No matter how unjust and undeserved suffering may seem, its nature is an inevitable evil that manifests itself in every stage of life. Chaim Potok explores this concept through Reuven Malter, one of the two protagonists in The Chosen. On account of a severe injury to Reuven’s eye, he becomes acquainted with Danny Saunders, heir to the Rabbinic position held by his father, Reb Saunders, in his Hasidic Jewish community. Shortly after the incident, Danny attempts to reconcile with a hospitalized Reuven, whose initial reluctance quickly progresses into acceptance. From that moment, the two establish a powerful bond in which they each serve as emotional vessels for the other as they struggle through their own personal instances of suffering. Reuven’s …show more content…
The rift between Reuven and Danny is first illustrated minutes prior to the baseball game, where Reuven describes Danny as possessing an arrogant sense of righteousness, despite the two having not physically or verbally interacted prior (Potok 12). This reveals Reuven’s tendency to prematurely conclude the behaviors and motives of those with a Hasidic background based on his own preconceptions, instead of recognizing the thoughts and opinions specific to the individual. During the first conversation with his father after sustaining his injury, Reuven expresses intense disgust towards Danny, claiming his own physical misery as the primary motive behind Danny’s intentions (Potok 49). Reuven seizes this opportunity as confirmation for his ignorantly bitter perspective towards Hasidic Jews; additionally, this further emphasizes how Reuven refuses to view Danny as an independent human being rather than an umbrella representation of Hasidism. By the time Danny arrives at his bedside with an apologetic purpose, spiteful thoughts still roam through Reuven’s mind, and he responds to Danny’s attempt at making amends with a tirade of guilt-provoking insults aimed Danny’s Hasidic culture (Potok 61-62). This exemplifies how even in spite of Danny’s efforts to hold a civil conversation, Reuven’s …show more content…
After obliging Danny to explain the baseball incident through his eyes, Reuven identifies a stark contrast between Danny’s command of English, and the Yiddish-dominant speech of his preconceived expectation of a Hasidic Jew; he further describes the atmosphere when Danny speaks as being immersive enough to bring everything else “out of focus” (Potok 66-67). Unlike his previous confrontation with Danny, Reuven chooses to glance beneath the surface of the Hasidic exterior, and discovers tolerance in his improved perception of Danny. As the two continue their exchange, Danny discloses his ambition of pursuing psychology, to which Reuven reacts in silent astonishment (Potok 70). This new shard of information invites Reuven to further challenge his past-generalizations and perceptions, in that Danny’s intellectual desires transcend his religious affiliation. Towards the end of their conversation, Danny claims that Reuven had the option of avoiding contact with the ball that would cause his injury, to which Reuven eventually agrees (Potok 71). In spite of Reuven’s previous assumption in his conversation with his father that Danny’s intentions were truly evil, Danny challenges Reuven’s perspective, who alters it quickly; this further emphasizes how he has allowed Danny to open his
In The Chosen by Chaim Potok, vision is a metaphor for perceptive growth. During Book One, Reuven is naïve, and he fails to see through the eyes of others. However, after he meets Danny, the two boys progress into Book Two with more empathetic and mature eyes. In Book Three, at the end of the novel, the two boys – now young men – have grown perceptively to see and understand the paradox of the significance and insignificance of their existences.
