...In The Chosen, by Chaim Potok, every character, event or subject has a parallel or opposite. These relationships are used to explain things that the author is unable to just say. Three examples of these relationships are the Malter’s apartment and the Saunders’ apartment, David Malter and Reb Saunders, and David Malter and Rev Gershenson. The Malter’s apartment and the Saunders’ apartment are similar to each other. When Reuven walks in for the first time, he compares everything to his own apartment. While he is doing this, it is shown that they are living in the same apartment, with the same rooms and design. Reuven compares how Danny’s room is what, in Reuven’s apartment, was Mr. Malter’s room, and Reb Saunders’ office is where his father’s...
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...The Chosen by Chaim Potok is principally centered around two characters, Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders. Malter represents the more liberal Jews of his day, while Saunders represents the more conservative. The two are introduced by the book, but a tragic series of events involving an afternoon ball game result in a well built friendship. Both exemplify remarkable traits, but Danny is prime example of loyalty, endurance, and intelligence. At the time of The Chosen, the two sects (liberal and conservative) of practicing Jews rarely intermingled. This caused numerous difficulties and problems, especially with Danny’s father. Danny’s father disapproved of the liberal views of the Malters and eventually forbid Danny to even see him. But even...
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...“Be humble, be teachable, and always keep learning.” This saying teaches one to do these three things. Throughout life, one never stops learning. For example, in the book The Chosen by Chaim Potok, three characters in particular demonstrate the willingness to learn and work hard. As a rabbi, David Malter must be willing to learn and be open to different things. Reuven and Danny, both students, learn constantly and spend free time reading and learning. David, Reuven, and Danny all express eagerness to learn. Firstly, David Malter, a rabbi, shows his willingness to learn. David works hard and spends much time reading. Books fill his study and the shelves go floor to ceiling (95.) It shows how he spends his free time and that he fills his time...
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...The book The Chosen by Chaim Potok presents a main theme of silence. People can convey words that hurt, or that indicate happiness-but silence says a mass more. In a situation where one goes without words, they could demonstrate truly any emotion that they feel. When a person is hurt, they may go without speaking by reason of there being nothing left to say, or it hurts too much to speak about it. At the same time, silence could also present love. For example, just simply looking at a person a certain way, can capture their attention to the deep meaning of what one wants to say. In other words, silence could display pain, but also love, and sound louder than words while doing so. Believe it or not, you can sense more pain through silence than anything else. Almost as if silence speaks to a person’s heart, as opposed to their ears. It comes as a rush of emotions that are strong, almost as if heard. “You have to want to listen to it, and then you can hear it. … It doesn't always talk. Sometimes-sometimes it cries, and you can hear the pain of the world in it. It hurts to listen to it then, but you have to.” To emphasize, a person’s heart can...
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...Reuven has acquired since the baseball incident. The author uses this chapter to elaborate on the parts of Reuven’s life which have gone untouched thus far in Book One. Although this chapter serves as a buffer between the hospital and Reuven’s home, it also offers many crucial insights to the developing plot of the rest of the novel. In addition to this purpose, the chapter shows that Reuven is starting to think more about Danny through this new, insightful perspective. Chaim Potok chose to include chapter five into his novel, The Chosen, to reinstate...
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...“Wisdom can not be communicated” Throughout the course of Religions of the World we have explored and discussed many different religions. We have learned about various types of Gods and worship within that. Siddhartha claims that “Wisdom can not be communicated” but I feel like after taking this course I have definitely learned a lot about different religions not only through texts I have read but also through other students opinions in class. Themes that are conveyed through Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse and The Chosen by Chaim Potok are very different but they have both taught me a lesson that has helped strengthened my faith as a Catholic. Siddhartha is a very unique character and a main theme that is presented throughout the text is spirituality and enlightenment can only be found within yourself. When Siddhartha is having a conversation with Govinda and Govinda believes Siddhartha is “jesting” and wants to know more about Siddhartha’s independent ways. Govinda doesn’t really understand the fundamentals of Siddhartha’s past and how he has achieved his faith. Siddhartha powerfully responds, “I have had many thoughts but it would be difficult for me to tell you about them. But this one has impressed me, Govinda. Wisdom is not communicable…I am telling you what I have discovered. Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, be fortified by it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it” (Hesse, 142). What he means by this is...
