Cultural Clash
Takami Kowalski
Cultural clash is the major conflict of many novels. Asher Lev is a Hasidic Jew living in Brooklyn, New York. He wants to become an artist, but his Hasidic culture limits his possibilities. Oliver Twist is a very poor orphan about nine years old living in different parts of England, though mostly London. He is very pure and kind in heart, but fate keeps bringing him into the hands of thieves who use Oliver for crimes and such. Thomas Black Bull is a Native American (who also becomes an orphan) that gets forced into the American culture. He tries to fit in by becoming a bronc rider, but eventually gets back into his old Native American culture. These three characters from three different books can be compared and contrasted very well, and similarities and differences will be shown.
Asher Lev’s cultural clash involves his Hasidic culture, and his “own” artistic culture. Throughout his whole life, he struggles to find a balance between the Hasidic culture and his desire to become an artist. Being an artist is hard for him because the Hasidic religion is against it for the most part. During his life, he does many things that either takes a step towards the path of artist or the path of a Hasidic Jew. Both of his parents are completely immersed in Hasidism, and both are against Asher’s wanting to become an artist. He changed his appearance by cutting off his earlocks, and he did other things that would help him fit into the artistic culture.
Oliver Twist’s cultural clash is more of a moral clash, than an actual clash between two cultures. He is trying to maintain his “culture”, which is an embodiment of pureness and goodness. However, it is hard to maintain this state of happiness because his fate brings him into the hands of thieves and criminals, who use Oliver in their crimes, and threaten him with death and cruelty if he doesn’t obey. Oliver is an orphan, so he faces all of his pains by himself. Since...