Analysis Of Chaim Potok's The Chosen

In his book The Promise Chaim Potok leads the reader on a heartbreaking journey full of spiritual conflict and decision. As a sequel to The Chosen, The Promise picks up with Reuven Malter, the main character and a Jewish man now in his mid-twenties, attending Hirsch University, a Jewish seminary in Brooklyn, New York. Reuven keeps his friendship with Danny Saunders, whom he met on a baseball field during his teenage years and later went to college with, even though they now go their separate ways as Reuven becomes a rabbi, and Danny practices psychology. During the summer Reuven dates Rachel Gordon, the niece of Abraham Gordon, a man excommunicated from the Jewish society, and meets Abraham’s son, Michael, a stubborn teen with a mental issue. Also, over the same summer Reuven’s father, David Malter, wrote a controversial book about the Talmud. These people along with Reuven’s ranting teacher, Rav Kalman, form the intricate web of conflicts and friendships in The Promise.

The definition of intelligence is “the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.” Chaim Potok has created many incredibly intelligent characters in his novel The Chosen. These characters have many trials they must overcome. Some must overcome sickness, or possible overcome losing a dear friend, even one may be helpless to what his father wants. Nevertheless, they overcome these obstacles. There are three specific characters that demonstration brilliant intelligence; David Malter, Reuven, and Danny.

To choose or to be chosen; which is better? The gift of choice is something not bestowed upon everyone, and this is especially true for the main character of Chaim Potok’s The Chosen. The novel describes the life of two boys, Danny Saunders and Reuven Malter, one of which has been granted the freedom to choose his own destiny, and the other has already had his life mapped out since the day of his birth. Throughout his childhood and much of his adolescence, Danny struggled between the life he wants and the one chosen for him by his father, Reb Saunders, the rabbi a Hasidic congregation. As the eldest son of his family, Danny has been born into the position of the future rabbi of his temple, however, he yearns for something much different. He

Every life decision that we make reveals part of our character. If we decide to make corrupt decisions, then we most likely have an unethical personality. In the book The Chosen, Chaim Potok uses Danny Saunders to show that dangerous decisions reveal morbid personalities. The decisions he makes as a great baseball player and intelligent Jew, reflect his violent and rebellious personality. With this, his lonely side will also be discovered. Danny Saunders proves to be rebellious, lonely, and violent which are three dangerous traits he obtains.

Friendship is a wonderful yet confusing thing. This concept is brilliantly displayed in Chaim Potok’s The Chosen. In the book, the main character, Reuven, and Danny Saunders become friends through an interesting turn of events during a baseball game, the short version being that Danny ended up putting Reuven in the hospital with a baseball in the eye. After Reuven gets over some feelings of bitterness towards Danny, the two grow to be great friends. There are many difficulties when it comes to friendship, but the beauty of a good friendship is that good friends can power through them.

Religion itself, is the belief in a superhuman or entity that guides us. It acts as a set of standards that affects our faith and ideas on morality, beliefs and the way to live our lives. In The Chosen, by Chaim Potok, it is clearly visible that religion affects people tremendously. Both Reuven and Danny are Jewish yet, they are divided due to religious differences between Hasidism and Orthodox Judaism, in Brooklyn, New York during the mid-1940s. With such differences in cultures, the boys face tensions caused by their limiting religion. And as displayed throughout the novel, Reuven Malter finds that his religion brings him comfort, whereas for Danny Saunders it causing limitations that he must face to overcome this restricting religion, so he can embrace what the world has to offer.

