Essay on I Love and I Hate. Who Can Tell me Why?

Danny and Reuven’s relationship was a link between father and son, but this grew into something more, something life-long and unchanging. This friendship was true, it meant a lot to both of them, and their parents. However, after large disagreements in both Danny and Reuven’s religious lives and families, Reb Saunders excommunicates Reuven from the Hasidic community and Danny’s life.

The relationship between Danny and Reuven is a very big theme in The Chosen. Danny and Reuven are two boys who have grew up within a few blocks of each other, but in two entirely different worlds. They meet for the first time in at a school baseball game between their two Jewish schools. Even though at first their only feeling for each other is one of hatred, they eventually get over their differences and become the best of friends. They learn a lot about each other and about the others life and religion. The boys’ fathers have very different views and that’s gets them in trouble. Danny’s father disagrees with Reuven’s father’s point of view on a certain topic, and forbids Danny from ever seeing Reuven again. After some time Reb gets over himself and permits Danny to see Reuven again. This situation goes back to the fathers’ ways of raising their child and their view on their religion.

In Chaim Potok’s 1967 novel, The Chosen, Danny Saunders is the son of a Hasidic rabbi who wants Danny to become a rabbi as well. Danny ends up going away to study psychology at Columbia, where he will eventually no longer maintain his strong, Jewish identity which can be proven by the way that Reuven notes that he sounds like an apikoros, he calls Graetz a great scholar even when he reads the volume which berates Hasidism and he enjoys the works of Darwin and Freud which are things that true Hasids would never approve of. Some individuals believe that Danny will remain a Hasidic Jew because of his devotion to his father and when he says that having someone speak horribly about Hasidism feels terrible but the way that Danny speaks and acts reveals

Danny is a Hasidic Jew, and Reuven is a Modern Orthodox Jew. Hasidic Jews are particularly strict with their faith. They must study the Talmud for most of the day, and they refuse to accept to learning English subjects in school. In fact, they refuse to use the scientific method. Hasids believe God literally wrote the Torah, the holy book that includes the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. They have a strong, faithful devotion to their leader, the tzaddik. They believe the tzaddik is a messenger of God. In contrast, Modern Orthodox Jews practice a more rational, less restrictive form of Jewish faith. They must also study the Talmud, but they do not spend as much time studying as the Hasidic people do. They are much more open to learning English subjects in school and are taught scientific method. As a matter of fact, Hasidics look down on Modern Orthodox Jews because they do not spend enough time studying the Talmud, the book of Jewish law. Unlike the Hasidics, Modern Orthodox believe God inspired man to write the Torah. In the novel, the different ways Danny and Reuven approach Judaism is shown

To the reader it seems at first that Danny is an arrogant, uptight son of a rabbi. We learn as the novel progresses more about Danny and that he is a less than perfect

Reuven and Danny are enrolled in the same college and are forced to break their friendship because of the differences between their fathers. The slaughter of over six million jews during the holocaust leads to the demand to form a Jewish state. David Malter wants a more secular Jewish republic. “Six million of our people have been slaughtered--- we can not wait for God.” (David Malter 277). But Reb Saunders wants a more religious republic focusing on the Torah. “If Reb Saunders even once heard of Danny being anywhere in my presence, he would remove him immediately from the college and send him to an out-of-town yeshiva for his rabbinic ordination.” (Reuven Malter 331). When the United Nations officially declares the creation of Israel as a Jewish State, Reb Saunders is relieved and allows Danny to revive his friendship with Reuven. Reuven and Danny resume their friendship and the influence they have had on each other makes Reuven choose to become a rabbi while Danny chooses to become a psychologist.

Part of this is shown when Danny supports holling after Mickey Mantle wouldn't sign a baseball for him “Danny Hupfer, who stepped on the table and slowly paced his baseball-his baseball signed by Mickey mantle-back in front of the greatest player put on yankee pinstripes since babe ruth “guess i don't need this after all” danny said.” He put his hand away from the ball, and it wasn't easy. After which danny says “you are a pied ninny That shows his loyalty and friendship for holling. And he shows even more of his attitude when he stood up for mai thi when an eighth grader said “Don't you have any rate surprise for her?” and then he turned to mai thi and said, “Why don't you go back home where you can find some? And then Mai thi started to cry” and then Danny took his entire tray, and dumped it all over the eighth grader’s head, and before the eighth grade could open his eyes too see who had done it, Danny punched him as hard as he could and broke his nose. That got got Danny a four day suspension, and then his parents used that extra time to take him to washington D.C., because they were so proud of what he did. That kind of shows where he got his values and

One of first things Danny did when he talked to Reuven was insult him and call him an ‘apikorsim’, which is a Jew that is not following the basic rules of their faith. After the accident, Reuven refused to accept Danny’s apology and wanted to make him feel as bad as possible. He insulted him multiple times when Danny visited him in the hospital and told him to leave without even listening to him. But when he told his father about what he did, he was told to make Danny his friend and not to push him away. The next day, Danny came to visit him again. He apologized for his behavior the previous day and accepted Danny’s apology to him. After Reuven put aside his anger at the Hasidic boy they were able to become friends. It turned out that their difference of religion did not make any noticeable difference in their friendship at all, contrary to what both once

