Asher’s mother always asks for pretty drawing as almost something that alleviates some of the pain she feels. After the death of her brother, her world is filled only with sadness, darkness, and loneliness. In order to get rid of even some of that even for a second, she will. She wants to look at pretty drawings drawn by Asher. They are the medicine to her illness. She lives in a dystopia and she doesn’t want her son to see that, so she wants a utopia for him. The only was she could provide that is to ask for pretty drawings so he is forced to see the world that way.
Asher is only six years old at that time, and there isn’t much he understands. One thing he does understand though, is the suffering felt by all those around him. He also uses art as his medicine. He draws evil and gloomy pictures to relieve his feelings. It makes him feel better to get it out and see it. In a way, he is almost facing or confronting his fears. His mother wants him to do the exact opposite and draw pretty things like birds and flowers and clear skies scattered with white fluffy clouds.
Asher’s uncle bought an early Lev and his father took it back. That was very rude of his father to do, but I don’t believe Asher is ready to part with his work. They were his time, energy, and talent, and he felt lost and alone when it was in someone else’s hands. When I believe he’s ready, he should sell his work. It will bring him fame and money, but along with it, maybe corruption. We don’t know yet.
His father doesn’t want him to realize his dreams as an artist. His father knows he is gifted and talented, but he doesn’t believe it is the right thing to do. He sees it as immature and childish and called it playing. He doesn’t like the art because it shows to many raw emotions that he cannot deal with. He is not a strong enough person to face his fears and his emotions and the truth like Asher. The mother, she’s also afraid of the truth and that’s why she prefers flowers. Nobody’s life is a blooming flower, but that’s what she wants for Asher, but Asher’s too smart. He knows life is not a utopia, and it never will be. At the age of six, he’s more mature than his parents combined.