In Chapter 4, Asher’s artistic abilities further develop. He begins to see the world around him in a whole new perspective, so his drawing ability is taken to a whole new level. He can now draw things from a more realistic point of view. I think that his increased artistic talent symbolizes his growth and maturation. His parents expose him to so much that he is forced to begin maturation at a very young age.
I think the fact that Asher is so mature is what gives him the strength to oppose his parents’ decision to move to Vienna. It is ironic, because they forced him to be maturer than most boys his age, but now it is backfiring against them. His maturity also helps him to deal with the boy at school who teases him. Asher doesn’t let the boy bother him, because Asher realizes that it is very childish.
At the end of the chapter, Asher gives into his parents and is willing to go and get a passport. He was determined to make sure that they didn’t force him to move, but this was his first step in conforming to their demands. I definitely did not expect him to give in so easily. It was an unusual thing for Asher to do, because he usually refused to conform to anyone’s requests. For example, his father demands that he do well in school. Even though Asher knows that it is very important to get good grades, he puts absolutely no effort into studying. His father also requests that Asher stops drawing, or at least tries to spend less time doing it. He totally refuses to listen to his father, and continues to spend every minute of his free time drawing. Because of his past behavioral patterns, one would not expect him to give in to his parents’ demands so quickly, especially when it seemed as if he would never listen to them.