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...Managing Discontentment A generational legacy, passed from father to oldest son, historically has been successful in maintaining power within a family. However, few stop to think about the feelings of the people involved, and whether or not they desire this inherited this position.An excellent example of this, illustrated in The Chosen, by Chaim Potok, gives insight into the life of an heir who does not necessarily desire his inheritance. Danny Saunders is the son of a well-known and well-respected rabbi named Reb Saunders, who brought his people to New York from a faraway country and continues the tradition of his forefathers in leadership and religion. Since birth, Danny's designated position, to lead his father's people, has been set in stone. Although resigned to his fate, Danny still possesses a rebellious nature. Main traits observable in Danny are intelligence, determination, and discontentment....
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...Lastly, conformity can make a community lose their singularity, due to the consequences. As stated before conformity can be shown as the domino effect, it makes people dress the same, act the same. Overall it takes the uniqueness out of people. With this a community would not be the same, “ Did you know the Duc de Candale was his patron? Who is yours? Cyrano- No one. Meddler- No one- no patron?”(Act 1, 26) In this quote Cyrano is being judged, because he does not have what everyone in the community has. Since Cyrano is being judged, readers can see that the Meddler sees him different, instead of noticing that he is a unique meddler, that does not conform to what the society says. Another example of how conformity changes the singularity...
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...In The Chosen by Chaim Potok, Danny’s typical day consists of going to his father’s Hasidic Yeshiva, undergoing annual debates on various Jewish topics, and in between he sneaks off to the public library. Danny’s character exhibits intelligence, loneliness, and confliction between two worlds. Danny’s confliction lies between pursuing his dreams or obeying his father’s will. He must choose between replacing his father’s position of rabbi for his closed in community or becoming a psychologist for the outside world. Danny believes that if he accepts the role of rabbi he will feel enclosed in the responsibility resulting in losing his own interests. The burden of others will suppress his independent thought. “Do know what it’s like to be trapped?...
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...The Chosen by Chaim Potok is a story of two boys named Reuven Malter, a traditional Orthodox Jew, and Danny Saunders, a Hasidic Jew. Danny and Reuven play against each other in a heated softball game. When Danny is up to bat, he hits the softball straight at Reuven, breaking his glasses and sending him to the hospital. Danny visits Reuven in the hospital and their friendship takes off. Some people think that this would never have actually happened and people like Danny and Reuven would never become friends. However, this plot is believable. Just because Danny and Reuven have different views on life and religion does not mean that they cannot be friends. The growth of this, believable, plot is what makes the story so interesting and fun to read. Although The Chosen didn’t have any unexpected twists, it did have twists. Reb Saunders and Mr. Malter have very different views on Zionism. After Mr. Malter gives a big speech on the topic, Reb Saunders forbids Danny from speaking to Reuven. This twist is upsetting because Reuven and Danny need each other’s help, especially in college. It would be terrible to see your best friend every day, but not be able to talk to them. Waiting for Reuven and Danny to speak again may have been...
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...The New Astrology by SUZANNE WHITE Copyright © 1986 Suzanne White. All rights reserved. 2 Dedication book is dedicated to my mother, Elva Louise McMullen Hoskins, who is gone from this world, but who would have been happy to share this page with my courageous kids, April Daisy White and Autumn Lee White; my brothers, George, Peter and John Hoskins; my niece Pamela Potenza; and my loyal friends Kitti Weissberger, Val Paul Pierotti, Stan Albro, Nathaniel Webster, Jean Valère Pignal, Roselyne Viéllard, Michael Armani, Joseph Stoddart, Couquite Hoffenberg, Jean Louis Besson, Mary Lee Castellani, Paula Alba, Marguerite and Paulette Ratier, Ted and Joan Zimmermann, Scott Weiss, Miekle Blossom, Ina Dellera, Gloria Jones, Marina Vann, Richard and Shiela Lukins, Tony Lees-Johnson, Jane Russell, Jerry and Barbara Littlefield, Michele and Mark Princi, Molly Friedrich, Consuelo and Dick Baehr, Linda Grey, Clarissa and Ed Watson, Francine and John Pascal, Johnny Romero, Lawrence Grant, Irma Kurtz, Gene Dye, Phyllis and Dan Elstein, Richard Klein, Irma Pride Home, Sally Helgesen, Sylvie de la Rochefoucauld, Ann Kennerly, David Barclay, John Laupheimer, Yvon Lebihan, Bernard Aubin, Dédé Laqua, Wolfgang Paul, Maria José Desa, Juliette Boisriveaud, Anne Lavaur, and all the others who so dauntlessly stuck by me when I was at my baldest and most afraid. Thanks, of course, to my loving doctors: James Gaston, Richard Cooper, Yves Decroix, Jean-Claude Durand, Michel Soussaline and...
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