Dangerous Decisions In 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.

Violence is a constant, a catalyst for the cycle of life and death that has existed since the beginnings of life. However, humans have now, and have been, using violence for senseless pain and suffering. __ In James Gilligan’s novel, Preventing Violence, Gilligan discusses that a major cause of violence is feelings of shame, which usually roots from social factors and views of masculinity. Shame, the most common feeling behind violence, is feeling a lack of self-pride and humiliation.

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.

In conclusion, most people define Danny Saunders, like many prodigies, in connection with his mind. However, under that intellectual exterior, his emotions are the driving force behind his brain. As happens often, even his friend, Reuven, does not see the emotions behind his mind. Finally, the silence of his father has given him pain, but by experiencing pain he can have compassion for others in pain. He is constantly looking for the solution to pain, but that unfortunately must wait until after

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.

The challenge finding almost perfect friends is strenuous and difficult. Every person has their own likes and dislikes. In Chaim Potok’s heart-wrenching book, The Chosen, two completely different boys and one father named Danny Saunders, Reuven Malter, and David Malter. Each person has extremely different experiences in their life with the hobbies they play, the religion they study, and their views of certain religions. Just because one person has different religious views does not mean they can not good friends. In their own unique ways, all three men show the importance of a strong friendship.

Chaim Potok’s The Chosen is a mysterious novel with very interesting dialogue and detail. Although the narrator’s name is never said or mentioned, Potok still managed to write this thrilling novel that has readers at the edge of their seats. In this novel, a 15 year-old boy, who is a protagonist, has a deep love for baseball shares Jewish culture and habits. Him and all the boys who go to school together play baseball on their spare time and are all on the same baseball team. While being friends and sharing many hobbies, the boys finally meet anonymous narrator’s father. Without the narrator even knowing why, all the boys become distant from him and seem to have formed an alliance against him after they had met his father. They had tried

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.

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

The book I am reading is Travel Team, by Mike Lupica. I really have enjoyed this book so far because it’s about the sport I love, which is why I keep reading it. It’s about a kid named Danny Walker who is mainly known for his shortness, but that doesn’t stop him. He may be the tiniest kid on the court, but he plays just as good as the 6 foot post on his team. Danny loves basketball and every time he steps out on that court, he plays with his whole heart. Nobody or nothing can take that away from him. He would do anything to play on the “all-star” basketball traveling team, but his dreams are crushed when he doesn’t make the team because he is supposedly too short.

Have you ever been in a tough situation? An over arching theme for the books The Bean Trees, and Mexican White boy is having grit and mental toughness under pressure. In the books there are good examples of people under pressure showing their true selves.