Symbolism is the use of a person, an object, a place, or an idea to represent itself and something beyond itself at the same time. It is the symbolism that weighs meaning upon the theme, and can provide one with a deeper understanding of a normally insignificant situation. In the theme of cultural rebellion, symbolism can cause additional frustration for the characters, or it can be the result of the characters’ frustration. The novel The Gift of Asher Lev is an example where the emotional significance of specific objects amplifies the overall tension of the situation. Asher Lev expresses himself and his perception of life through his paintings. One painting in particular symbolizes his opposing views of the culture he grew up in. Asher tries to answer to the intense questioning of his Jewish relations, “I wanted to paint suffering, and there are no motifs in Jewish art that I could use as an instantly recognizable aesthetic vessel for the depiction of my mother’s anguish during all the years my father travelled…”(Potok 109). He says that he wanted to put his mother’s pain into his painting, and the crucifixion scene is a mold that immediately said: Body and soul in protracted solitary torment. It is because of this need that Asher painted the faces of his family into what was once a holy and respected depiction of Christ. The painting, now displayed at the New York museum, symbolizes Asher’s unorthodox approach to the religion that frowns upon the distortion of the sacred.

In The War, the father, Stephen Simmons, devotes himself to instilling a social conscience in his children. He tries to teach this ultimate moral lesson to them to show them that it is possible to live with conscience without losing hope or becoming cynical of the situations or people around them.

Setting is one of the largest factors that can affect the reaction and behaviour of a character in a plot. It also intensifies the mood, and allows for emotions and symbolism to be expressed through the surroundings. The Gift of Asher Lev begins in St. Paul, modern day Paris. St. Paul represents freedom, relaxation and peace to Asher Lev, but is soon replaced by the dark, wet and cold characteristics of Brooklyn, New York. In his early years, the Chassidic community rejected Asher for his vocation as an unconventional artist. He moved to Paris, determined to raise his family away from the traditional religious system that had abandoned him. It became a safe haven, free from the judgement and expectations that ofte

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