The Chosen :: essays research papers

The Chosen A. Plot Summary The Chosen by Chaim Potok is set in the 1940's neighborhood of Brooklyn in Williamsburg. Two boys who live a few blocks from each other but in totally different environments forge a unique relationship. Reuven Malter, the son of an Orthodox Jewish scholar, and Danny Saunders, the brilliant son of a great Hasidic rabbi, meet for the first time in a baseball game between their two Jewish parochial schools. 	Reuven is hit in the eye with a ball hit by Danny and is kept in bed for almost a month. During this time, Reuven befriends Danny as he constantly visits him due to his guilt about almost blinding Reuven. Danny comes to the hospital to chat with Reuven and occasionally talk about the war or his study of the Talmud. When Reuven gets out of the hospital, Danny brings him to his home for Shabbat and to meet his father. Reuven is overwhelmed by his father's calm and stern manner of speaking to his son. Reuven finds out that Danny must become a rabbi and cannot become a psychologist like he wants. 	Reuven and Danny grow older and they get into the same college. Due to Reuven's father support for the creation of a Jewish state, Danny's father, who thinks a Jewish state can only be created when the Messiah comes, forbids Danny to speak to Reuven. This goes on for a while before Danny's father accepts that a Jewish states is in the best interest of Jews everywhere and allows them to be friends again. 	In an emotional lecture, Danny's father finally acknowledges Danny's dream and allows him to pursue a career of being a psychologist. B.	Thematic Discussion 	In The Chosen, Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders form a deep, if unlikely, friendship. This relationship develops over time and also greatly affects the young men's development. They grow up in different environments and have different upbringings, but deep down inside, they have similar lives. 	Potok is able to point out how similar and different Danny and Reuven's lives are. Reuven has a very open relationship with his father. Danny's father only speaks to Danny when they are studying the Talmud. Danny accepts this reality while Reuven is very bothered by this. Reuven has a hard time coping with silence when his father has a heart attack and has stay in bed for many months: "Total silence in the apartment was impossible for me to take, and I would go.