discussion of title
Throughout our lives, we are given choices to make. Whether these choices involve the people we will spend our time with, how much effort we will put into our work, or even the places we'll choose to go, they are for the most part up to each individual. In The Chosen by Chaim Potok, these kinds of choices are not up to each person, but rather up to the father of a very strict family of Jews. After Reuven Malter returned home from the hospital, Danny came to visit and apologize for hitting him in the face with a baseball. At first, the conversation between the two was not very pleasant, but changed dramatically when they both discovered each others more admirable qualities. When Danny decided that Reuven was the kind of person that he would like to be friends with, he first had to consult with his father about the relationship. "He wants to meet you. I told him we were friends. He always has to approve of my friends. Especially if they're outside the fold." (111)After spending an entire night with Danny and his father, Reuven was finally "chosen" by Reb Saunders as a suitable friend for Danny. In a sense, the entire process was a selection. Danny had no choice in who he could spend hi
This is evident through a detailed passage at the end of chapter nine when Reuven witnesses a fly trapped in a spider's web. Just as Reb Saunders chose Danny's companions, he also played a large part in choosing his future college and occupation. " (266) Although Reb Saunders would have preferred a more sheltered life for Danny, it was out of his power to stop him from simply reading books. The fly fell on its back to the wooden floor of the porch, righted itself, then flew off, buzzing loudly. Here there are libraries and books and schools. Luckily, Reb Saunders, saw the motivation behind his son's actions and realized that, unlike his brother, Danny had developed a soul that would thrive upon both love for the Master of the Universe and the Universe itself. Similar to Frankenstein though, Danny's interests were not that of his creator. Danny had been "chosen" by his father to be his successor as a tzaddik in the Jewish community. This idea is not new to the memories of Reb Saunders, whose brother also challenged the title of the "chosen". It is apparent that throughout the novel, Danny does not want to be a tzaddik,but instead would like his brother to take his place. Everyone and everything seemed to be telling him to stay in the confines of the family's Hasidic beliefs. "A spider had spun a web across the corner of the upper rail, and there was a housefly trapped in it now, its wings spread-eagled, glued to the strands of the web, its legs flaying the air frantically.
Common topics in this essay:
Saunder's Danny,
Reb Saunders,
Reuven Malter,
Frankenstein Danny's,
Talmud Danny's,
Title Throughout,
Chaim Potok,
reb saunders,
Universe Universe,
chosen reb,
life danny,
chosen reb saunders,
throughout lives,
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Acceptance Essays
