Silence In Chaim Potok's The Chosen

Throughout The Chosen, Chaim Potok frequently incorporates silence, portraying it as a path to self discovery and realization of the world surrounding an individual. Initially, Reuven and Danny, who are the protagonists of the story, do not comprehend the true significance of silence. However, as both characters grow as individuals, they begin to understand the importance of this idea, “You can listen to silence, Reuven. I 've begun to realize that you can listen to silence and learn from it. It has a quality and a dimension all its own. It talks to me sometimes. I feel myself alive in it. It talks. And I can hear it.” (Chapter 17). This prominent theme of silence throughout the novel can be compared to the song “The Sound of Silence”, by Simon and Garfunkel, that heavily implies the concept of silence and discovering the world simply with the absence of sound. It also

Reb Saunders has declared since Danny’s youth that he would follow in his father’s footsteps to becoming a tzaddik for the Hasidic Jewish community. However, as Danny grows throughout the novel, he begins to gain his own perception on life, resulting in his decision of pursuing his own dream of becoming a psychologist. This prominent part of The Chosen can be compared to the song “Eye of the Beholder”, by Metallica, as the song essentially describes how life can be perceived differently by any individual. This relates to the conflict between Danny and Reb, as Reb initially only sees his perspective on Danny’s future career, which limits Danny’s freedom of being his own individual. Throughout the song, it states “independence is limited”, which relates to Danny before he was given the blessing to purse his own dream from his father. Along with that lyric, it also mentions “freedom of choice”, which relates to Danny wanting the freedom to choose rather than being