Identify a particular image that stood out for you in Chapter 1. Describe in detail what you envision and why you think it struck you. End your post w/ a question. Your comment should be two paragraphs long. (Skip a line between paragraphs, since you cannot indent on the blog.)
Also, reply to at least one student's post.
One image from Chapter 1 that stands out to me is the description of Danny Saunders stepping up to bat. “The members of the yeshiva team stood near the wire fence, watching Danny Saunders. They were very quiet. The rabbi was sitting on the bench, his book closed… Danny Saunders swung his bat a few times, then fixed himself into position and looked out at me” (32). It stands out because the stillness of the scene contrasts so greatly to the action of the baseball game that has been described up to that point. Everyone is focusing on Danny Saunders, and it creates a moment of quiet tension. The boys from the yeshiva team stand off to the side in their black-and-white uniforms, riveted to their teammate on the plate. The rabbi has put down his book for once, and the fact that he is overtly paying attention to the game at all is significant. Everyone holds their breath as Danny squints with hard blue eyes at Reuven, the sun casting shadows over his sharp features. Reuven feels a lot of hostility towards Danny, and towards Danny in particular as opposed to the entire yeshiva team. Does Danny have the same contempt for Reuven above the rest of his team?
ReplyDeleteI think that Danny might have more contempt for Reuven, than most other people. I think Danny could have targeted Reuven because his dad has opposing views to Reuven's dad. Maybe Danny felt that he should make a point, because their fathers are both leaders but in different communities. I think he probably just does not like anyone who has a different opinion than him or he just wanted to make Reuven and his team angry so that they would lose focus of the game.
DeleteI was honestly thinking the same thing. Danny does not have this contempt for many, if any, of Reuven's teammates, so why does it seem this way? Right now, it almost seems as if Reuven has solely proved he can play ball at the same level as Danny. It might have gotten on Danny's nerves quite a bit considering he probably has never been caught out before. The author has made Danny seem like quite the sore loser.
DeleteAn image from Chapter 1 that stood out to me was during the baseball game. The yeshiva team is at bat and everyone on Reuven's team is worried." We looked at each other, then looked away. Mr. Galanter stood very still alongside third base, looking at Schwartzie"(30). This image stands out to me because I could almost feel the nervousness and tension between the players on Reuven's team. Everyone is holding their breath, because this isn’t just an ordinary game. Danny talked to Reuven and told him why he wanted to beat Reuven's team. Danny said it was because Reuven's team had a different view on how to practice their religion, which he believed was wrong. Reuven and his friend really took what Danny said to heart. This struck me because even something as simple as a baseball game was suddenly changed into a fight against different religious beliefs. Reuven's team knows their differences divide them, and now they really believe what Mr. Galanter had been saying all along, that this was truly a war.
ReplyDeleteI imagine Reuven, Schwartzie and Sydney full of fear and adrenaline. Their palms sweating and their faces hot. To them, losing is out of the question and they slowly begin getting into their positions, not knowing what will happen next. Facing the other team, squinting, the sun in their eyes, only seeing the leering faces of the other team. The team is putting all their effort into beating the yeshiva team, and there's still a glimpse of hope on their faces. Does Mr. Galanter have any idea how serious the game is from the boys perspective? Or does he think that the boys are just trying to win the game for fun?
I think that ultimately, Mr. Galanter is aware of the importance of this game to the boys, but it is not something he always addresses. In the majority of the game, he is coaching the boys in a manner that suggests he is taking it seriously, but this intensifies when it seems that the game will not end in their favor. This seems to signify more than just his determination as a coach to win the game, but that he sees how a loss would affect the players. When he tells them to play more carefully, he says this in a quiet tone, a significant change from his abrupt and loud manner that he displayed previously. This seems to signify that he is not only advising his players to be more serious in the game, but that he will take it more seriously as well. This would seem to indicate that in this moment, he is aware of what the game means to the players, and prompts him to approach it with the same dedication that they do. It would seem he would only do this if he knew that this was more than just fun for them.
DeleteAn image from Chapter 1 that was particularly significant to me, was a description of the two coaches of the opposing teams, partway through the game. “Mr. Galanter was standing alongside third base, wiping his forehead. The rabbi was sitting quietly, reading his book” (29). This represents such a definitive contrast between the two coaches, and their reactions to the events of the game. The opposing teams practice religion differently, which was extremely significant to the game. There are many passages in the chapter that describe the differences between the two teams, and how they dress, play, and act. All of these details support the separation and divide between these two groups, not only during the game, but outside of it as well. The subtle difference that is brought to attention in this one moment of the game is significant nonetheless, because it deepens the idea that these teams come from two very different lifestyles.
ReplyDeleteAn image of the two coaches is quite clear. You can almost feel the calm that exudes from the rabbi, as he shifts his attention from the hectic game, to his book. He is able to ignore the tension that is palpable in the air, and show his serene and calm nature, in a setting that is far from both. On the other hand, Mr. Galanter is obvious in showing the stress and anxiety he is feeling in this moment. Through his close proximity to the game and all the action, and the sweat that has formed along his forehead, it is clear that he is feeding off the tension of the game, and mirrors it, rather than ignoring it. Their opposite responses in this moment seem to suggest an importance of the differences between the two teams. Does it seem likely that these differences will remain prevalent through the rest of the book?
