Chaim Potok’s first novel, The Chosen, revolves around two Jewish, teenage boys as they live in Brooklyn, NY, during the end and aftermath of WWII. The narrator, Reuven Malter, is raised as a Modern Orthodox Jew whereas the other protagonist, Danny Saunders, is a Hasid. Because of their religious differences, Reuven conforms to secular society by pursuing non-religious studies while Danny is only allowed to study the Jewish sacred texts, the Torah and Talmud. The two bond after a heavily injurious baseball match, where Danny bats a ball into Reuven’s eye. Their friendship is tested throughout the book, including Danny making secret trips to the library to study Freud, Reuven needing to seek approval from Danny’s father to engage his friendship, and the actions of the two fathers of the protagonists concerning whether or not to establish Israel as a Jewish secular nation-state. Despite what happens during the entire novel, …show more content…
Each character has their own strengths, weaknesses, and motivations, leading them to act realistically and with purpose. For example, Reuven is easily affected by first-impressions. Because of this, he begrudges both Danny for hitting him in the eye at the start of the novel and his father for imposing silence over Danny. Another example comes in the form of Danny’s thirst for knowledge. Danny’s father worries about the secular world making Danny’s soul devoid of compassion through the allure of information. Yet, Danny cannot stay away from external learning, gobbling up Freud’s works over summer. Because of this, Danny’s father is motivated to teach Danny how to be compassionate in the only way he knows how—establishing a permanent silence between the two outside of Talmudic studies. Through these ways, Potok’s novel establishes characters with depth and personality, making them come to
Three main character that he shows compassion through in different ways are, Reuven, Mr. Malter and Reb Sanders. To begin with, Reuven shows great companion for other, even in his teenage years. He demonstrates throughout the book that he really cares for others and that he takes their burden upon himself. He shows how he actually suffers with others with their hardships and he never only thinks about himself. For example, when Reuven learns that his little friend Billy did not get his eye sight back, the book says, “I felt myself break out into cold sweat.
During the final conversation between Reb Saunders, Danny, and Reuven, Reb Saunders defends his method of raising Danny by noting that, “...I did not want my Daniel to become like my brother...Better I should have no son at all than have a brilliant son with no soul” (285). Reb Saunders assumes that if Danny were raised in silence, then he would obtain a soul unlike Reb Saunders’ brother who did not have one. Reb Saunders raises Danny in isolation due to his assumption that having intellect without a soul would make a person indifferent and uncaring. By only wanting what he presumes is most beneficial for Danny, Reb Saunders forms a barrier between him and a meaningful relationship with Danny. This approach of bringing up a child is the only one that Reb Saunders has previous knowledge and he realizes that, “..a wiser father... may have done differently. I am not... wise” (288). Once Reb Saunders understands the consequences of his irrational decision, it is too late to make amends. Silence strains their relationship and forces both Danny and Reb Saunders to become depressed and miserable. Despite raising Danny with good intentions, Reb Saunders feels remorse for not establishing an affectionate relationship with his son while he still had the chance. Furthermore, Reb Saunders yearns for Danny to become a tzaddik and tries fulfills his desire through restrained communication between his son. If Reb Saunders had created a lasting relationship with Danny then the same hope could have been achieved. For Danny to become a tzaddik without feeling compassion during his lifetime is difficult to demand. It may have been possible for Danny to develop the traits that his father requires of him if he was raised in a nurturing environment. Overall, Reb Saunders’ rationalization of his parenting technique is rendered useless as he comprehends what an ill-advised approach it
The relationship between the two fathers and the two sons is a very important theme in this book. Because of their different backgrounds, Reb Saunders and David Malters approached raising a child from two totally different perspectives. Despite the obvious differences in the two men’s beliefs, both did what they thought was right for their sons. Reb Saunders was a Hasidic tzaddik and wanted his son to follow in his footsteps. He raised Danny in silence, hoping to teach him to listen to silence, to learn compassion, and to develop a soul to go with his mind. Unless it had to do with religious studies, Reb never had an actual conversation with Danny after the age of 3. Reb wanted Danny to find things out for himself. On the other hand, Reuven’s father, Mr. Malters, felt it very important that he had good and frequent communication between himself and his son. The two would sometimes talk for hours about life, different religions, friends and anything else Reuven would want to ...
In The Chosen by Chaim Potok everyone knows Reb Saunders as a godly person. As a tsaddik, people thought of him as a messenger from God. He suffered in his homeland where gangs attacked him and murdered his family. After a maid nursed him back to health, he led the small group of people out of Russia in America. Then he governed his people there like he had in Russia. His personality helped everyone honor him and take care of his people well. Reb Saunders personalities of leadership, wisdom, and kindness make him a great leader of his people.
Each person has a distinct, identifiable personality. These personalities are the basis of who we are and how we live our lives. Growing up, these personalities are formed through associations and manipulations of the personalities of others. This is clearly evident in Mordecai Richler's The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz. In this novel, we follow Duddy Kravitz's life from early adolescence to adulthood. Throughout the novel, signs are given as to the development of Duddy's good and bad personalities. Even at the early stages, Duddy's uncle Benjy was the only one who could identify them and knew what the end result was going to be. Despite all this, we watch these personalities grow to the point where they are beginning to overpower each other and eventually, only one will remain.
