Our culture helps to define who people are and is an extremely important part in people’s lives. Not all cultures are the same and most people grow up in different cultures. We can see this between Reuven and Danny. In Reuven and Danny’s culture, there are many differences and similarities in their religion, the dynamics of their family, and the customs and traditions they practice. First, religion is a major part of who we are and in Danny and Reuven’s cultures we can see similarities and differences.
The Epigraphs: The Spoken Words of Silence Silence is a major aspect of life, regardless of whether or not people choose to accept and acknowledge it. Silence is also integral throughout The Chosen, by Chaim Potok. Within this novel, silence is utilized through different relationships, in different circumstances, and for different purposes. Potok immediately introduces the idea of silence, and continues to do so, before he even gives the narrator, Reuven, his first line. The idea of silence is immediately approached in the first epigraph, or brief quote, at the beginning of Book 1, and another epigraph related to silence is introduced at the each of the beginnings of the following two books.
Do parents tend to push their children into a specific career path? In the novel The Chosen by Chaim Potok, David Malter and Reb Saunders have affected both Reuven and Danny’s way of life. The story starts out with Danny Saunders and Reuven Malter meeting. Later in the novel, Reuven learns that Danny’s father does not talk to Danny and Danny learns that David Malter has a strong relationship with Reuven. As the novel progresses, David and Reb influence the future path for their sons such as David’s Zionism affecting Reuven, Reb’s method of raising Danny, and both Reb and David influencing Danny and Rueven’s future occupations proves that parents can influence their children in both positive and negative ways.
In his novel The Chosen Chaim Potok uses vision as a motif to show the reader that someone’s perception of things can change. In the novel, vision symbolizes the ability to see the world. The importance of perception is shown throughout the book. One of the main examples of this is after Reuven leaves the hospital. He says that “everything looks different”, but he doesn't mean this literally.
In his book The Promise Chaim Potok leads the reader on a heartbreaking journey full of spiritual conflict and decision. As a sequel to The Chosen, The Promise picks up with Reuven Malter, the main character and a Jewish man now in his mid-twenties, attending Hirsch University, a Jewish seminary in Brooklyn, New York. Reuven keeps his friendship with Danny Saunders, whom he met on a baseball field during his teenage years and later went to college with, even though they now go their separate ways as Reuven becomes a rabbi, and Danny practices psychology. During the summer Reuven dates Rachel Gordon, the niece of Abraham Gordon, a man excommunicated from the Jewish society, and meets Abraham’s son, Michael, a stubborn teen with a mental issue. Also, over the same summer Reuven’s father, David Malter, wrote a controversial book about the Talmud.
"Change is the result of true learning." ~ Leo Buscaglia. Currently, many people become tricked into believing other's opinions because they are too afraid to voice their own. In the renowned novel The Chosen written by Chaim Potok, portrays Danny Saunders learns that holding strong to his beliefs are extremely important. A young boy destined to follow in his father's footsteps and become a Hasidic leader shows many that sometimes people must follow their convictions despite the expectations of others.
Chaim Potok, the author of The Chosen sought to teach his readers that in a world filled with traditions and responsibilities that may trap us in a certain way of being, individual choice is a value that cannot be overridden, for it is far too important to wholeheartedly be
Concerning Characters Concern ranks in the top of characteristics for a true friend to have. People with this quality care more for others. The Bible says “That there should be no schism in the body: but that the members should have the same care one for another. ”(1 Corinthians 12:25).
Friendship is a wonderful yet confusing thing. This concept is brilliantly displayed in Chaim Potok’s The Chosen. In the book, the main character, Reuven, and Danny Saunders become friends through an interesting turn of events during a baseball game, the short version being that Danny ended up putting Reuven in the hospital with a baseball in the eye. After Reuven gets over some feelings of bitterness towards Danny, the two grow to be great friends. There are many difficulties when it comes to friendship, but the beauty of a good friendship is that good friends can power through them.
INTRO: The novel The Chosen, by Chaim Potok, explores the coming-of-age experiences of two young men, Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders, highlighting the ways in which their changing vision and perception contribute to their personal growth and development; through their ability to see beyond their own perspectives, to appreciate the complexities of human emotion, and to understand the importance of tradition and community, Danny and Reuven are able to emerge as mature, thoughtful individuals. The use of vision to foster compassion for the pain and agony of others is portrayed as a crucial element of identity formation for both Reuven and Danny. As their physical vision worsens, the young boys are exposed to more suffering throughout the world.
Importance of Wisdom In Chaim Potok’s The Chosen, many characters display their wisdom, especially Reb Saunders, Mr. Malter, and Mr. Galanter. Reb Saunders, Danny’s father, shows great wisdom when he must react to other people’s opinions and views. Mr. Malter, who has the same job and position as Reb Saunders but studies a different view of the religion, displays the same kind of wisdom towards other religions or beliefs contradictory to his. Mr. Galanter, the baseball coach of Mr. Malter’s son, Reuven, makes wise choices in directing and encouraging his team to work hard and play well.
"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." These insightful words came from Henry David Thoreau. Wisdom sparkles throughout The Chosen, a novel written by Chaim Potok. The three major characters in the story, David Malter, Reb Saunders, and Reuven Malter each displayed wisdom in various ways. Although these three possess contrasting personal traits, they all opened up their eyes into things that the others ignore or they themselves have not noticed before.
Dedication, described as having devotion to a task. Without it, no one would get anything done. Three characters in The Chosen, a book written by Chaim Potok, exemplify dedication. Reb Saunders, Mr. Galanter, and Mr. Malter display outstanding dedication with what they do. In the words of Jessie Owens, “We all have dreams.
Education Demonstrated in The Chosen Education is the key to success. One important theme in the novel The Chosen by Chaim Potok is education. The theme education exists in the novel through the characters Daniel Saunders and Reuven Malter. Some specific examples in the book are when Reb Saunders threatens Danny's education, Reuven's knowledge for math, and when Danny and Reuven discuss college. The first point that will be discussed is how the theme of education is shown through Danny.
‘I’m not a psychopath; I’m a high functioning sociopath, do your research,” (Polaek 389) ‘Surveying the Post-Millennial Sherlock Holmes: A case for the Great Detective as a Man of Our times,’ explores the characteristics of three of the modern variations of Sherlock Holmes within films. In 2004 House M.D. was released, this new series aiding to Holmes being the most human literary character with the most on screen appearances, surpassing hamlet by forty-eight portrayals. (Polaek, 385). Sherlock’s characteristics are portrayed as a child in an adult body, he is described as fighting his addiction, and finds sanity within music, and aside from one friend keeps to himself. The end of the year in 2009 Warner brothers produced the movie Sherlock
