The Chosen By Chaim Potok Analysis

Ever since Reuven got out of the hospital, Reuven’s perspective started to change about Danny and the surroundings around him. The Chosen written by Chaim Potok, began in the early 1940’s, with a softball game between two Jewish parochial schools, on Jewish section of Brooklyn, New York. Each of the two softball teams represents a different kind of Jewish sect. Danny Saunders represents a Hasidic Sect that led by Reb Saunders, while Reuven Malter, the opposing teams, are composed of Modern Orthodox Jews. Reuven was the son of David Malter, who was a yeshiva professor. In The Chosen, Chaim Potok uses symbolism to reveal a focus on perspective. In doing so, Potok’s demonstrates that if vision is the ability to see, then it able to see beneath

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.

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

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

The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore is about two friends both named Wes Moore who were very close in age and lived even closer to each other. Both had lives without a father which is very common where they lived, had a very rough and depressing life growing up while also joining gangs and ran into trouble with police. The two boy’s however ended up in life very differently, The first boy a convicted murderer serving a life sentence, and the other a highly esteemed veteran, Business leader, Scholar, and accepted into America's most prestigious programs for leadership and public service. The word I chose for this book was choice.

Danny and Reuven represent deeply committed friends. Their live intertwine when historical circumstances , religious realities, and their father's differences in child rearing dramatically affect their respective senses of security and happiness.

In Chaim Potok’s The Chosen, two contrasting characters are introduced—Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders. They are opposites. While Reuven is forward—speaking his mind, Danny Saunders shows a stark contrast—an inflective soul, listening to silence, and growing from it. These characters set the stage for a lasting relationship to form, to be strengthened, and to be stressed.

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

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

Even so, they do have one similarity: Mr. Malter, Reb Saunders, and Mr. Merrit all love their children deeply, even if they have different ways of showing it. David Malter talks often with his son and lets him know that he cares. Often, he thinks of Reuven, giving him guidance, and answering his questions when he can. Throughout the book tries hard to be not just a teacher, and father, but a friend to Reuven. When Mr. Malter tells Reuven the long story of Danny’s history, he stops every once in a while to say things like, “You are not asleep yet, Reuven?”

This form of Judaism is known as the Ultra-Orthodox side of Judaism (Cowling, 275). They are known to live in isolation from the world, and have a strict commitment to the Torah in everyday life (Cowling, 275). Danny was raised in this kind of Judaism and was next in line to take his fathers place. Red Saunders Danny’s father states, “"The land of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob should be built by Jewish goyim, by contaminated men? […] Never! Not while I live!" (Potok, 197). He believes that if man rebuilds Judaism like Reuven's father wants that the wrath of God will come down and the people will continue to

“The Chosen” by Chaim Potok is a story that leaves a pretty long lasting effect on a reader. With relatable characters, captivating storyline, and a friendship sometimes you wish you had yourself.

All throughout the book, Mr. Malter shows his kindness not only towards his son, Reuven, but also towards the boy who injured Reuven, Danny Saunders. After the accident, Mr. Malter went to the hospital every day to spent time with his son. This was challenging due to the fact that he was sick with a very bad cold and he also had a large responsibility as a teacher. One day when he went to the hospital, Reuven and Danny were out in the hall way talking. When Reuven introduced his father to Danny, there was an awkward silence. Mr. Malter broke the silence and said gently with quiet warmth. “I see you play ball as well as you read book, Danny. I hope you are not as violent with a book

Sure, it’s hard to make new friends when moving from one place to another, but it’s also hard to make new friends even if they are and always have been just five blocks away. In “The Chosen” by Chaim Potok, the storyline was based in America during World War II, which is significant to the characters in the book because they are Jews. Even though they weren’t in Germany while the war was happening, they were still majorly affected by what was happening. To display the setting and significance to the novel, tone, and secondary character’s influence, Potok applied imagery detail, characterization, and dialect to this book, for it all to project the idea to the reader that friends are a gift.