Analysis Of Chaim Potok's The Chosen

Conversing amongst friends. Shopping at the mall. Buying a cup of coffee. These are acts of freedom. Every US citizen is granted freedom the day they are born. Freedom allows people to be themselves. What if these acts were taken away from US citizens? In the story The Chosen by Chaim Potok, Reuven and Danny are both Jewish boys growing up with different lives, Reuven’s more free and Danny’s more strict, Danny dreams of one day becoming a psychologist but is restricted due to him inheriting his father’s position of being the Reb. Nevertheless, this shows that the most prevalent theme in “The Chosen” is that one must follow their dream despite society, tradition, and relationships.

In The Chosen, both Danny and Reuven are
This is often detected throughout the book with the friendship of Danny and Reuven with Reb Saunders disagreeing with on the sideline. Here, a typical morning for Reuven was struck with burly words from Reb Saunders himself. “Who are these people? Who are these people? Apikorsim!...When the Messiah comes, we will have Eretz Yisroel, a Holy Land, not a land contaminated by Jewish goyim!”(Potok 286). Here, Reb Saunders strikes out at Reuven, accusing him for his own beliefs. This causes the origin of friction between Danny and Reuven; friction that is created by Reb Saunders. As seen throughout, Reb Saunders continues to discrete the relationship throughout the book. In another instance, Danny desires to join the Zionist group, but can’t. Reuven knows Danny truthfully wants to disband from the anti-Zionist group, though after Reuven had seen Reb Saunder’s outlash against Zionism, Reuven understands why. (Potok 327). In this passage, it is shown to the reader that Danny cannot join Reuven’s group due to his father’s view on Zionism. Reb Saunders isolates the two based on his views. The feud with Reb ends late in the novel. Eventually, Reuven and Danny meet up with Reb Saunders to hear Danny’s words on leaving the path his father had chosen for him. “Reuven, I-I ask you to forgive me...my anger...at your father’s Zionism. I read his speech...I found my own meaning for my...brother’s death...for the death of the six million. I found it in God’s will...which I did not presume to understand.”(Potok 407). This quote ends Reb Saunders hatred for Reuven and Danny’s friendship, divulging the truth for why Reb Saunders had loathed their relationship. Moreover, Danny and Reuven overcome the era of Reb Saunders’ disapproval of their friendship, allowing them to become real friends once