True Intelligence In Chaim Potok's The Chosen

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In today’s world, intelligence remains the key to success. The wise minister Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.” Intelligence is the ability to obtain and apply knowledge and skill. In Chaim Potok’s novel The Chosen, the main characters Danny Saunders and Reuven Malter display immense intelligence throughout the story. Reb Saunders demonstrates his intelligence by intentionally cultivating thought-provoking questions for every situation with his son, Danny, and others. Reuven, Danny, and Reb Saunders all display exceptional qualities, but intelligence remains the most prominent trait in each …show more content…

The most notable example is when Danny’s father, Reb Saunders, delivers a lecture on how Jews are obligated to serve God by studying the Torah. After the lecture, Danny corrects his father on a mistake he had made during his speech. Quizzing him more, Reb Saunders asks Danny if he had made any other mistakes to which Danny says that he had not. Disappointed with that answer, he turns to Reuven and asks if all his statements were correct. Terrified, he replied, “No, they were not all good.” (139) Reb Saunders broke out in a smile, approving of Reuven’s answer. By respectfully correcting a leader, Reuven proves his intelligence even when he faced adversity.

Along with Reuven, Danny Saunders also proves to be a very intelligent person. One remarkable example occurs when Danny visits Reuven in the hospital. They spark up a conversation about what God desires him and Reuven to do with their lives. Out of nowhere, Danny reveals that he reads, in addition to school work, “…seven or eight books a week…” (80).This shocks Reuven and he immediately starts to admire Danny even more because of it. Therefore, his exceptional reading ability and quest for knowledge reveal that Danny truly is individual marked by

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