Vision As A Motif In Chaim Potok's The Chosen

In his novel The Chosen Chaim Potok uses vision as a motif to show the reader that someone’s perception of things can change. In the novel, vision symbolizes the ability to see the world. The importance of perception is shown throughout the book. One of the main examples of this is after Reuven leaves the hospital. He says that “everything looks different”, but he doesn't mean this literally. Reuven found a new appreciation of his health since he could have gone blind. Another example of perception change from the novel is when Reuven realizes Danny isn't how he appeared to be. During the story, Mr. Malter says “Things are always as they seem to be, Reuven?”. He says this because Reuven told him that it seemed like Danny hit him deliberately.

He doesn't mean that everything has physically changed. He had found a new appreciation for his health and eyesight after having the chance of becoming blind. His experience in the hospital changed him. Reuven tells Mr. Malter that nothing has changed, but everything just seems different. This is an example of how someone’s perception of things can

Throughout the book, there are many examples that show the importance of perception. One of the main examples is when Reuven says “everything looks different” after leaving the hospital. He means that his perception changed after finding a new appreciation for his health and eyesight. Another example of perception change is when Reuven realizes Danny isn't how he appeared to be. Reuven told Mr. Malter that it seemed like Danny hit him deliberately. Mr. Malter asked Reuven if “things are always as they seem” because sometimes you can be wrong about what you think you saw. Vision is one of the main motifs in The Chosen because it's constantly referenced throughout the