Paradox In The Chosen

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

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.

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

The world needs more people like Reuven Malter. Reuven Malter portrays persistence and dedication to his studies and friendships, intelligence in his daily lifestyle, and compassion towards the people he is around. Chaim Potok introduces readers to Reuven immediately in the first chapter of The Chosen in the setting of a baseball game. Right off the bat, people realize his sportsmanship and likeable character. Danny Saunders, who Chaim Potok characterizes as a rival baseball player, and Reuven actually befriended one another in the first few chapters. Though Danny seems kind and thoughtful, he still has somewhat a temper and can be difficult. Contrastingly, Reuven intelligently pursues mathematical logic with passion. Throughout the book, Mr.

Humans, prideful creatures, tend to think of only themselves. Their selfish nature causes suffering to themselves and to others as well. This self-centered mentality creates many deep family problems. Dombey wishes his son to turn like him even without his consent or even considering his feelings. In the passage, the descriptions of the egocentric Dombey and the victimized and pitied son and Mrs. Dombey shows the authors disappointing and cynical attitude that the reader reciprocates as well.

Concerning Characters Concern ranks in the top of characteristics for a true friend to have. People with this quality care more for others. The Bible says “That there should be no schism in the body: but that the members should have the same care one for another.”(1 Corinthians 12:25). Having an

In Chaim Potok’s, The Chosen, Reuven does not change over the course of the book. Reuven allows his emotions to make him act and think rashly rather than learning more about the situation.

This quote is very descriptive, and explaining the mood of the story very well by using imagery. This literary term pops up throughout this story a lot. When describing scenes in the story, the author uses many vivid settings that paint a perfect picture in my mind. This quote is also very crucial to how Reuven became to hate Danny. This was the start of the nervousness Reuven was experiencing while playing baseball against Danny.

In The Chosen by Chaim Potok large amounts of trust are displayed by Mr. Malter, Billy, and Reb Saunders. Mr. Malter gives his son, Reuven, many freedoms a parent otherwise would not. For instance he allowed his son to befriend a boy from a completely different section of their religion. Not only does he allow the friendship, but he strongly encouraged it. Billy, a young boy, who unluckily turned blind due to an accident places trust in everyone around him. He depends on others for help since he can no longer help himself. Finally, Reb Saunders, a highly looked upon Rabbi, earned the becoming title of a trustworthy man. Mr. Malter, Billy, Reb Saunders all have placed trust into someone.

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.

In this quotation, Reb Saunders is telling Reuven how brilliant he thinks Danny is, but also tells him how he saw him reading a story when he was four years old. He talks about how he didn’t read the book, but he “swallowed” it. He also talks about how it was then that he found out that there “was no soul” in his four-year old Daniel, and there was only his mind. Later, he talks about how this is the reason that he raised Danny is silence. This shows that although Reb Saunders thinks his son is brilliant, he also thinks that it was important for him to raise him in silence so that he could develop emotions and feelings for others. This shows that Danny’s character in the book is highly influenced by Reb Saunders’ way of raising him.

In fictional dystopian societies, protagonists are often guided to question their societies and develop as characters to lead them to the climax of their stories. In The Giver by Lois Lowry and Anthem by Ayn Rand, both Jonas’s and Equality 7-2521’s character development is influenced by the use of interpersonal relationships to help them reject the dystopian society, but their relationships are different at face value and cause them to question and revolt against the society for different

The story “Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemmingway depicts the wounding and post-traumatic experience of the First World War of the main character Harold Krebs and his family. Like most soldiers’ experience of the war, upon return to their lives back home, their lives virtually had no more meaning to them. Krebs presents a painful realization in this manner in which he interacts with his mother. She tries to think of her son as a hero and make him feel like one by encouraging him to re-tell his tales from the war. Krebs knows that the impressions his mother is making are not authentic and she, just like the rest of his fellow town folk are tired of hearing and reading the same stories from the war (De Baerdemaeker 24). Hemingway uses the story to painfully highlight the internal conflict that leaves an individual veteran like Krebs questioning his peculiar heroic status after fighting in the war.