One of the most common fears among individuals is the fear of dying. But what is it that makes us so fearful? Above all, people worry they will not be remembered by those who they leave behind. However, they not only worry that their memories will be lost over time, but that their beliefs and traditions will be forgotten as well. Throughout their lives, individuals tend to act a certain way to ensure their morals will be carried on, even when they are gone. In order for their morals to be carried on, they have to have faith in the people that they share their life with. The Reb, in Mitch Albom’s have a little faith, told his daughter to “’[r]emember the memories’” so that his beliefs and teachings would not be forgotten even when he is long

It starts with a baseball game, a flying baseball and a nearly blinded eye. That is how The Chosen by Chaim Potok starts. Throughout his wonderful book there are many themes that are tied through the book, Religion, Friendship, but most important of all is the theme of the eye. From literally seeing to the figurative eye, Potok ties the eye wonderfully throughout the entire book, making it a wonderful book to read from young to old.

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.

In the realistic fiction novel The Chosen, by Chaim Potok, two boys make their transition into adulthood. In the beginning of the novel, Reuven, a Modern Orthodox Jew and Danny, a Chasidic Jew barely know each other, but start to after Danny hits Reuven with a baseball. After this, Reuven makes friends with Danny and they spend much time together. Danny wants to become a psychologist, against his father's wishes, and Reuven helps him achieve that. Their father's, David Malter and Reb Saunders often give insights into the pasts of Danny and Reuven. David Malter is an imperative character in the development of Danny and Reuven's friendship, allowing them to follow in their own paths

“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” The author of this quote, Michelangelo, explains how many can achieve a goal almost effortlessly, but few actually try to achieve something that requires toilsome work. Such work that is not always successful, but when it is, the result is superior compared to an insufficient effort. The extraordinary man who wrote this quote achieved greatness by striving for excellence. Michelangelo Buonarroti is easily understood by others, even though he has surpassed the average expectations. In the novel “The Chosen” written by Chaim Potok, a main character named Mr.Malter claims that “great men are difficult to understand.” Mr.

The industrial revolution woke up the sense of humanity in people, yet at the same time It turned it off. To begin with, from the year 1819 through 1901, Great Britain was beginning to face an all new era called the Victorian Era. In fact, this era was named like that, because of queen Victoria. Also, this era was very important because it introduced medical advances, scientific knowledge, and technological knowledge that helped increase work efficiency. However, not all the things that occurred were great. One of the things that were very outrageous, were the working conditions of the employees. As a matter of fact, there were writers, like Charles Dickens with “A Christmas Carol”, Benjamin Disraeli with “Sybil”, and Elizabeth Gaskell with

In Chaim Potok’s book, The Chosen, blindness is a reoccurring theme throughout the book. The first example of blindness is Danny and Reuven live within five blocks from each other for fifteen years and have no idea that the other person exists. Because the boys have such a different culture, they live in their own world and are blind to each other. When they meet at the baseball field they judge each other based on rumors they have heard or by the actions of the team. Reuven thinks of them as the “whole snooty bunch of Hasidim” (Chosen 62).

In the novel The Chosen, by Chaim Potok, readers are introduced to Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders and the relationships between the teenaged boys and their fathers. David Malter, Reuven’s father, is a teacher and a voice of reason to Reuven throughout the novel. Reuven and David have a very close relationship that involves them talking often and questioning what the other is doing throughout their lives. Reb Saunders, Danny’s father, is a rabbi for Danny’s group of Hasidic Jews in their neighbourhood and is raising Danny to be the next rabbi for their people. Danny and Reb Saunders speak only while they are studying the holy books together and Reb Saunders has not spoken directly to Danny since he was four years old. Reb Saunders and David both have a different way of communicating to their son, they both have the same common goal to pass

The words we don't say can speak louder than the words we scream. Silence is a powerful force that has the capability to alter people's lives, and the words we speak have becomes unrecognizable in the eyes of people. Within The Chosen, silence is a main theme that is touched upon throughout the book. Comprehending silence can be strenuous because it is not accustomed to our society, but the silence could also have the opportunity to speak to us. Silence can overcome any words given. In The Chosen, Danny has an unusual relationship with his father, Reb. Reb does not speak with Danny about anything that is not related to his studies. Throughout the book, Danny has bitter feelings towards his father, and he feels disconnected with him. A large amount of the story shows how Danny feels conflicted with his feelings. The silence is a time to listen to everything around