The Promise by Chaim Potok 1.In 10-12 sentences, write a brief outline of the plot of the novel. Be sure to make clear the major conflict of the story. 1.In the beginning of the novel, the main character, Reuben, is spending some time with his father at their cottage. His friend, Rachel is also vacationing nearby. Reuben finds out that Rachel's 14 year old cousin, Michael, is mentally ill, and Reuben seems to be the only person Michael will talk to. Near the end of the summer, Reuben's
The Power of The Chosen Throughout the book, 'The Chosen', Chaim Potok used the way of the Jewish lifestyle to teach his readers of the Jewish people. Potok used a variety of techniques including diction where he introduced Jewish terms, the theme of silence, and conflict between father and son to make the novel appealing. Furthermore, this novel tells us of the life of Jews and their commitment to religion; "We are commanded to study His Torah! We are commanded to sit in the light of the
Silence in The Chosen In the book The Chosen the four main characters have different views on how children should be raised. Danny Saunders was said to be raised in silence. Danny was raised in silence in that communication was cut off between Danny and his father, except when they were studying Talmud. The reason Danny’s father did not speak to his son is because Rabbi Saunders wanted to have Danny think things through himself. Reb Saunders also wanted Danny to grow up in the same manner he himself
Chaim Potok's The Chosen In the book The Chosen, by Chaim Potok, Reuven Malter is shaped by everyone around him. During this interaction his character becomes more developed and engaging. Through the interactions, it becomes apparent that Reuven’s father is always teaching his child how to improve himself. The conversations between Reuven and his father help prepare Reuven develop the mentality and the personal qualities, such as wisdom, compassion, and tolerance, necessary to become a rabbi
Role of the Fathers in Chaim Potok’s The Chosen Chaim Potok’s The Chosen is the story of a lasting friendship that blossoms between two Jewish boys, Danny Saunders and Reuven Malter, during and after World War II. On a deeper level, much of the plot focuses on the character of their fathers–Reb Saunders and David Malter–whose beliefs and ideals are rooted in two separate worlds. Reb Saunders is a zealous Hasidic rabbi who wants to impart his knowledge of his religion upon Danny and expects his
The Chosen – Rueven and Danny In the novel, The Chosen, Chaim Potok successfully captures the strange customs of a Jewish community through wit and satire. Potok's novel focuses on two Jewish boys, who live in a world where their families expect high standards of achievement of them. The wish to become an insightful leader in the Jewish community was an always-predominant custom of the two families. But with hard work and perseverance, the two boys (Rueven and Danny), find out that they really are
between two people who come from completely distinct worlds, Chaim Potok was able to instigate and investigate a profound and deeply moving story of true friendship and the importance of father-son interconnection through self-realization in the work of The Chosen by explicitly introducing a series of challenges that question the morality and judgment of each protagonist. Through his masterpiece and by inserting complex situations, Chaim Potok took to his benefit to display the comparison between
The Lesson of The Chosen The Chosen, written by Chaim Potok, is about two boys from different religious sects that become friends despite all of their conflicts. Danny and Reuven participated in a baseball game against each other and Danny smacked the ball directly into Reuven's face, shattered his glasses, and a piece of glass penetrated his eye. Danny went to visit him in the hospital but, before he could say anything, Reuven started screaming at Danny and commanded him to leave while
In his novel The Chosen, Chaim Potok writes about a boy, Reuven Malter, from Brooklyn who is going through his coming-of-age period and experiences as a Jewish student. Throughout The Chosen, themes of friendships, reaching maturity, and understanding unravel and seep into Reuven Malter’s life. In this period of maturing, some pivotal moments occur, changing Reuven’s view of others and understanding of relationships. In the first couple chapters, Reuven was doing so well with baseball and fit in
to hear their own internal organs; occasionally hallucinations occur. The chamber amplifies an unknown fear, dead silence and extreme loneliness. Like many things, silence has a multitude of advantages, but extreme silence can prove devastation. In Chaim Potok’s The Chosen silence as a theme demonstrates destructivity. Devastation caused by silence is shown through Reb’s parenting methods, Danny’s silence between his father, and Reuven’s various experiences with silence. “When I was very
