What Are Gender Roles In Chaim Potok's The Chosen

The citizens of the modern world are blessed with something that throughout world history has been denied to most of of the populous: agency, or freedom of choice. They can choose the religion of their preference or none at all. They can choose their own careers. They can have their own political beliefs. Agency is a right that a very slim percentage of those that have walked this Earth have enjoyed. In Chaim Potok’s novel, The Chosen, a very different society is depicted than what most citizens of the modern world are accustomed to; a society where agency is severely limited by rules and statutes made by a single leader: this society being Hasidic Judaism. The Chosen tells the story of the intense and complicated friendship between Reuven,

The Chosen demonstrates this principle through Reuven and Danny’s struggles with career expectations contrary to their own career aspirations. Reuven understands that one cannot be happy working in an undesired career when he asks Danny how he can spend his life doing something he despises (Potok 121). Danny is unsure how to answer the question, considering he is already miserable just thinking about his possible future as serving as a rabbi over the Hasidim. This principle is also demonstrated when Danny is forced to study experimental psychology as opposed to Freudian psychology, for Danny hated experimental psychology with a burning passion and found it meaningless (Potok 317), so spending large amounts of time studying it made him miserable and bitter. Reuven also felt the effects of this principle of career-choice when he made the very impressive display of skill in reconstructing Talmudic texts in Rav Gershenson’s class (Potok 350). Reuven shows that doing (or studying) what one loves causes one to excel and take a further interest in their work (or studies) than being forced to do (or study) something that is not as enjoyable. Both Danny and Reuven understand that life cannot be happily lived when working in a career field that is not chosen by the

Political beliefs should be determined by a personal set of moral standards rather than be forced upon individuals by a cultural collective. Personal political views are an essential part to making one happy, for living under a ruling party with no say to how it’s run causes frustration and anger (generally symptoms of unhappiness). Danny expresses his frustration at the political restriction placed on him due to his father’s views when he privately told Reuven that he wanted join his Zionist group but was unable (Potok 327). Danny’s father placed a restriction on his followers’ political views because he disagreed with them. He maintained this standard by exploding at any instance of Zionist ideas being mentioned in his presence (Potok 286). Reb Saunders’ explosions served two purposes: they were an attempt to control the views of those outside his realm of control, and also his method of instilling his anti-Zionist ideas into his congregation. This frustrated some members of his congregation and it upset Reuven. Reb Saunders, however, was not the only one who attempted to control political ideas. The students at the college that both Reuven and Danny attended forced opinions down the throats of all its students. “...every student’s position was clearly defined by the Zionist philosophy of the group he had joined”(Potok 326). This placed both Reuven and Danny in awkward positions and eventually led