Intriguing with sapphire eyes, a face chiseled out of stone, and golden ear locks stands Danny Saunders. In Chaim Potok’s book The Chosen Danny Saunders is a dynamic character. Son of Reb Saunders, a tzaddik, Danny lives a life infused with the Talmud. He studies and Talmud by heart but longs to study beyond religious manuscripts. The reading of non-religious books in Danny’s sect earns social rejection¬¬¬, but Danny yearned to study more and did so. Danny Saunders possesses a brilliant mind, a theological understanding, and an inquisitive sprit.
Danny Saunders has an aptitude for learning. When he looks at a page of literature, he instantaneously memorizes it. Blatt after blatt of Talmud and even Ivanhoe forever remain in his fifteen year old head, and that truly leaves the men around him awestruck. Mr. Malter was one of these men. “But he is a phenomenon. Once in a generation is a mind like that born” (110). God gifted Danny with a photographic mind for a reason. Reb Saunders, Danny’s father, believes that God gave Danny a brilliant mind to do great things for the Hasidic church.
Danny Saunders has a rounded knowledge of Talmud. Reb Saunders’ has high
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According to the Hasidic church unreligious manuscripts come from the corrupted, ominous, avarice world, and anyone who reads them becomes a nozuf—hated by the Master of the Universe. Danny’s curious mind could not be limited to Talmud, and in the afternoons he would secretly walk to the library and read secular, earthly books. At the public library Danny met Mr. Malter. There, Danny ask for book recommendations, and Mr. Malter soon learned of Danny’s brilliance. Later, Mr. Malter discovered that Danny taught himself German to read Freud’s original phycology manuscripts. “At the age of fifteen…But it will not be possible to stop him’ ” (158). Soon after, Reb Saunders learned of Danny’s trips, but he did not attempt to stop his son’s constant need for
The short story, The Rabbi in the Attic, written by Eileen Pollack (Curtis, 1998), enlightens the reader to the difficulties experienced by religious congregations as a whole, in a very regimented and legalistic form or religion. Pollack’s story also alluded to the fact of how ordered types of religions can lead to conflicting views and ideals from within the congregation over the same God (Schultz, 2015). The theme of The Rabbi in the Attic is undeniably about the harmful effects on congregations that adhere to ritual, tradition, stringent religious law and the emotional upheaval that follows dogma (Schultz, 2015). The Biblical allusion in The Rabbi in the Attic was highlighted by the characters and mimicked the adversity experienced by Jesus Christ with the Scribes and Pharisees in the New Testament gospels. Rabbi Heckler could be considered representative of the high priest Caiaphas (Pollack, 1998, p. 237) in enforcing the law, and the congregation, as those being oppressed by the law and wandering in darkness (Pollack, 1998, p. 240). After Rabbi Heckler’s ouster enters orthodox Rabbi Marion Bloomgareten, who represented the essence of reform similar to Jesus Christ (Pollack, 1998, p. 255). Like Christ, Rabbi Bloomgarten
Rabbi Saunders tries his hardest to have his son’s soul be ready for taking over the task of leading the Jewish people. The reason that a person must have a strong soul is so that they can handle the burden that Danny’s followers will heap onto him. Rabbi Saunders believes that only speaking to his son in Talmud discussions will enhance his sons soul. That is why Reb Saunders raises his child in silence. It is understandable to raise a son in the way Reb Saunders did, because Danny was destined for such great things. All Reb Saunders wants is that hi...
A lack of communication between parent and child can lead to insufficient development of language skills, limited emotional bonding, and behavioral concerns. In Chaim Potok’s The Chosen Reb Saunders isolates himself from his son Daniel by raising him in silence. Seldom few words pass between them unless they are debating the Talmud. Over time, their lack of verbal expression results in a decline of their vigor and energy and an unloving relationship. Reb Saunders does not make a reasonable decision by raising Danny in silence because it forms a problematic relationship between the two and presents each of them with numerous mental and physical issues.
David Malter was part of the Jewish sect that took on a more modern approach. He is very understanding, and he cares very deeply for his son Reuven. Reuven and his father's relationship would be considered healthy by most people. They love each other very much, and they have a very open communication with each other.
