The citizens of the modern world are blessed with something that throughout world history has been denied to most of of the populous: agency, or freedom of choice. They can choose the religion of their preference or none at all. They can choose their own careers. They can have their own political beliefs. Agency is a right that a very slim percentage of those that have walked this Earth have enjoyed. In Chaim Potok’s novel, The Chosen, a very different society is depicted than what most citizens of the modern world are accustomed to; a society where agency is severely limited by rules and statutes made by a single leader: this society being Hasidic Judaism. The Chosen tells the story of the intense and complicated friendship between Reuven, …show more content…
The Chosen demonstrates this principle through Reuven and Danny’s struggles with career expectations contrary to their own career aspirations. Reuven understands that one cannot be happy working in an undesired career when he asks Danny how he can spend his life doing something he despises (Potok 121). Danny is unsure how to answer the question, considering he is already miserable just thinking about his possible future as serving as a rabbi over the Hasidim. This principle is also demonstrated when Danny is forced to study experimental psychology as opposed to Freudian psychology, for Danny hated experimental psychology with a burning passion and found it meaningless (Potok 317), so spending large amounts of time studying it made him miserable and bitter. Reuven also felt the effects of this principle of career-choice when he made the very impressive display of skill in reconstructing Talmudic texts in Rav Gershenson’s class (Potok 350). Reuven shows that doing (or studying) what one loves causes one to excel and take a further interest in their work (or studies) than being forced to do (or study) something that is not as enjoyable. Both Danny and Reuven understand that life cannot be happily lived when working in a career field that is not chosen by the …show more content…
Political beliefs should be determined by a personal set of moral standards rather than be forced upon individuals by a cultural collective. Personal political views are an essential part to making one happy, for living under a ruling party with no say to how it’s run causes frustration and anger (generally symptoms of unhappiness). Danny expresses his frustration at the political restriction placed on him due to his father’s views when he privately told Reuven that he wanted join his Zionist group but was unable (Potok 327). Danny’s father placed a restriction on his followers’ political views because he disagreed with them. He maintained this standard by exploding at any instance of Zionist ideas being mentioned in his presence (Potok 286). Reb Saunders’ explosions served two purposes: they were an attempt to control the views of those outside his realm of control, and also his method of instilling his anti-Zionist ideas into his congregation. This frustrated some members of his congregation and it upset Reuven. Reb Saunders, however, was not the only one who attempted to control political ideas. The students at the college that both Reuven and Danny attended forced opinions down the throats of all its students. “...every student’s position was clearly defined by the Zionist philosophy of the group he had joined”(Potok 326). This placed both Reuven and Danny in awkward positions and eventually led
The Jewish people had many challenges to deal with. All through the article, Ben showed courage and bravery. He even made a plan and joined a Partisan group to fight for the Jewish people. In Warsaw, Ben’s family’s life was normal until the city got invaded by the Nazi’s. In
While silence is not considered to be the absolute best way to rear children, one cannot deny the effect and impression it made on not only Danny, but also the Malters. Even Reuven’s father at times remained silent when he could have mentioned things about which he had prior knowledge, not completely dissimilarly to Reb Saunders’ approach. One could assume that he desired for Reuven (and Danny, by default) to come to certain realizations himself. Regardless of the motivations behind any character’s choice of silence, this epigraph genuinely depicts the alleged value of silence
In the article ” why Anderson Cooper’s Advice to ‘ Follow Your Bliss’ Is So Wrong.” Hauser argues that follow your passion can make you become successful is wrong and have no plan B is terrible. Because Anderson Cooper’s got a lot of advantages that normal people don’t have and the success rate is really low. So I think Hauser gives a better advice.
Both of them worked together to write the book on FDR and the Jews on a challenging debate that remains over whether Franklin D. Roosevelt turned his back on the Jews of Hitler’s Nazi Germany or if it was just the way political influences, or world chaos that affected his decisions and times to act towards this genocide. FDR and the Jews exposes a concerned leader whose determinations on behalf of Jews were far greater than the people of the world would have ever believed to be or expected, but whose noble governance was strengthened by the political representativeness of the great depression and the war during the time. Most people have believed that FDR had decided to not help the Jews at all, given the many opportunities, ideas, and opinions by the people and his colleagues. The purpose of this book was to show that FDR did indeed put the domestic political issues, such as the great depression, ahead of rescuing the Jews. Proving with facts that He indeed did far more than any other countries would have on the subject of protecting the Jews from facing death in the Nazi controlled countries and the genocide occurring in their death
In the novel The Chosen, by Chaim Potok, readers are introduced to Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders and the relationships between the teenaged boys and their fathers. David Malter, Reuven’s father, is a teacher and a voice of reason to Reuven throughout the novel. Reuven and David have a very close relationship that involves them talking often and questioning what the other is doing throughout their lives. Reb Saunders, Danny’s father, is a rabbi for Danny’s group of Hasidic Jews in their neighbourhood and is raising Danny to be the next rabbi for their people. Danny and Reb Saunders speak only while they are studying the holy books together and Reb Saunders has not spoken directly to Danny since he was four years old.