Extremes Collide In My Name Is Asher Lev By Chaim Potok In My Name is Asher Lev, Chaim Potok writes about a young boy in a Landover Hasidic community in Brooklyn who is an excellent artist. Asher travels through childhood hanging onto his art, but when his art interferes with his religious studies, Asher's two worlds of art and Torah collide. Potok deliberately chooses the extreme icons and symbols of secular life, such as the world of art, on the one hand, and of Judaism, Hasidim, and the
"Promise" by Paul Lawrence Dunbar is filled with symbolism. The basic definition of the word "promise," the title of the poem, refers to something to be given, granted, or willingly kept for the future. Yet no promise is fulfilled. A study of the plot reveals there really was no promise or guarantee at all--only an assumption. The "gardener" in this poem symbolizes a lover who, only to satisfy his (or her) own selfish desires, nurtures and cares for another. The "rose" symbolizes a loved one
Modern Versus Traditional Views in Chaim Potok’s The Chosen Chaim Potok’s The Chosen shows how people with traditional ideas view the world differently than those with modern ideas. For example, David Malter has modern views of his faith, whereas Reb Saunders cannot let go of traditional practices. Also, Reb Saunders and David Malter have different methods of raising their children. Finally, David Malter believes in Zionism, whereas Reb Saunders wants to wait for the coming of the Messiah
Creation of Identity in The Chosen Many forces can powerfully change the identity of a person. In the novel, The Chosen, a few of these forces are religion, family, and friends. Religion is one of the main points in anyones identity and much of the book is based around the fact that the main characters, Reuven and Danny, are Jewish. In Danny's case religion changes the entire way he was raised, as his father puts it, "I did not want to drive my son away from God, but I did not want him
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. In Book One, Reuven has the perception of a young and
hospital with an injury that nearly costs him an eye. The near loss of the boy’s eye creates a bond between the boys which develops into a deep and lasting friendship. Both boys, Reuven and Danny, are the sons of European immigrants. In The Chosen, by Chaim Potok, the boys feel the pull of the “American Dream” with its promise of boundless opportunity and freedom of choice—something quite alien to their European forebears. The boys instinctively sense this opportunity, and as they grow up, each develops
My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok, is about the life of a Hasidic Jew and famous artist, Asher Lev. Potok makes it clear from the beginning of the narrative that creating art is what Asher was born to do. The narrative takes us through various stages in Asher’s life, from child to adult and young artist to master painter. Even at a young age, Asher tries to draw everything he sees around him. His artistic impulse drives him to do certain things of which others in his community don’t approve of
The Chosen takes place in Brooklyn, New York in the 1950’s. It was the time where everyone has their radio on all the time, just to keep up with recent news on World War II. It is centered mainly on two boys and their families. Despite both families being devotedly Jewish, they treat their religion in a very different way and end up influencing each other. Reuvan Malter is one of the main characters and he also narrates the book. His dad teaches at the school he goes to, which makes Reuvan very
“Asher Lev, an artist is a person first. He is an individual. If there is no person, there is no artist” (Chaim Potok). An individual with different characteristics has a different mindset, attitude, confidence and respect from those around them. In Asher Lev by Chaim Potok, Asher is a Ladover Hasid who grows up in a Hasidic community, who is deeply committed to his Jewish faith and finds difficulty between the expectations of his traditions and his gift. He is an individual with a broad mindset
Conflicting values are a constant issue in society. In diverse civilizations minorities become out ruled by the majority. In Twentieth Century American culture there are many difficulties in existing as a minority. The books My Name is Asher Lev, by Chaim Potok, and the Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan, portray the aspect of being torn between two cultures as a conflict for today's minorities. Black Like Me, by John Howard Griffin, examines the hardships for a minority by progressively revealing them. The