling alone. Although he matures and begins to understand the reasons for his mother’s studying and his father’s traveling, Asher continues to feel lonely. He expresses his need for attention to his mother, “I’m also a Jewish life, Mama. I’m also precious in the eyes of the Ribbono Shel Olom…Does someone have a responsibility to me?” (111). The parental responsibility falls to Rivkeh when Aryeh goes to Europe, but she is preoccupied with her studies. She worries when Asher is late from school, but she spends little time with him. Asher wishes to be saved from an ailment he does not understand. He wonders whether his gift is from the Other Side because the drawing has always bothered his father. Nonetheless, Asher defends himself to Aryeh: “Please don’t call it foolishness any more, Papa…Foolishness is something that’s stupid…Foolishness is something a person shouldn’t do. Foolishness is something that brings harm to the world. Foolishness is a waste of time. Please don’t ever call it foolishness any more, Papa” (129). His words do not reach Aryeh as anything other than disrespect. Aryeh expects his son to obey him without question just as he obeys the Rebbe.
Aryeh’s doubts the Rebbe for the first time when the Rebbe gives Asher his blessing for bar mitzvah and also gives his blessing to Asher’s art. The Rebbe reminds Asher to honor his father, but also offers Jacob Kahn as a mentor for Asher’s artwork. The Rebbe understands that one man is not better than another man because of his work. Like the mashpia, the Rebbe treats Asher in a loving way. When Asher’s classmates were taunting Asher, the mashpia taught the verse, “And you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (143). This verse or the principle behind it is more difficult than it might seem. It’s easy to sit and read this book and think that Aryeh should be more loving and accepting to his son because I don’t travel, and my son does not do anything that goes completely against who I am. I would like to think that I would love my son just as he is no matter what. I can relate to Rivkeh as a mother. I do my best to understand my son and support his interests. Unfortunately, he does not want to go to the museum; he wants to talk about sports until I listen so long that I think my ears will bleed. Like Rivkeh, I have books to read since I am both teacher and student. I hope that I find a healthy balance of working and spending time with my son. I would welcome an expressive art that would let me know where his heart and mind are. I have no one like the Rebbe to take the responsibility of decision making off my shoulders. I just have to hope that I get it right on my own.
Aryeh Lev regards Asher’s drawings as “foolishness,” but Aryeh is pushed further by Asher’s paintings and particularly his drawings of Jesus and the nudes, which enrage Aryeh. He rages and shouts until Asher is afraid of him. At the Seder supper, as they are “reading the section about the four sons,” Asher notices, “my father looked up at the mention of the evil son and glanced at me. It was an involuntary gesture; I saw he regretted it immediately and looked away” (178). Aryeh’s glance sends a “shiver of dread” through Asher and cannot be considered a righteous act. Areyah is more concerned with tradition than he is with the loving principles behind the traditions. Admittedly, I may not fully understand the Jewish way of thinking, but I simply cannot imagine being so unhappy with my own son. The worst thing Asher has done is steal the oil paints, but in returning them he shows morality and a good heart. I cannot fathom Aryeh’s anguish over having an artist for a son. His distress causes him to tell Asher: “No, it isn’t foolishness any more. It’s worse than foolishness. You bring drawings of that man into the house. You bring drawings of girls without clothes into the house. What next? Next you will become a goy. Better you should not have been born” (176). Rivkeh Lev gasps at her husband’s harsh words.
Rivkeh Lev would never wish that her son were not born. She loves him and supports him to the extent that she is able to do so. She buys him the oil paints so that he will not steal them, but also because she knows how deeply he feels the need to express himself through art. Her support obviously goes beyond trying to stop him from doing wrong because she allows him to go to the museum and even goes with him. Ironically, their first trip to the museum leads Rivkeh to say, “I don’t begin to understand it…Where your painting has brought me, Asher. To Jesus” (170). Obviously, the Levs do not want to be brought to Jesus, to “that man.” She tries to explain to Asher: “Do you know how much Jewish blood has been spilled because of him, Asher? (172). There is further irony in the fact that Asher’s greatest interest in the paintings of Jesus is in the wounds that appear so real.
Asher’s wounds are real, but they are impossible to paint or draw. He wants to learn to draw his own “feelings of ice and darkness” (49) after learning about Yudel Krinsky’s years in Siberia. Even before Reb Krinsky runs the art store, Asher feels a kinship with him, saying, “I could feel our darkness. It seemed to me then that we were brothers, he and I, that we both knew lands of ice and darkness. His had been in the past; mine was in the present. His had been outside himself; mine was within me” (41). Asher’s loneliness and confusion cannot be expressed because he is uncertain of the colors of ice and darkness just as he is unsure what it is exactly that causes his mother’s depression and his father’s absence. By the time Asher is old enough to grasp the meaning of the noble work of saving Jews that his parents have undertaken, he is suffering from being different and from feeling alone. Although he matures and begins to understand the reasons for his mother’s studying and his father’s traveling, Asher continues to feel lonely. He expresses his need for attention to his mother, “I’m also a Jewish life, Mama. I’m also precious in the eyes of the Ribbono Shel Olom…Does someone have a responsibility to me?” (111). The parental responsibility falls to Rivkeh when Aryeh goes to Europe, but she is preoccupied with her studies. She worries when Asher is late from school, but she spends little time with him. Asher wishes to be saved from an ailment he does not understand. He wonders whether his gift is from the Other Side because the drawing has always bothered his father. Nonetheless, Asher defends himself to Aryeh: “Please don’t call it foolishness any more, Papa…Foolishness is something that’s stupid…Foolishness is something a person shouldn’t do. Foolishness is something that brings harm to the world. Foolishness is a waste of time. Please don’t ever call it foolishness any more, Papa” (129). His words do not reach Aryeh as anything other than disrespect. Aryeh expects his son to obey him without question just as he obeys the Rebbe.
Aryeh’s doubts the Rebbe for the first time when the Rebbe gives Asher his blessing for bar mitzvah and also gives his blessing to Asher’s art. The Rebbe reminds Asher to honor his father, but also offers Jacob Kahn as a mentor for Asher’s artwork. The Rebbe understands that one man is not better than another man because of his work. Like the mashpia, the Rebbe treats Asher in a loving way. When Asher’s classmates were taunting Asher, the mashpia taught the verse, “And you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (143). This verse or the principle behind it is more difficult than it might seem. It’s easy to sit and read this book and think that Aryeh should be more loving and accepting to his son because I don’t travel, and my son does not do anything that goes completely against who I am. I would like to think that I would love my son just as he is no matter what. I can relate to Rivkeh as a mother. I do my best to understand my son and support his interests. Unfortunately, he does not want to go to the museum; he wants to talk about sports until I listen so long that I think my ears will bleed. Like Rivkeh, I have books to read since I am both teacher and student. I hope that I find a healthy balance of working and spending time with my son. I would welcome an expressive art that would let me know where his heart and mind are. I have no one like the Rebbe to take the responsibility of decision making off my shoulders. I just have to hope that I get it right on my own.
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