In “The Chosen,” Chaim Potok uses the relationship between Danny and Reuven to show the social and political problems that they dealt with. Reuven didn’t fully understand the Hasidic view on things; he asked his dad, Mr. Malter, many questions, that of which his dad knew most or just gave his opinions. Reuven was drug into Danny’s father, Reb Saunders’s, synagogue multiple times, where he learned more about the Talmud and the history behind the Hasidic religion. Reb Saunders’s was considered a tzaddik, by which everyone looked upon him as a god, but a tzaddik is just a pious leader that is a messenger between God and man. Also, with Reb Saunders being a tzaddik, he will have to pass down the role to his son, Danny.
“I [Reuven] saw Danny all the time in school, but the silence between us continued. We had begun to communicate with our eyes, with nods of our heads, with gestures of our hands. But we did not speak to each other.” (Pages 255-256) Reuven and Danny were not allowed to speak to each other, so they communicated without speaking. They kept their friendship alive even though Danny’s father had tried to kill it.
His actions towards Danny and Reb Saunders highlight his forgiving-nature. While the normal person would react with hatred, Reuven acted with understanding and grace. Likewise, many people admired Reuven for his intelligence. He worked hard by reading to acquire knowledge. Equally, Reuven’s determination drove him to success.
Chaim Potok, the author of The Chosen sought to teach his readers that in a world filled with traditions and responsibilities that may trap us in a certain way of being, individual choice is a value that cannot be overridden, for it is far too important to wholeheartedly be
The United States Constitution states that the country values liberty, life, and happiness for all of its citizens. These three values shape the ideal American experience. Most view it as living freely, where all men, women, and races are created equal, and where oppression of genders and races does not exist. In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, however, Zora Neale Hurston challenges the traditional view of this experience by illustrating how gender roles and racism change it, manifesting that it is not close to what the average citizen goes through, especially if he or she is black.
He discusses two points while discussing hierarchy that convince the audience to believe that what he speaks about is the truth. He does tell “The most useful subjects for work are at the top within this hierarchy.” He mentions how children were conditioned to believe that those activities will not get them a job in the future and turned away from activities they enjoy. He specifies this when he says, “If you think of it, the whole system of public education around the world is a protracted process of university entrance.” Many students with different talents get rejected by the university because the talent they had was ignored in the school.
When they meet at the baseball field they judge each other based on rumors they have heard or by the actions of the team. Reuven thinks of them as the “whole snooty bunch of Hasidim” (Chosen 62). Reuven thought Danny was a malicious person because he knew that Danny purposely tried to hit him. But later when Reuven opened up to Danny and stopped being so judgmental, Reuven realized that Danny was kind and just needed a friend. When Reuven is hit with the baseball, there is a chance he might be blind.
cultural constructs of femininity, identity, and the extent of government control. The story explores the affects social and political trends have on society. The Handmaid’s Tale evaluates gender roles and the subjugation of women. Atwood’s use of aphorisms, symbolism, and allusions urges readers to examine the juxtaposition of cruelty and vulnerability in femininity.
Gender roles play an important role in A Raisin in the Sun. During the time A Raisin in the Sun was written the idea of set in stone positions in a household and society were common. Women were supposed to do house jobs, keep their mouths shut, and support their husbands’ decisions and men were seen as the headman or boss. A Raisin in the Sun shows readers a window into the world where those gender roles have a twist on them. Women in the time of A Raisin in the Sun were supposed to be subservient to men.
Equality of genders is a basic human right that all should posses. However, in the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini, the reader explores Afghanistan’s true nature of extreme gender inequality towards women and how it affects all the characters within the novel. The novel explores how within a marriage, women have unequal rights, undergo major amounts of physical abuse, and are emotionally and mentally tormented by their very own supposedly beloved husbands. A marriage is defined as a union of two people as partners in a personal relationship.