Theme Of Friendship In The Chosen By Chaim Potok

In The Chosen, by Chaim Potok, one theme wove its way throughout the entire story: friendship. It shaped Danny and Reuven’s life, and even affected both of their fathers’ lives as well. Friendship played a tremendous role when Danny felt depressed because of his experimental phycology class, as Reuven’s father had a heart attack needed hospitalization, and most of all, as Danny and his father overcame their silence. The story has the idea of friendship all through it, yet friendship affects these three situations most of all. When Danny and Reuven met for the first time, they both hated each other, but through the forgiveness, the two boys became some of the strongest friends ever written. Their friendship was not even destroyed by two years of no communication between the two, and it probably continued long after their college years ended. When Danny realized that he hated experimental psychology Reuven helped him push through. Experimental psychology came as an unwelcome surprise to Danny; he hated the “rats and mazes in the psychology laboratory.” (207) For months, Reuven helped Danny through his dislikes about experimental psychology. If Reuven had not led Danny past his struggles Danny might have dropped the class or even …show more content…
Danny and Reuven’s intense friendship not only helped them, but also helped others like the boys fathers. Through the boy’s relationship, Reb repaired his relationship with his son and began talking again. In the story, friendship showed the boys they could always count on each other. When Danny felt depressed about his experimental phycology class, Reuven helped him get past it; as Reuven’s father had a heart attack, Danny took him in and helped him; and finally, Danny and his father even overcame their silence through the friendship of Reuven. Friendship has the power to change lives, and neither Danny nor Reuven would have survived the troubles of life without the