Danny and Reuven’s relationship progresses from tension in the beginning to an intimate friendship because of a mutual trust that is established. Danny says, “Sometimes I’m not sure I know what God wants though…I’ve never said that to anyone before” (80). From early on Danny feels comfortable confiding in Reuven. He shares his innermost feelings with Reuven and they form a closely knit bond. Danny and Reuven have a conversation; Reuven asks Danny, “Are you going to like being a Rabbi?” (82). Danny replies, “No, but I have no choice, it’s like a dynasty, if the son doesn’t take the father’s place, the dynasty falls apart” (Ibid.). This piece of evidence once again displays a profound trust the boys have. This conversation is a turning point for the book because Danny admits he does not want to carry on his father’s rabbinic dynasty. The fact that Danny openly shares this shocking information with Reuven shows how strong the boys relationship is. After a personal conversation Reuven narrates as he observes Danny, “I saw him begin to play absent-mindedly with one of his earlocks. We were quiet for a long

The journey that Richard and Mildred Loving took is important for history and for the future of civil rights in the United States. I recently watched the documentary The Loving Story and enjoyed the footage, pictures, and interviews of everyone involved in the Loving v. Virginia case. The documentary addressed the issue of interracial marriage in Virginia in 1967.

… “Why don’t you ask Appleman? I said quietly. “I think I will,” Danny said. “I think I’ll do just that. Why not? What have I got to lose? It can’t make me any more miserable than I am now” (Potok 211). Reuven helps Danny make decisions about his future encouraging him to follow his heart and become a psychologist. It would mean deviating from the expected career of following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a Rabbi. This would be frowned upon. Danny’s father states, “For six generations now we have led our people. I will not live forever. Daniel will one day take my place ---” (Potok 166). Danny lives his dream in silence until his father finally realizes that Danny wants to attend college and pursue a career outside of the faith.. ”And my son, my Daniel, he will - he will go another way. I saw Danny’s mouth fall open…’I know Reb Saunders murmured’…” (Potok 282). If it wasn’t for Reuven’s kindness, encouragement, and compassion for Danny, then Danny would have followed in his father’s footsteps and lived a life of misery in silence. Reuven’s character demonstrated a level of maturity by his actions. This newfound maturity continued to grow.

The Chosen, a novel written by Chaim Potok, is filled with a variety of themes that are brought together through each individual chapter. Chapter 7 in the book had a major impact in bringing forth the novel’s theme. For instance, in this chapter, the narrator, Reuven, starts by establishing the basic plot. He states, “The next day, I met Danny’s father” (Potok 112). Having this plot established is key in the chapter for it is the day that could make or break their friendship in a matter of seconds. Reuven and Danny Saunders have become friends since the incident during the ball game. Yet, there is a conflict in their friendship. Danny is a Hasidic Jew and follows the strict rules and beliefs of the Hasidic faith. Reuven, on the

The novel, The Chosen, written by Chaim Potok, is a very interesting novel that opens a reader's mind to the religion of Judaism and the different trials Jews had to go through. Throughout this book, many thoughts and ideas can get the readers attention, but the most appealing idea is the decisions that Danny Sanders had to make. Danny struggles with culture expectations concerning his dress, the decision to follow the Hasidic family tradition, and keeping his Jewish faith. Despite the pressures and expectations, Danny must express that he has a mind of his own and he has to determine which road he wants to travel

In the book “The Chosen” by Chaim Potok, two boys named Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders meet for the first time as rivals in a baseball game, taking place in Brooklyn, New York during the year of 1944. These boys live in an Orthodox community that is shaped by Jewish faith and culture. During the baseball game, Danny throws a strong violent pitch which hits Reuven in the eye causing him to be hospitalized. Despite Danny’s Hassidic Jewish religion, the boys soon begin to become friends through Reuven’s time at the hospital. Danny and Reuven bond over their Jewish faith, family, values, and most importantly their hopes for the future. While Reuven is a more introverted boy who loves to read and gain knowledge, Danny

Many religious conflicts are built from bigotry; however, only few will forever have an imprint on the world’s history. While some may leave a smear on the world’s past, some – like the homicide of Semitic people – may leave a scar. The Holocaust, closely tied to World War II, was a devastating and systematic persecution of millions of Jews by the Nazi regime and allies. Hitler, an anti-Semitic leader of the Nazis, believed that the Jewish race made the Aryan race impure. The Nazis did all in their power to annihilate the followers of Judaism, while the Jews attempted to rebel, rioted against the government, and united as one. Furthermore, the genocide had many social science factors that caused the opposition between the Jews and Nazis.