During the final conversation between Reb Saunders, Danny, and Reuven, Reb Saunders defends his method of raising Danny by noting that, “...I did not want my Daniel to become like my brother...Better I should have no son at all than have a brilliant son with no soul” (285). Reb Saunders assumes that if Danny were raised in silence, then he would obtain a soul unlike Reb Saunders’ brother who did not have one. Reb Saunders raises Danny in isolation due to his assumption that having intellect without a soul would make a person indifferent and uncaring. By only wanting what he presumes is most beneficial for Danny, Reb Saunders forms a barrier between him and a meaningful relationship with Danny. This approach of bringing up a child is the only one that Reb Saunders has previous knowledge and he realizes that, “..a wiser father... may have done differently. I am not... wise” (288). Once Reb Saunders understands the consequences of his irrational decision, it is too late to make amends. Silence strains their relationship and forces both Danny and Reb Saunders to become depressed and miserable. Despite raising Danny with good intentions, Reb Saunders feels remorse for not establishing an affectionate relationship with his son while he still had the chance. Furthermore, Reb Saunders yearns for Danny to become a tzaddik and tries fulfills his desire through restrained communication between his son. If Reb Saunders had created a lasting relationship with Danny then the same hope could have been achieved. For Danny to become a tzaddik without feeling compassion during his lifetime is difficult to demand. It may have been possible for Danny to develop the traits that his father requires of him if he was raised in a nurturing environment. Overall, Reb Saunders’ rationalization of his parenting technique is rendered useless as he comprehends what an ill-advised approach it
The relationship between the two fathers and the two sons is a very important theme in this book. Because of their different backgrounds, Reb Saunders and David Malters approached raising a child from two totally different perspectives. Despite the obvious differences in the two men’s beliefs, both did what they thought was right for their sons. Reb Saunders was a Hasidic tzaddik and wanted his son to follow in his footsteps. He raised Danny in silence, hoping to teach him to listen to silence, to learn compassion, and to develop a soul to go with his mind. Unless it had to do with religious studies, Reb never had an actual conversation with Danny after the age of 3. Reb wanted Danny to find things out for himself. On the other hand, Reuven’s father, Mr. Malters, felt it very important that he had good and frequent communication between himself and his son. The two would sometimes talk for hours about life, different religions, friends and anything else Reuven would want to ...
As the story evolves, Danny and Reuven become very good friends. This is a highlight for Danny, given that he has never had a close friend before Reuven. Danny has lived a very lonely life. He has not had any friends because he feels that no understands him. Reuven's father realizes Danny's loneliness, and gives Reuven some fatherly advice. He comments, "Reb Saunders' son is a terribly torn and lonely boy. There is literally no one in the world he can talk to. He needs a friend." (pg. 110) David Malter continues by saying, "The accident with the baseball has bound him to you and he has already sensed in you someone he can talk to without fear. I am very proud of you for that." (pg. 110) Reuven's father expresses his confidence to his son very openly which is an important aspect in comparing with Danny and his father's relationship.
Danny Saunders is the other main character, who lives under the shadow of becoming the next rabbi (the preacher of our culture.) He...
...d but he could not achieve his goals. His situation is relatable to the audience even if one is not a baseball player. The book teaches the audience to avoid company and mistakes that can rob them their success. Roy Hobbs misfortunes remind the readers how some obstacles can alter someone’s dreams.
In all of their conversations, Mr. Malter seeks to pass his moral wisdom onto Reuven. At the beginning of the novel, after Reuven refuses to listen to Danny’s apology, his father visits him at the hospital to discuss his ignorance: “‘You did a foolish thing, Reuven,’ he told me [Reuven] sternly. ‘You remember what the Talmud says. If a person comes to apologize for having hurt you, you must listen and forgive him’” (96). Reuven’s father teaches him about applying the Talmud to his daily life and about becoming a better person. After Reuven and Danny begin to become friends, Reuven begins to look at the baseball game in retrospective. He tells his father he is shocked how such a strong friendship can emerge from such a meaningless occurrence. His father replies, “‘Reuven, as you grow older you will discover that the most important things that will happen to you will often come as a result of silly things, as you call them‘ordinary things’ is a better expression. That is the way the world is’” (110). Mr. Malter shares his wisdom of Jewish morals and way of life with Reuven so he may pass his knowledge on to his children, or perhaps his future followers. Mr. Malter tries to pass more wisdom to Reuven as the ...
The story is concerned with the conflict between his conception of himself and the reality.
