Potok “was especially drawn to two important novels by Roman Catholic writers, Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh and James Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, saying that they guided him toward a career,” (Newsmakers). These two authors impacted Potok as a child and were a big reason he decided to start writing. However, “it was Waugh’s novel that convinced Potok to become a writer himself, for he admired Waugh’s ability to create whole worlds on paper,” (EXPLORING). Without Waugh’s influence on Potok’s life then Potok would not have become the writer he was, the writer who could move his readers. This exposure also allowed him to view writing that created other worlds and to understand that was what he wanted to do with his life. The other author that influenced young Potok was James Joyce and “Joyce’s book appealed to Potok for its portrayal of the iconoclast, the person willing to go against social norms, and how this rebellious person sees the hypocrisy of those around him,” (EXPLORING). The storyline of a iconoclast, strongly influenced Potok’s writing and the stories he created. Since his life could almost relate to a iconoclastic lifestyle, it allowed him to create similar stories. Without his influences Potok would have made completely different stories, and would have been a completely different
Potok “was especially drawn to two important novels by Roman Catholic writers, Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh and James Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, saying that they guided him toward a career,” (Newsmakers). These two authors impacted Potok as a child and were a big reason he decided to start writing. However, “it was Waugh’s novel that convinced Potok to become a writer himself, for he admired Waugh’s ability to create whole worlds on paper,” (EXPLORING). Without Waugh’s influence on Potok’s life then Potok would not have become the writer he was, the writer who could move his readers. This exposure also allowed him to view writing that created other worlds and to understand that was what he wanted to do with his life. The other author that influenced young Potok was James Joyce and “Joyce’s book appealed to Potok for its portrayal of the iconoclast, the person willing to go against social norms, and how this rebellious person sees the hypocrisy of those around him,” (EXPLORING). The storyline of a iconoclast, strongly influenced Potok’s writing and the stories he created. Since his life could almost relate to a iconoclastic lifestyle, it allowed him to create similar stories. Without his influences Potok would have made completely different stories, and would have been a completely different