Parents have a substantial influence on children. Everything that a child says, does, and/or reacts to a situation is because of his or her parents. In The Chosen, by Chaim Potok, the main families are the Malter and Saunders family. David Malter is a teacher and Reb Saunders is a rabbi. They have expectations for their sons, Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders, of who they become. Most children do not aspire to become what their parents want them to, not because they are insubordinate, but the that the balance of what they want to become and their parents want the to be.
Danny and Reuven met at a baseball game. Reuven was struck by a baseball, which made him stay a week in the hospital. Danny came to the hospital to apologize
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David Malter was a teacher and a writer. He wanted Reuven to become a mathematics professor, but Reuven chose not to become a math teacher, he became a rabbi. When David knew that he was serious about becoming a rabbi, he accepted it. Reb Saunders raised Danny differently. In the their family, the next son becomes the next rabbi. Danny did not want to become a rabbi because it did not interest him. He was afraid to tell his father that he would not become a rabbi as his father wishes him to be. He thought that his father would be angry at him. On the contrary, Reb Saunders accepted his decision. “...Let my Daniel become a psychologist. I know he wishes to become a psychologist.” …show more content…
. With The Chosen being Jewish, it is given that the boys will also be Jewish too, but there are other ways to see that the parents do help build them up. Towards the end of the story, the Jewish state has divided. There was now a choice to be Zionist or anti-Zionist. David Malter chose the Zionist side which made Reuven choose that side. With his decision, that created problems in the Malter house. David was getting really sick. He went through a stroke that hit him hard. Since he was a Zionist activist, he had to go to meetings and write all night about Zionism. That affected his health, his relationship with his son and their relationship with the Sanders family. The Saunders were anti-Zionist, which caused Danny and Reuven’s relationship to come to an