Kids are not often kind, they do not listen to rules, they think they are better than others. It takes time and trial to change into a kind person. Often in literature, the protagonist changes from the beginning to the novel to the end of the novel. The protagonist changes after a hardship or issue. In Roland Smith’s “Peak” Peak matures from a selfish child to a selfless man, when struggling to climb Everest.
The main character of the novel is a thirteen-year-old boy named Eliezer. He and his family were taken from their home and placed in a concentration camp. He was separated from his mother and sisters during the selection once they arrived in the camp. His father was the only family he had left with him to face the inhumane environment of the camp. Many of the prisoners lost the will to live due to the conditions.
In John Connolly’s novel, The Book of Lost Things, he writes, “for in every adult there dwells the child that was, and in every child there lies the adult that will be”. Does one’s childhood truly have an effect on the person one someday becomes? In Jeannette Walls’ memoir The Glass Castle and Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner, this question is tackled through the recounting of Jeannette and Amir’s childhoods from the perspectives of their older, more developed selves. In the novels, an emphasis is placed on the dynamics of the relationships Jeannette and Amir have with their fathers while growing up, and the effects that these relations have on the people they each become. The environment to which they are both exposed as children is also described, and proves to have an influence on the characteristics of Jeannette and Amir’s adult personalities. Finally, through the journeys of other people in Jeannette and Amir’s lives, it is demonstrated that the sustainment of traumatic experiences as a child also has a large influence on the development of one’s character while become an adult. Therefore, through the analysis of the effects of these factors on various characters’ development, it is proven that the experiences and realities that one endures as a child ultimately shape one’s identity in the future.
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.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, by John Boyne, significantly distorts the truth of the Holocaust in order to evoke the empathy of the audience. This response is accomplished by the author through hyperbolizing the innocence of the nine-year old protagonist, Bruno. Through the use of dramatic irony, Boyne is able to both engage and involve the audience in the events of the novel. Although it is highly improbable that a son of a German high-ranking Schutzstaffel (SS) officer would not know what a Jew is and would be unable to pronounce both Fuhrer and Auschwitz, (which he instead mispronounces as ‘Fury’ and ‘Out-with’ respectively, both of which are intentional emotive puns placed by the author to emphasize the atrocity of the events), the attribution of such information demonstrates the exaggerated innocence of Bruno and allows the audience to know and understand more than him. This permits the readers to perceive a sense of involvement, thus, allowing the audience to be subjected towards feeling more dynamic and vigorous evocation of emotions and empathy towards the characters. Fu...
Many of the characters in The Chosen by Chaim Potok deeply love, care and protect other people in their lives. It sometimes might not seem like they truly watch over them in a few cases, but in truth these characters do so in unusual ways, which actually makes the book more enjoyable later on as one sees the conflicts between different peoples’ personalities. Meanwhile the varied means in which Danny and Reuven, the two main characters, respond to the ones that love them makes the relationships deeper and sometimes more confusing. Three characters that are very fond of Reuven and Danny are Reuven’s father, Reb Saunders, and Mr. Savo. Despite their drastically different temperaments, ways of showing their affection, and even order of appearance
Throughout the entire novel, the basis for the author’s writing is generic. Potok uses his straightforward diction with words such as “great” and “little” (Potok 85). With such diction, Potok’s motive of the development of an individual becomes easier to understand and more explicit compared to using complex diction. However, there are some instances where the author increases the complexity in his writing, more specifically, with words like “gesticulating” (Potok 128) and “congregants” (Potok 85). Even though the words are not truly conveying the purpose, they still are used to describe situations regarding Danny and Reuven, the main characters who represent the aura of personal development. From his straightforward diction, Potok ultimately develops an uncomplicated tone to disclose his purpose. “I think I’ll sleep a little now” (Potok 65) and “then I sat up quickly” (Potok 66). Ultimately, with the use of diction and tone, Chaim Potok was able to adequately supporting his purpose of the growth of an
Chaim Potok’s In the Beginning captures the tale of David Lurie, a young Jewish boy with a restless mind but weak body which confine him to a mainly sedentary youth with only an active imagination to entertain him, that is until he learns how to read. A bright and inquisitive young boy, David yearns to understand the text that gazes up at him from books, newspapers, and the Bible and to be able to read from the Torah like his father and men in their synagogue. Despite this initial inclination towards reading, the introduction of Mrs. Horowitz’s book collection is the catalyst which propels David into the world of literature and the desire to learn quickly. A connection between the older David and the younger strengthens after the introduction
In Hamlet by William Shakespeare there are many distinct characters, who each have their own original characteristics and personalities. Hamlet, the main character, has incredible character depth, as he is neither good nor bad. His interactions with other personalities in the play are what helps the reader to form opinions on the nature of Hamlet’s own actions. These characters also help the reader to notice the faults and or triumphs in the character of Hamlet. There are many personalities in Hamlet that are stark contrasts with Hamlet himself, these foil characters help the establish the depth of Hamlet’s personality.
... understands the actions of Alan that makes him confused as he doubts his integrity and vocation. This conflict reflects the current problem in the society since the modern families lack guidance and understanding on the right choices and effects of their choices. Lack of passion and desire at work and in normal life makes Dysart admire Alan’s life. He thinks that the life that Alan leads needs to exemplified, he says, “that boy has known a passion more ferocious that I felt….and I envy it” (p82). In the play's last scene Dysart says, "There exist a certain sharp chain in my mouth at the moment that never stops" accepts that his censored tongue has trapped him in his situation. However, the psychiatrist relates the source of his view change in his overworked status “in a provincial hospital” (p10).