Moon by Chaim Potok

Chaim Potok (35) loves to write about growing up pains and the conflict between family, the development of a Jewish young person and the way in which the young Jew seeks to integrate himself into the culture he is in while trying to preserve his own identity as a Jew. Throughout the passages of his stories, Potok manages to show the ugly social realities through the points of view of his characters. By dealing with such realities and through the interactions of the characters, they are changed and somehow, the world becomes a better place for the protagonist in his novels and short stories.

This is also the same pattern he uses in his short story “Moon.” Moon tends to be reclusive and rebellious because of his own identity as part of the minority. Throughout all of these, he still wishes to be educated because he sees it as a means to become a somebody in the world. Chaim Potok makes frequent reference to his age as a part of the importance of adolescence and the struggles that they go through.

Moon, as is the case with a lot of the characters in Potok’s collection “Zebra and Other Stories”, is disconnected with his parents. His parents tend to be foreign to him and they could not connect effectively. This also partly explains why Moon is reclusive and rebellious.

The main character of the short story tends to enjoy music. This is one thing that most adolescents share with, hence, Potok writes an accurate characterization of Moon and his friends. Through the use of music, Moon’s life is taking a new turn and he gains a new perspective of his situation and the reason why he has to strive for his education even though it is hard.

Moon’s life changes when he meets Ashraf, a Pakistani teenager who lives in a neighborhood wracked by strife and violence. Given the background of Ashraf and that of Moon, they still managed to establish a friendship that influenced them both. Through the visit of Ashraf to his home, he suddenly had an insight about life, about education, and the ugly realities that are confronting the life of Ashraf and that of his, too.

The changes engendered in the life of Moon became even more pronounced when he learns that Ashraf has been murdered. This is the climax of the story yet the incident seems to have helped Moon become a better person and a more determined one. The differences in his lifestyle from that of Ashraf is also an important aspect of his learning. As a child belonging to the middle class, he enjoys a lot of things that Ashraf does not. With this, the main character also saw the vast oceans of differences separating the haves from the have-nots. With this, he develops sensitivity for people like Ashraf who are suffering from difficult circumstances in life.

The relationship of Moon with his parents is not a perfect one. In fact, even his parents do have conflicting attitudes toward him. This is due to his rebellious attitude and his desire to be left alone. His parents try to win his affection and ask about his experiences yet he remains unresponsive. Because their life is comfortable and they suffer no lack, Moon developed a self-conscious and selfish outlook of life shared by middle-class teenagers. Although his parents wanted him to learn much about their heritage, he is a difficult nut to crack. Yet, only the loss of Ashraf jolted him to the painful reality of the need to learn about the world and the ugly realities that people have to face in order for them to have meaningful lives.

Work Cited

Potok, Chaim. Zebra and Other Stories. New York: Laurel Leaf, 2000.