Chaim Potok’s The Chosen has quite a lot of intriguing characters, and Reb Saunders is no exception. In fact, he probably arouses the most interest in readers of all of the characters in the book. He leads a group of Hasidic Jews, and expects his son, Danny, to do the same when he grows older (although Danny wishes otherwise). Mr. Saunders takes study of the Talmud(the Jewish hold book) very seriously and requires all of those he has authority over to do the same. He can seem extremely closed-minded, suddenly going in to fits of rage at mentions of things he believes are “contaminated”. Finally, he has an extremely unusual and unconventional parenting style; he never speaks to his children, except for the purpose of studying Talmud. His zeal for Talmud study, his
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Reuven experiences this up close and personal when he referred to a controversial topic at the Saunders’ dinner table. “Reb Saunders stared at me, his eyes suddenly wild with rage, his beard trembling.” (197) He then starts screaming at the top of his lungs. He had tried to keep his appearance of hospitality, but he could not contain his displeasure with Reuven’s opinion. While Mr. Saunders never really seems like a kind person in the story, this passage shows how brutal he can really be. Reuven saw that Reb could be harsh in his time there, but Danny has to experience it every single day.
The way Reb parents his children is incredibly unusual. For some reason, he will not speak to his children whatsoever, excluding when they discuss Talmud. This has a huge detrimental effect on their relationship. When Danny tells Reuven about it, he has difficulty even comprehending it, “I’d hate to have my father not talk to me.” (116) Parents need to leave the door open for their children to vent their feelings by talking, and Reb completely slams that door shut. This is simply not a smart way to go about parenting, which is why nobody does
Reuven experiences this up close and personal when he referred to a controversial topic at the Saunders’ dinner table. “Reb Saunders stared at me, his eyes suddenly wild with rage, his beard trembling.” (197) He then starts screaming at the top of his lungs. He had tried to keep his appearance of hospitality, but he could not contain his displeasure with Reuven’s opinion. While Mr. Saunders never really seems like a kind person in the story, this passage shows how brutal he can really be. Reuven saw that Reb could be harsh in his time there, but Danny has to experience it every single day.
The way Reb parents his children is incredibly unusual. For some reason, he will not speak to his children whatsoever, excluding when they discuss Talmud. This has a huge detrimental effect on their relationship. When Danny tells Reuven about it, he has difficulty even comprehending it, “I’d hate to have my father not talk to me.” (116) Parents need to leave the door open for their children to vent their feelings by talking, and Reb completely slams that door shut. This is simply not a smart way to go about parenting, which is why nobody does