The Characteristics Of Reuven In The Chosen By Chaim Potok

In the novel, The Chosen, by Chaim Potok, two jewish families from different sects are brought together through the blossoming of a deep friendship between their two sons during the 1940s. It focuses on the emotional bonds forged between traditional Orthodox Jew Reuven Malter and Hasidim Danny Saunders, that last well through their childhood adventures of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York, and well into adult hood. It also follows their story of self discovery, parental acceptance, and how the boys attempt to fit into their modern ,popular American society as jews , all as World War 2 comes to a close. In their pursue of happiness, many problems are presented to them, which they eventually solve ,together, despite their differences. Reuven and Danny ,in Chaim Potok's ,The Chosen, manage to successfully create a beautiful friendship , aside from their different philosophical views, through perseverance, forgiveness, trustful communication, intimate listening and understanding, being supportive and present in times of need, and just setting aside their differences and accepting each other wholeheartedly.

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.

In The Chosen, Potok describes the Jewish culture during the period of World War I. Beginning with the affluence of Polish Jews before the war, Potok established a circle of relationships. In the book, there are three main relationships. The first one is father-son, between Danny and his father, Reb Saunders and between Reuven and his father, David Malter. The relationship between Reuven and Danny is the second main relationship in The Chosen. The third main relationship is Hasidism verses Zionism.

Thematic Statement: Forgiving someone for their mistake can make yourself free of anger and bitterness.

man appears in a variety of aspects throughout the book. When Reuven first meets Michael, Michael acts like a spoiled brat. However, the more Reuven gets to know him, he learns that Michael has a mental condition and has trouble controlling his anger at times. During Reuven's time at seminary, Rav Kalman repeatedly challenges him in his education; however, it turns out Rav Kalman needed someone to talk to and fill a hole in his heart. After Reuven and Rachel broke up, it must have been a tense situation, especially for Reuven, when Rachel started dating Danny. Surprisingly, Reuven and Danny's friendship remains as strong as ever. Even though the man vs. man conflict evidently arises in multiple situations, Potok resolves all of them quite

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.

Danny’s father feels like this silence will make Danny become a better individual and teach him about compassion. However, Danny’s father does not realize how much this silence hurts Danny and how it causes him suffering. Even though Danny isn’t suffering physical pain like Reuven did in the beginning of the book, he is however, suffering emotionally, which to some extent, hurts just as much, if not more than physical pain. For a long time, Danny doesn’t understand his father’s methods of interacting or treating him like the reason why he won’t talk with him outside of their faith. Danny asks himself the “why,” but still doesn’t have any answers. Throughout the book, both Reuven and Danny go through suffering. Even though their suffering is different, it does not lessen the pain that they each face throughout this book.

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

After Danny’s original murderous intents towards Reuven, only Reuven’s anger stands in the way of their friendship. Reuven has outbursts of anger towards Danny when he comes to visit Reuven in the hospital and towards Danny’s father. When Danny comes to apologize to Reuven, Reuven tells him “For my part, you can go to hell” (61). Even after

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

After Reuven initially wakes up, Danny visits him in the hospital to apologize. “‘I am sorry,’ he said quietly. ‘I’ll just bet you are,’ I told him. He…turned and walked slowly away.” After Reuven tells his father of the events, his father tells him that he should have listened. This response on David’s part initially caused Reuven to listen to Danny when he returned the second time.

Reb confides in Reuven in hopes that Reuven will share his wisdom with Danny. Reuven doesn’t understand how Reb is using him until the end of the book. Reb attempts to shine light on Reuven when he says, ‘It is never pleasant to be a buffer Reuven’ (Potok 170). Reb continues to speak to Reuven, “You have become a

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 son to follow in his footsteps. David is a professor and single father who comes from a liberal Jewish background. As the friendship between Reuven and Danny grows, both fathers try to reconcile their views with their sons and with their own

Through this tragedy, Arthur Miller is able to show the audience the benefits in forgiveness. He uses Abigail’s misfortunate choice of action to communicate to the spectators that, while the temptation of vengeance is often a great one in the face of pain or offence, it holds the potential to rebound, when forgiveness typically holds no such potential. Every now and then, taking the higher road is better than taking the more satisfactory

An exceptional example of a character with a compelling personality is the Comtesse de Tournay. (Repeating name)The Comtesse de Tournay’s engaging identity is recognizable in her protectiveness of her family. This is especially true when she talks about her husband. In the novel, the comtesse finally makes it across the border but has no other emotions but concern for her husband’s well being. While Sir Andrew Ffoulkes was telling the comtesse to have faith, she began telling him, “‘Indeed, indeed, Monsieur,’...‘I have the fullest confidence in you and your friends.’...‘But my husband, Monsieur,’... whilst unshed tears seemed to veil her voice, ‘he is in such deadly peril--I would never have left him, only… there were my children...I was torn between my duty to him, and to them’” (Orczy 6). (Shorten quote) This makes it obvious that no matter what