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The Chosen By Chaim Potok: Character Analysis

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Everyone appreciates a compassionate individual; one usually goes to such a person to pour out one's troubles. The New Oxford American dictionary defines compassion as sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. Compassion seems to be a big theme in The Chosen by Chaim Potok. Many characters need compassion as they face personal trials throughout the book. The other characters do not simply mind their own business and care about only themselves; instead, they show kindness to the hurting people around them. Mr. Savo, Mr. Malter, and Reuven Malter stand out as the best examples of warmhearted, sympathetic people. Tony Savo, a professional prizefighter with an eye patch, lies on the hospital bed to the left of Reuven in the beginning of the book. His blunt slang and card playing hide his soft heart. He pities Billy, the young blind boy two beds down from him, so he promises to give Billy a ‘three-rounder’ after they both heal. Once Billy meets Reuven, he tells him, “‘You’re nice like Mr. Savo’” (44). Mr. Savo also plays catch with a child named Mickey, who has been in the hospital for a long time. Mrs. Carpenter, the nurse, disapproves of this because it hurts Mr. Savo. But even though it may cause him pain, Mr. Savo cannot help giving joy to these afflicted boys. …show more content…

Malter, advises Danny Saunders on which books to read to feed Danny’s insatiable desire for knowledge. He makes sure Danny reads good books that will help him grow in wisdom and intelligence. At the same time, he sympathizes with Reb Saunders, Danny's father, because he knows this must upset him. When Reuven asks him why he does it then, Mr. Malter responds, "'Because Danny would have continued to read anyway on his own'" (159). Consequently, Mr. Malter feels he must direct Danny's reading to make sure it is wholesome. Reb Saunders, though pained that his son reads secular books, appreciates Mr. Malter's concern and

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This meant that not only did Reb approve of Danny’s actions, but he also knew about them as well as expected Danny to become something other than a Jewish tzaddik. Reb knew that Danny would do more good for the world as a psychologist than a tzaddik. This influenced Danny’s career path because if Reb Saunders had said no, Danny would have been forced to become a tzaddik and not a

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Reuven found a new appreciation of his health since he could have gone blind. Another example of perception change from the novel is when Reuven realizes Danny isn't how he appeared to be. During the story, Mr. Malter says “Things are always as they seem to be, Reuven?”. He says this because Reuven told him that it seemed like Danny hit him deliberately.

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Reuven is stubborn and willing to hold on to his own opinions even when there are evidences showing that he is not right. As the story approaches its end, Reuven is still continuing to make rash choices based off of his feelings rather than learning more about the situation. When Danny tells Reuven that his father wants him to come over for Passover, Reuven has no intention to, and tells his father about the invitation. However, Reuven’s father is oddly upset when he learns Reuven has been refusing the invitations: “[Reb Saunders] has been asking all long”

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Danny has a powerful memory that helps him to learn quickly, and understands many things that normally a boy of his age would not

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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.

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RebSunder and Danny’s father-son relationship was not as it seemed and Danny at the end still respected his father although his father had given him the silent treatment for as long as he could recall. Reb Saunder had honourable intentions behind teaching with silence and he only wanted what deems best for Danny. On the other hand, Reuven and David Malter had a special relationship that most people would envy. They could confide in each other and had no barriers between them. Reuven could ask any thing or state his opinion and Mr. Malter would give an honest reply and helped Reuven when he could.

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To choose or to be chosen; which is better? The gift of choice is something not bestowed upon everyone, and this is especially true for the main character of Chaim Potok’s The Chosen. The novel describes the life of two boys, Danny Saunders and Reuven Malter, one of which has been granted the freedom to choose his own destiny, and the other has already had his life mapped out since the day of his birth. Throughout his childhood and much of his adolescence, Danny struggled between the life he wants and the one chosen for him by his father, Reb Saunders, the rabbi a Hasidic congregation. As the eldest son of his family, Danny has been born into the position of the future rabbi of his temple, however, he yearns for something much different.

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Reuven Malter displays respect toward his good friend, Danny Saunders, when he deeply studies the writings of psychoanalysis. Danny Saunders also treats not only his friend, Reuven Malter with respect of his religion, but also his father who normally strays away from speaking to his son. Reb Saunders, the father of Danny, has the job of a Jewish rabbi, and must constantly respect his son’s keen interest in topics other than religion. First, Reuven Malter’s respect will stand tested when his friend wants to discuss matters that do not have to do with religion. Reuven Malter, also a son of a Jewish rabbi, constantly studies and tries to understand the history and meaning of his religion.

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Sir Frederick Pottinger, Baronet, this title alone was enough for some in the colonial New South Wales government during the period 1860-1865, to cast aspersions, regardless of their political ideology, as to the character of Sir Frederick and where possible maligned him at every opportunity, even to the extent of accusing Pottinger of cowardice, an accusation ultimately withdrawn after a challenge was issued. This defamation was instigated by parliamentarian, Mr. Harpur, who under parliamentary privilege made many other attacks and disparaging remarks against Sir Frederick Pottinger, as the member for Patrick Plains. Harpur was the son of Ben Hall’s former mother-in-law, Sarah Walsh, , Harpur would brandish Pottinger a coward. It should also be noted that Harpur is the son of Sarah Walsh, stepmother of Bridget Hall.).

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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.

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The Saunders, Malter, and Merrit family all demonstrate their own ways of family loyalty. To start, Reb Saunders loves his son very much, but displays his love in a way that the characters and even the readers do not understand. He raises Danny up in silence. At the end of the book, Mr. Saunders reveals his reasons for not regularly talking to Danny and explained, “‘He taught me to look into myself, to find my own strength, to walk around inside myself in company with my soul’ (284)”. Reb Saunder’s believed silence would help teach Danny to grow up with both a mind and soul.

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Frederick Buechner once said, “Compassion is sometimes the fatal capacity for feeling what it is like to live inside somebody else's skin.” Similarly, an author by the name of Barbara Lazear Ascher wrote an essay called “On Compassion,” in which she states that people learn about compassion when they experience hardships and begin to put oneself in another’s place. Along with the idea of compassion being learned, Ascher also tries to make us wonder what our motive is that leads us to being compassionate. Ascher tries to make us question why we feel the need to be compassionate towards others throughout her essay.

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