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Reuven Malter's Character In The Chosen

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“I saw it coming at me, and there was nothing I could do. It hit the finger section of my glove, deflected off, smashed into the upper rim of the left lens of my glasses, glanced off my forehead, and knocked me down” (33). In this incident from Chaim Potok’s novel The Chosen, Reuven Malter receives a smack in the face from a ball during a baseball game. Afterward, he undergoes surgery on his eye and spends a week in the hospital. This turning point in his life and the events that follow fully reveal Reuven’s character to the reader. Reuven Malter, the son of a modern Orthodox Jew, lives in Brooklyn, New York during the 1940s. He goes through many complicated life experiences which give the reader an in-depth understanding of his personality. …show more content…

This confidence stems from his healthy self-esteem and his deep-rooted faith. For example, while in the hospital, Reuven prays with his tefillin. Despite his unusual and distressing circumstance, he did not shrink from practicing his daily religious ritual. Furthermore, he prayed openly in front of people who might consider his religion strange, including Mr. Savo. Additionally, Reuven faces an intimidating situation when Reb Saunders, a brilliant and highly esteemed rabbi, tests him during a Shabbat service. “He was looking straight at me, and I felt my heart pound and the blood drain from my face. ‘Reuven,’ Reb Saunders was saying, looking straight at me, ‘you have nothing to say?’” (125). After getting past his initial fear, Reuven remains poised and intelligently responds to the rabbi’s challenge with the correct answer. Throughout the book, Reuven does not cave in under pressure and displays strong mental …show more content…

His baseball coach shows genuine concern for him during and after the game by continually asking him how he feels. Also, Billy and Mr. Savo, Reuven’s roommates at the hospital, quickly become warm and sociable with him. Danny, Reuven’s enemy during the baseball game, takes the initiative to begin a friendship with Reuven after a hospital visit. Even Reb Saunders, who dislikes his son to mix with “outsiders,” expresses his fondness of Reuven and approves his son’s friendship with him. He tells Reuven, “...I am happy you are friends. It is good my Daniel has a friend” (Potok, 128). Reuven’s good-natured disposition easily wins people over and makes him a popular person in his

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