I think that you make a really good point. The two teams are so different from one another which I feel only adds to the tension surrounding the game. I think that the differences will remain for a bulk of the story. The image of the two coaches is really interesting. They are so different, but in the end the score is so close. There’s obviously different styles of coaching. The other team seems more organized in their uniform which to me was intimidating. Also the fact that the rabbi doesn’t seem worried at all made me nervous for Mr. Galanter’s team. Mr. Galanter was pacing and keeping a close eye on the game because he didn’t know what the outcome was going to be. The rabbi seemed almost too calm and seemed to ignore the tension during the game.
DeleteIt is very observant how you found this particular passage to speak about their differences strongly. I did not detect this before I read your response. I agree with you that there are other things that are of greater significance in the baseball game. Even though it shows the differences, it reveals similarities.
DeleteI do think that the differences will remain a theme throughout the book. I think that the differences although definitely will cause division, will also bring Reuven and Danny together. I believe it is going to be a story of weaving customs together in order to create a new, heartfelt yet struggling friendship.
It is a beautiful thing that these different sects of Jews came together to form a community; both playing baseball, but with different backgrounds.
An image that struck me whilst reading this chapter was an unsettling image. An image that when put into your mind gives you a feeling of uncertainty and uneasiness. This is when Danny Saunders steps up finally to the plate in the last batting opportunity. He strikes on the two first pitches and is obviously not amused in the slightest. Before the last pitch, he stops, lays his bat down and stares at Reuven, smiling, “I could see his teeth through his parted lips,”. This image in my mind causes me to see Danny as a devil waiting to truly kill the enemy that which is Reuven.
ReplyDeleteAs Danny finally steps up to the plate he has gotten into the head of his enemy and strikes. I see him laughing and grinning with that same smile throughout the entirety of this scene. That is what gives off the chills down the spine. His not moving stance as he almost seems to make him call to someone to help him kill his enemy no matter the cost. This imagery, while dark, struck me the most. The one question I have is, why Reuven?
Danny was unable to look past the differing religious views of Reuven’s team, school and sect in order to play the baseball game as a game and not a “war.” His goal was not just to win the baseball game, but to prove that his sect is the superior one in doing so, and he picked Reuven to drive his point home to. When he and Reuven first spoke, Reuven complimented Danny on his hit. Rather than accepting the flattery as a truce, I think that Danny was offended that Reuven would even try to pretend that they weren’t enemies. It must have been then that he decided to make Reuven his target. Instead of responding to the compliment, Danny asked about Reuven’s father, highlighting the fact that their fathers were prominent figures of two different and discordant religious sects. He then insulted Reuven’s team by calling them “apikorsim,” to which Reuven replied derisively, and the individual war between the two boys began. From then on, Reuven and Danny represented their respective sects to each other, and every act of hatred towards the other boy was made towards that boy’s religion as well.
DeleteOne image from chapter one that stood out to me was on page 25. Reuven Malter is nervous about the outcome of the baseball game. He describes the playing field as his entire world and thinks the game will affect his life forever. He tries reassure himself: “It’s only a ball game, I told myself. What’s a ball game?” I image him surrounded by his teammates and opponents and he’s probably sweating, either from the heat or his nerves, and there’s a huge mass of tension in the air. I think this image really struck me because it’s such an ordinary feeling. He’s feeling a lot of pressure from this one thing that he knows probably won’t change his life that much. The character just becomes very relatable in that moment.
ReplyDeleteSomething that I thought about throughout the chapter was Davey Cantor’s comment about the other team. He said that he had seen them play before and described them murderers (page 7). The other team was competitive, but honestly the most intimidating thing about them was Danny Saunders’ ability to get them out on first base. I’m just wondering would it have made the outcome of the game better if they were more or less intimidated by the other team?
I found one passage and the text surrounding it included in the explanations of the different sects of Jews near Williamsburg, NY particularly interesting. More specifically, it depicts Jewish Hasidic shop owners: “They could be seen behind their counters, wearing black skullcaps, full beards, and long earlocks, eking out their meager livelihoods and dreaming of Shabbat and festivals when they could close their stores and turn their attention to their prayers, their rabbi, their God” (Potok 10).
ReplyDeleteHaving been to New York City for the past few years in a row, it is easy for me to picture the different villages: their unique buildings, the cracked sidewalks with puddles of condensation from air conditioners five stories above, and the different types of people. Also, having watched the first half of the movie version of The Chosen several years ago, some scenes are easier to picture than others.
I think the image of earlocks speaks to me the most. I imagine teenage boys with dark brown hair with long curly strands of hair hanging in front of their ears. I then imagine the family: I imagine the father with slightly graying locks and a beard, the mother who dresses modestly and is stronger than she appears, and the sister who abides by the rules but is secretly yearning to dress, act, and worship differently.
I imagine the young men and women reluctantly going to school to learn from the Torah, but also looking forward to seeing their friends. That image brings me back to the days of Hebrew School. I was the only one in my small class that was going their fully voluntarily. My classmates would complain about having to be there, though they were blind to how intelligent their analysis of the stories were.
And now, after they have (probably) moved past Hebrew School, they are glad they went because of all the things they learned about life from Rabbi and our teachers. That sentiment still grows very deep inside of me. I can still find that feeling of walking into the Synagogue early in the morning inside of me.
I very well might be off that these particular Jews in Brooklyn felt this way, but this specific image made my mind think of the dirty streets of New York and my own recollections of Hebrew School.
I forgot to ask a question.
DeleteI wonder how much these Jews' appearance will affect them throughout the story. Does the city they live in have a great impact on the response to their appearance?