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Danny And Reuven In The Chosen

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Efraim Ginsberg 2/2 The Chosen Essay 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 …show more content…

He also conveys the message of respect towards others to Reuven. David Malter is important in the growth of danny, by recommending books, and wants him to grow into a better person, when he finds out he is regularly tested by his father in public. He does not hand out judgements to people based on the fact they are Chasidic, for example when Danny hits Reuven, and Reuven thinks it is on purpose. He also encourages the friendship between Danny and Reuven, even when Danny is chasidic. When David hears about the atrocities committed by the Nazis in the Concentration Camps, he becomes a passionate Zionist. He attends rallies even when sick, and tells Reuven the most important lesson in the book, that it is not the quantity of life that is important, it is the quality, and the achievements that complete a life. David Malter is one of the foundational characters in The Chosen, and if it were not for him, the entire book would have had different lessons and a very different story. Reuven would have disregarded Danny, and David would not be there to speak at the Zionist rallies, radically changing many aspects of the

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