In the third chapter of Asher Lev the reader continues to see the problems that Asher is dealing with. In chapter 3 Asher finds out that he is going to be moving to Vienna. This is tough for Asher because he has always grown up in Brooklyn and knows Brooklyn. It is also especially hard for Asher because of the neglect that he has been getting from his parents. Asher’s neglect is coming because of the persecution of the Jews in Russia. Instead of concentrating on their boy, the have been concentrating on helping those in Russia, which is kind of ironic that they are willing to help others to have their own son suffer.

The person Asher blames all of his problems on is Stalin. Because of Stalin, Asher’s parents are moving to Vienna. And because of Stalin, Yudel Krinsky lost his family and suffered in Siberia. The worst part of about Stalin is that he had to die then, when asher was only a boy. He didn’t die thirty years earlier or ten years after words, he died when Asher was a boy. For this Asher hated Stalin because this is why his father was moving to Vienna, because Stalin was no longer alive.

It is very strange that Asher began drawing Stalin after he died. He saw the picture of him dead in his coffin, and he drew him in his notebook. If Stalin was such an evil man than why did he want to draw him dead. I don’t think that Asher was rejoicing in Stalin’s death, I think that Asher is soffering from more inner conflict. Maybe the answers to the question about Stalin are in further chapters.

After Asher found out about moving to Vienna he became ill and stayed in his bed for a week. I think that Asher was cracking under all of the pressure he was taking from his parents neglect, the news about moving, and the death of Stalin. Without his painting, Asher couldn’t show his emotion. The only way was to become sick. Maybe this is why at the end of the chapter Asher draws the picture of Stalin, so he can get rid of the emotion he is feeling.

The drawing of Stalin will probably be explained in other chapters so I can see if my interpretation is close to what is actually happening.