Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Why can't Asher's family reconcile his art with their religion? Above and beyond their squeamishness about nudes, the Levs seem to think that art is "frivolous" and sacreligious, or at least the kind of art Asher paints.
- Which leads to this question: why is what Asher paints different from more traditional, respectable religious art? Can you find passages in the book the describe Asher's painting style versus the style his mother and father would find more acceptable? What about his style versus the style of the Christian artists he emulates? What about his style versus Picasso's?
- What's the significance of the mythic ancestor, anyway? Why does Asher keep dreaming about him? And why does Asher care so much about trying to capture Yudel Krinsky's pain?
- Are great artists born, or are they made? What would Asher have amounted to if Jacob Kahn hadn't taken him under his wing?
- Is it more important to stay true to your vision than to compromise it, even if that means losing your friends and family?