Chaim Potok developed Asher’s abilities as an artist through all of the first chapter. Asher was a charchter who began drawing tough objects. He would draw the detailed streets of New York and all of the people that he saw in his life. It is know right away that Asher has a very good ability to draw people. He draws his mother with many details and always gives his draws effort. “Her dresses and blouses were always long-sleeved, for out of modesty the women of our group never wore short-sleeved garments-- and she perspired a great deal in the heat, especially on our walks together.” (page 13) This just goes to show that Asher has the ability to look at a person or object and draw excatly what he sees. How many six year olds would draw sweat coming from their mother’s face? Potok develops Asher right away to have the ability to notice all that is around him in the world. When Asher sees a pothole in the ground he draws a pothole, not just a circle like most kids would draw. The talent that Asher has is to be able to draw what he feels and sees. That talent is not truly brought out until a little further into the story. Asher’s drawings are of detail. The first time that he struggled with a drawing is when he draws the Russian Jew the he saw in the store. He finds out somewhat how Russia is and in his drawing he wants to include the feeling of Russia. The way that Russia is described to him is a”a land of ice and darkness.” (page 42) When Asher hears what it is like he wants to include that feeling in his drawing. He them thinks out loud about how he can draw ice and darkness within the man. Asher struggles with this task and his dilemma is taken into the second chapter. Another point that Asher develops as an artist is when he uses a different drawing tool than he normally has used. He once did not like the way his pencil was working so he decided to use the ashes from one of his mother’s smoked cigerretts. As he drew with the ashes he liked what the results were. He was able to do different strokes with the ashes. He would put the ashes down on the paper and then smudge them. When a six year old boy goes from drawing with a pencil and crayon to using ashes you know that they are developing. Asher did not have anyone help him with deciding to use the ashes. He did it all by himself and that was really a turning point in the drawings that Asher was going to produce. The third and final major way that Asher developed in the first chapter as an artist is when his Uncle came to visit his Dad. Asher talked to his Uncle for a little bit about who the greatest artist in the world was. His Uncle said who the greatest Jewish artist was in the world and then said that Picasso was the overall best artist in the world. Asher gets very excited at this point and he decided that he really wants to be like Picasso. He will not settle to be any less than the best at the art that he loved. Asher’s Uncle then bought one of Asher’s drawing from him for a coin. Asher felt empty inside once the painting was gone and he really wanted the painting back. Asher developed into a true artist through the first chapter. He loved his work and did not want to give it up. He used new materials to draw with and finally he knew all about detail and how to draw what he saw.