David Malter, Reuven’s father, believed the need for a Jewish state was dire because of the information about Hitler and his concentration camps that had been published in the newspaper. The historical significance of millions of Jewish lives lost in Europe affected the cultural values in the Jewish community. Mr. Malter states, “We cannot wait for God….We have a terrible responsibility…The Jewish world is changed” (Potok 191). The impacts of the concentration camps were enormous and left the world unsettled. He goes on to say, “If we do not rebuild Jewry in America, we will die as a people” (191-192). He strongly believed his religion would waste away when the American Jews passed on. He believed this because of the historical events that had taken place; history affects culture. Reb Saunders’ viewpoint is much different from David Malter’s; instead, he believes that a Jewish state without the Messiah would be blasphemous. He asks, “Tell me, we should forget completely about the Messiah? For this six million of our people were slaughtered? That we should forget completely about the Messiah, that we should forget completely about the Master of the Universe” (Potok 198). Danny’s
In The Chosen by Chaim Potok, the main character Reuven Malter experiences silence in all forms. This phrase applies to him by the time that he never appreciated how much he and Danny Saunders has been talking and then suddenly Reb Saunders, Danny's father, separated them. This is appointed to in this passage, "I hated the silence between us and thought it unimaginable that Danny and his father never really talked. Silence was ugly, it was black, it leered, it was cancerous, it was death. I hated it, and I hated Reb Saunders for forcing it upon me and his son (Potok 235, Ch 14). Though in this passage Reuven said he hates the silence, it makes him more aware of what is happening and learns to enjoy it and make use of it. "In subsequent weeks, I was grateful for that silence" (Potok 242, Ch 14). This silence has opened his mind and has allowed him to think of more
In "A&P" Sammy changes from an immature teenager to a person who takes a stand for what he believes is wrong which is reflected in Sammy's words and actions. This paper is composed of three paragraphs. The first paragraph deals with the immature Sammy, the second concentrates on Sammy's beginning his maturing process, and the last focuses on his decision to take a stand no matter what the consequences are.
The way in which Reb Saunders and David Malter raise their children reflect the conflict between tradition and modernity in this story. David Malter raises Reuven with a modern approach. He encourages Reuven to learn about the modern world as well as hold on to his religion. Reb Saunders to shelter Danny from modern ideas. With the exception of teaching Danny about the Talmud, he raises Danny in silence. He has his own reasons for raising Danny this way. “I did not want to drive him away from God, but I did not want him to grow up a mind without a soul” (Page 266). Reb Saunders raises his son through a tradition that has been in his family for a long time. However, he accomplishes his goal. His method of raising his son is dramatically different from David Malter’s modern practice. The results are also different. Danny has gone through much more pain and suffering than Reuven, and he chooses to carry on this practice if he must. Modernity and tradition present in the different ideas of these men influences the lives and ideas of their children as well.
The bus driver gave him a baseball for Mickey to sign. When he got their Mickey Mantle refused to sign his baseball because he was wearing yellow tights. So Danny threw his baseball on the ground because it wasn't fair that his inspiration didn't sign his baseball because he was wearing tights. After, Holling realized that his friends really cares about him. Holling changed to be a better person and started to really care about others too.
All through the entire book, Chaim Potok attempted various endeavor in order to express the emphasis on developing his central characters, Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders. One of the main themes Chaim Potok tried to express in The Chosen is that true friendship plays a vital role in maintaining the welfare of any friends. To backbone his idea, Chaim Potok demonstrated several scenarios when Reuven and Danny are in difficult situations and ultimately have to sort out solutions before the problems could corrupt their relationship. Reuven Malter, son of a Modern Orthodox teacher, is smart, athletic and has a particular nick for mathematics. However, Reuven's desire is to become a rabbi of his own sect for he feels that he could " be more useful to people as a rabbi ," ("The Chosen" 74) by doing things such as to " teach them, and help them when they're in trouble " ("The Chosen" 74) Danny Saunders, on the other hand, is the son of a Russian Hasidic rabbi leader, Reb Saunders.
The film soon reverts back to the films current narrative/equillibrium and is focused on Danny, who is now following the same path as his brother, after he submits an essay based on Adolph Hitler, which is politically incorrect, referring him as being a "great civil rights leader"; is currently on the urge of getting expelled from school.