The Chosen By Chaim Potok Analysis

Main Premise: Which characters experience silence over the course of this story, and what meaning do they find in this experience? How does this work? Which characters impose silence on others, and why do they impose it? Overall, what is the function of silence in this story? How is it valuable as a teaching tool?

Octavia Butler once stated that, “Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There is a time for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny. and a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it's all over.” The book The Chosen by Chaim Potok in which one of the main characters has a different idea on how his child should be raised. Silence in which Danny Saunders is being raised by his father. Reb Saunders wants Danny to be able to think through ideas himself and to grow and learn in the

same manner as he was once raised. Rejection come with the reality of hard work something Danny Saunders has to find out, which in the future will determine how he will run his life.
#1 The story focus’ on the desire of a person's personal wants and dreams while keeping the aspect of religion involved.

Religion is one of the only times that Danny can make conversation with his father, when they are studying the Talmud. “It occurred to me suddenly that not a single word had passed between him and his father all evening, except for the Talmud contest” (Potok 145). The silence is what drew Danny to want to be able to have guidance and communication with anyone that would listen. Reb Saunders explains that he raised his son in silence since he was born. Danny does not question the silence because his father does not speak. But by raising Danny in silence, it teaches him to be more independent, it puts him in the position to be a leader a Rabbi, which is what Reb wants him to be; to follow in his footsteps. Danny does not want this for his life. He continuously reads books on great scholars and on psychoanalysis; because of this certain interest he decides he would like to be a psychologist. Danny explains to Rueven how he wants to be a psychologist, "I'll be majoring in psychology"

(Potok148).
#2 Silence plays an important roll in the story, which Reb Saunders forces the action of silence and hard work so that Danny will grow and be able to find the pain of others and what they feel. The reason for a person to have a soul is so that they have the power through the tough times is so that they can be a leader and be strong with their opinion and to be able to help the people who need the strength to see what is important in life. "My son is my most precious possession. I have nothing in the world compared to my son. I must know what he is reading” (Potok). Reb Saunders believes his son will one day be leading the Jewish people, so he believes he must get his soul prepared for what is to come. Reb thinks that if he only speaks to his son through the Talmud, his soul we become strong and powerful. Reb seems to have learned that is son is not what he considers a possession but someone who can learn and grow in his own way; while also being able to share this idea of beauty with in the world without being neglected for his whole life. “We had begun to communicate with our eyes, with nods of our heads, with gestures of our hands. But we did not speak to each other” (Potok). The biggest part of love and happiness is learning to communicate with your loves ones in order to create unending bond between one another, even during the most difficult of times in life.

#3 This behavior of silence in this story has a father which seem to show that a relationship between him and his son builds upon the way they are brought up and taken care of. The Jewish father in which Reb Saunders who is a Hasidic Rabbi enforces his sons knowledge of religion on his son in which he believes Danny will follow right in his foot steps. Reb says he does this because he feels that Danny is so brilliant that he might not understand the suffering of others. Reb Saunders feels that silence is suffering by imposing non-communication.

Final Conclusion: “We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls.” ~ Mother Teresa