The Author of Choice: Chaim Potok Throughout the history of English literature, authors have changed how readers see literature. Some of these authors have become America’s best including the author Chaim Potok. Potok’s story The Chosen has affected many readers and can be considered one of the better stories in American literature. By looking at Chaim Potok’s life, people’s opinion of his book, and how people’s lives were changed, Americans can understand why he is one of their better authors. Chaim Potok, an author who stuck out in American Literature, also had an interesting life. Potok was born on February 17, 1929 and was raised in a strictly Orthodox environment (“Chaim Potok”). Being raised in an Orthodox environment majorly affected
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Potok “was especially drawn to two important novels by Roman Catholic writers, Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh and James Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, saying that they guided him toward a career,” (Newsmakers). These two authors impacted Potok as a child and were a big reason he decided to start writing. However, “it was Waugh’s novel that convinced Potok to become a writer himself, for he admired Waugh’s ability to create whole worlds on paper,” (EXPLORING). Without Waugh’s influence on Potok’s life then Potok would not have become the writer he was, the writer who could move his readers. This exposure also allowed him to view writing that created other worlds and to understand that was what he wanted to do with his life. The other author that influenced young Potok was James Joyce and “Joyce’s book appealed to Potok for its portrayal of the iconoclast, the person willing to go against social norms, and how this rebellious person sees the hypocrisy of those around him,” (EXPLORING). The storyline of a iconoclast, strongly influenced Potok’s writing and the stories he created. Since his life could almost relate to a iconoclastic lifestyle, it allowed him to create similar stories. Without his influences Potok would have made completely different stories, and would have been a completely different
Potok “was especially drawn to two important novels by Roman Catholic writers, Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh and James Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, saying that they guided him toward a career,” (Newsmakers). These two authors impacted Potok as a child and were a big reason he decided to start writing. However, “it was Waugh’s novel that convinced Potok to become a writer himself, for he admired Waugh’s ability to create whole worlds on paper,” (EXPLORING). Without Waugh’s influence on Potok’s life then Potok would not have become the writer he was, the writer who could move his readers. This exposure also allowed him to view writing that created other worlds and to understand that was what he wanted to do with his life. The other author that influenced young Potok was James Joyce and “Joyce’s book appealed to Potok for its portrayal of the iconoclast, the person willing to go against social norms, and how this rebellious person sees the hypocrisy of those around him,” (EXPLORING). The storyline of a iconoclast, strongly influenced Potok’s writing and the stories he created. Since his life could almost relate to a iconoclastic lifestyle, it allowed him to create similar stories. Without his influences Potok would have made completely different stories, and would have been a completely different