William Penn Life, 2011 (46. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2011-10-01 / 10. szám

Grandparents' flight to freedom inspires young artist

WHEN YOUNG ARTIST Margaret Pásztor decided to create her first Hungarian-themed work, it didn't take her long to choose a subject: the flight to freedom of her grandparents László and Adele Pásztor in 1956.

"When I thought about what they went through, I was inspired by what they did," said Margaret, a WPA member from Carlisle, Pa.

Margaret, 16, used compressed charcoal, black markers and colored pencils to create the work. It depicts her grandparents, along with their son (and Margaret's father) László Jr., arriving to a new life of freedom in the West and, eventually, America. The face of Joseph Stalin looms in the background, just as the Soviets lorded over Hungary, but one also sees the Pasztors fellow Hungarians dragging down Stalin's statue in Budapest, along with the oppression its represented.

Greeting the young family to a new life of freedom is an American soldier. "He represents my uncle on my mother's side of the family," Margaret said. Even though her uncle did not actually greet the Pasztors, he did help other refugees as they reached the West.

The deeper story is told in the faces of the Pásztor family.

Young László Jr. is all smiles, excited about the adventure of what lies ahead. His mother seems nearly overcome with joyful relief as she reaches to accept the welcoming hand of freedom. László Sr., is much more serious, with a distant look in his eyes, realizing the great cost he

12 0 October 2011 0 William Penn Life

and his family have paid to attain their freedom and the dark days that lie ahead for those who stayed behind.

Looking at the quality of the drawing, it's surprising to learn that Margaret has been taking formal art lessons for only two years, and that the work itself took her only two days to complete.

What's not so surprising is that Margaret may major in studio art when she goes to college, and that her family is very proud of the way she remembers and promotes her heritage. □