Chaim Potok

was the same massive, black wood, glass-topped desk, the same red carpet, the same glass-enclosed wooden bookcases jammed tight with books, the same musty old-book odor in the air, the same single lightbulb glowing white behind its ceiling fixture” (Potok 280). This example of imagery shows how the environment the boys lived in stays the same, it is Daniel and Reuven that change and overcome their obstacles. Reuven talks about the office like he is surprised it remains the same when so many…

The need for control is a struggle for authority and power over others. In Chaim Potok’s, The Chosen, Reb Saunders controls his son in every aspect of his life by the way he raised him to his day to day interactions. Throughout Mary Shelly’s, Frankenstein, Victor controls his creation by condemning the monster’s actions or thoughts that aren’t approved or conceived by Victor, dictating the monster should live his way or not at all. Reb and Victor, two main creators, demonstrate how futile the…

The Silence that Enriches Is it better for someone to stay silent and listen to the world, or let the world stay silent to listen to the person’s thoughts? Danny Saunders grows up in silence as the son of a Jewish Rabbi. The Chosen by Chaim Potok displays the growing friendship of two boys, who have singular views of their Jewish faith. An Orthodox Jew, Danny learns his beliefs from his father; Whereas Reuven, a Hasidic Jew carries different beliefs than that of his friend Danny. This can…

The Chosen by Chaim Potok describes an unexpected friendship between two people. Daniel “Danny” Saunders and Reuven Malter were playing baseball against each other when Danny’s pitch hit Reuven in the eye. It shattered Reuven’s glasses and left him with a piece of glass in his eye. While Reuven was in the hospital, Danny went to visit him and that’s where their friendship began. Because they are friends, Reuven helps Danny from quitting on his dreams of becoming a psychologist. With a little bit…

these things wouldn't be there tomorrow? In The Chosen, Chaim Potok describes Reuven returning home from the hospital, taking in the little things he had not seen before being gone for some time. “… I walked slowly through the apartment. I had lived in it all my life, but I never really saw it until I went through it that Friday afternoon. … I stood in that room for a long time, ... tasting the room and the sunlight and the sounds …” (Potok 94-96). Reuven can see better after the eye ward in…

Zebra Experience to Change Summative Essay As said by Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” This theme is presented many times throughout the story, “Zebra,” by Chaim Potok. The main character Adam, better known as Zebra, goes through several experiences that lead to his outlook on life changing. Overall his experiences render him to become a better person. One of the main experiences that changed Zebra was meeting…

(Jewish Traditions and Restrictions) Chaim Potok, is the original Historical Criticism , he gave the heart and brought out the sympathy of the Jewish people and culture. Historical criticism is the bases of any literature piece . It dwells on dates and the origin of the subject and authors outlook. Focuses on things like time ,era, religion and background . The mass murder of 6 million people , in a event called “The Holocaust” is the most imperative and certainly can be used as the offset of…

The idea of friendship that is represented in Chaim Potok's The Chosen mirrors many issues that friends of different backgrounds face today. Danny Saunders And Reuven Malter faced many hardships in the course of the novel. They faced rules and prejudices that many of us were not familiar with before the novel. They had disagreements and touching personal moments that friends experience with each other even today. Their friendship had its high points and its low points, but their friendship was…

Agency is a right and privilege that has been gifted to all mankind. Regardless of circumstance or condition, this freedom of choice cannot be taken away or denied, however, every choice has consequence, be it positive or negative. Chaim Potok’s, The Chosen, beautifully demonstrates this principle through the immaculate illustration of the struggles of modern assimilated Jew, Reuven Malter, and his Hasidic friend, Danny Saunders, with obtaining the courage to choose their own paths despite the…

In order to be successful, students must have a clear understanding of their identity in society. They must also be aware of other identities that develop the diverse ideals of their culture. The chosen depicts the adolescent struggle to comprehend these concepts. The main characters in the novel depict the journey to understanding and acceptance. This journey is critical in a high school curriculum to ensure the wholesome culture of an up and coming generation. The interaction between the two…