Character Analysis: The Chosen By Chaim Potok

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” ~Plato. In The Chosen by Chaim Potok, every character fights their own battle, whether large or small. Few characters in this novel show compassion towards other’s suffering with more difficult struggles. The Malter family displays kindness to Danny by helping him find books to read. Not only do David and Reuven care about people, but Mr. Galanter, the softball coach, does as well. In this novel Mr. Malter, Mr. Galanter, and Reuven all share the trait of compassion towards others.

Mr. Malter shows compassion towards everyone he meets. Throughout this piece of literature he demonstrates his kindness to his son Reuven as well as Danny Saunders. David always carefully listens to Reuven

Galanter, although a minor character in The Chosen, also displays a compassionate heart throughout this novel, first seen when he cares for his softball team. As Reuven says, “He had nursed our softball team along for two years, and by a mixture of patience [and] luck…he was able to mold our original team of fifteen awkward fumblers into the top team of our league” (5). While his team tried to beat the other team, their compassionate coach cheered on and encouraged the players. After the game this caring coach showed kindness to Reuven when he got hit in the eye with the ball. The softball coach immediately had Reuven transported to the hospital where he stayed with him until Mr. Malter came. Throughout the whole hospital visit he stayed positive and encouraged Reuven that everything would turn out alright. Once the boy’s father arrived Mr. Galanter left, however he came back while Reuven was recovering to check on him. Mr. Galanter proved even the smallest of characters can have one of the most compassionate

Once released from the hospital, Reuven later called Billy’s father to check on how the boy’s surgery had gone. Reuven knew the battle Billy was fighting and showed enough compassion to check on him. Along with befriending his hospital mates, he also became close friends with Danny, his enemy at the beginning of this book. When the boys began to talk Reuven eventually forgave Danny for throwing the ball that placed the boy in the hospital. “Also, yesterday I had hated him; now we were calling each other by our first names” (67). After the boys become friends Reuven showed kindness to Danny by listening to him and his struggles, talking to him, and spending time with him. Reuven proves a true and compassionate