David Malter's The Chosen

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thinking while Reb Saunders, Danny’s father, is shown with traditional thinking. As the story progresses, Danny starts to question his traditional beliefs and becomes more open to modern thinking. This is shown when he decides to pursue psychology instead of becoming a rabbi like his father. The novel ultimately suggests that a balance between tradition and modernity is necessary for personal growth and acceptance of the future. generations. David, on the other hand, takes a more liberal approach to parenting, encouraging Reuven to embrace new ideas while still maintaining his religious beliefs. Reb Saunders, however, shelters Danny from modern ideas and raises him in silence, believing that this will help him connect more deeply with his soul and his place in the world. As Reb Saunders explains, "I did not want to drive him away from God, but I did not want him to grow up with a mind without a soul" (266). This tradition has been passed down through Danny's family for generations. well. His interest in the world outside of Danny's mind comes in small waves at first through the things he does when spending time with Reuven. The events of the war and the Holocaust are eye-opening knowledge that helps broaden the world that was once so small for Danny. His dreams inspire him to expand his horizons. Through this exposure, Danny comes to his father with his plan for the future by the end of the book. Reb Saunders' words of acceptance are slow and solemn, creating an emotional moment between father and son, with Reuven witnessing it. He accepts Danny's wish but asks him to keep the beliefs he was raised with and share his knowledge in the world he plans to enter. Reb Saunders wants his son's soul to have the freedom to find his way while still having God in his life, as he was taught. His hope for his son's soul has allowed him to accept Danny's path in life and even apologize to Reuven for his father's thoughts. "…my anger…at your father's Zionism" (289), he said when reflecting on the death of his brother and six million Jews. So, by the end, not only has Danny been given an open mind to the modern age, but his father has as well.

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