“The individual human mind. In a child's power to master the multiplication table there is more sanctity than in all your shouted "Amens!", "Holy, Holies!" and "Hosannahs!" An idea is a greater monument than a cathedral. And the advance of man's knowledge is more of a miracle than any sticks turned to snakes, or the parting of waters! But are we now to halt the march of progress because Mr. Brady frightens us with a fable?”
How truly grateful are we for our possessions and what we have earned from the work we have done? Are we thankful for what we possess, or are we still jealous of that one friend, colleague, coworker, or even extended family member that has nicer belongings than we do? Jacob Riis opened our eyes and gave us a true, vivid description and idea of how American families in New York during the late 1800’s lived and worked. This eye opening account shows us today that we should be grateful for what we have and never think that everyone is better than us. Throughout How the Other Half Lives, Riis uses a variety of writing techniques such as word choice, imagery, and .
To begin with, the dual narratives of the text here present a unique mixture of chronology and perspective. Moreover, noteworthy is also McBride’s usage of the rhetorical strategy of alternate chapters and parallelism. This can be seen when McBride remarkably places related chapters together to juxtapose the life of his mother and that of himself. This allows one to observe the parallelism in the two lives; and perhaps more importantly, understand the significance Ruth’s life has had on McBride. For example, McBride places the chapters “Shul” and “School” next to each other. Here, both Ruth and James are struggling and are trying to fit in but are rejected due to racial and social conflicts. Another example is, “The New Testament” and “The Old Testament.” Both of these chapters revolve around the embarrassment Ruth and James feel for their circumstances. In “The Ne...
René de Chateaubriand, François. The Beauties of Christianity. The Hebrew Bible In Literary Criticism. Ed. and Comp. Alex Preminger and Edward L. Greenstein. New York: Ungar, 1986. 445.
Pasi, Marco. "Arthur Machen’s Panic Fears: Western Esotericism and the Irruption of Negative Epistemology." Aries 7 (2007): 63-68.
David Malter’s modern ideas conflict with Reb Saunders's traditional practices. For example, David Malter wants his son, Reuven, to learn English subjects and become a mathematician. However, a Jewish school established by Reb Saunders teaches the minimum required English subjects. Reb wishes for Danny to become a rabbi and carry a tradition in which the oldest son becomes a rabbi and the leader of the sect. These opposing views are carried out in all other aspects of the religious sects in which these men lead.
The. 1987 Lopez, Kathryn Muller. Read Daniel: Negotiating The Classic Issues Of The Book. Review & Expositor 109.4 (2012): 521-530. ATLASerials, a Religion Collection.
According to Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried, this fictional novel is a group of short stories that blended reality and fiction. Tim O’Brien’s storytelling evokes emotional responses from the audience, and it makes them empathise with the characters’ experience throughout the Vietnam War and after the war. In general, veterans who fought in the war change, and they experience disconnection with their friends and family after the war. Norman Bowker is a teenager who was drafted into the war, and he was one of the only good characters in this story. Through this character, we can see Norman Bowker change as the novel progresses and how war can affect people even when the war is over.
Danny is a Hassidic Jew, who believes that there should not be a homeland for the Jews that is established without the Messiah. Reuven, as a Zionist, believes that they should just establish Israel themselves and stop waiting. This distinction between the faiths is extremely obvious when Reb Saunders exclaims during dinner, “There must not be an Israel without the messiah!” Reuven’s father is the complete antithesis of Reb as he is passionate about the founding of Israel as a measure to prevent anti-Semitism. He is constantly going on speaking tours and writing articles to get the people of the world interested and pushing for the founding of the Jewish homeland. Reuven grows passionate about this too after he has been excommunicated by Reb and not allowed to talk to Danny when he goes out at night to help ship guns to Palestine. Hassidics and Zionists also differ in their reactions to the Holocaust. Reb Saunder responds to the Hassidic with, “… though God slayed me… still I trust in Him.” His faith does not change and he views it as God’s punishment for straying from their beliefs and traditions. Matler again has a completely opposite viewpoint of the events and says “We are survivors… we need to keep ourselves alive and cannot count on God for our help.” When he is making his grand speech in front of the people, he mentions how the only way for these events to happen
" Christianity & Literature 58.1 (2008): 81-92. Academic Search Complete. Web. 29 Mar. 2014. Fienberg, Lorne. "
Kohn, Risa Levitt, and Rebecca Moore. A Portable God: The Origin of Judaism and Christianity. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007. Print.