1. Quote one line/passage OR note one image from within Chap 13-18 that feels imp’t to the text, and write a paragraph explaining why. (Note page #.)
2. What has this book left you thinking about? Explain. End your post w/ a question. (Skip a line between paragraphs, since you cannot indent on the blog.)
3. Also, reply to at least one student's post.
The last part of the book was very informative and really wrapped the whole story up. One image that I thought was important was the image of Danny crying while his father talked to him through Reuven. “Danny sat with his right hand over his eyes, his glasses pushed up on his forehead. He was crying silently, his shoulders quivering”(264). I think that this moment in Reb Saunders office is incredibly emotional. Danny is only listening to his dad, but he is crying tears of happiness and sadness. I think Danny is grateful for his dad and all the sacrifices he has made for him. I think Danny is also relieved that his dad is willing to let him have the life that will make him the happiest. However, I think that Danny is also heartbroken and feels guilty because he feels as though he is letting his father down and the whole community his father has created. Danny is still devoted to his religion but it will be different now that he is leaving. I also believe that Danny is overwhelmed because his father finally explains to him why he never talked to him and that he is sorry that it had to be that way. I feel as though, deep down, Danny understood his father's decision, but there was still a little part that was saddened by it and getting an answer finally lets Danny feel more resolved. There was so much love and sadness between Danny and his father and it was surprising when Reb Saunders finally spoke to his son. I think it showed the strong connection between Reb Saunders and Danny and how much they mean to each other.
ReplyDeleteThis book left me with lots of question and emotions. Something I thought about after finishing the book was how different everyone’s lives are. Just comparing Danny and Reuven’s life, even though they both have big influences from their religion, their family life is much different. Looking even closer, just at the father son relationships, you can see they are drastically different in comparison. Another thing is that I would like to learn more about Judaism and the differences between different branches as described in the book. I really don’t know much and throughout the book I kept having questions about the religion, such as not knowing the definitions of a couple of terms that were used.
A question I have after reading the last chapter is will the connection between Reuven and Danny be strong enough to keep them together even after they start going separate ways in life?
I think that Reuven and Danny will stay connected, even though they are going their separate ways. Their friendship is very important to them, and I think this will lead them to make an effort to see each other, and keep their friendship strong. Reuven states that he loves Danny, and both he and his father, as well as Danny’s father, recognize the importance of their friendship, and how important it is to both of them. They also went through the two year period where they were forbidden to talk, and they still kept their friendship, and were able to get along as normal as they did before, when they were allowed to talk to one another again. I think that these signify that Danny and Reuven will be able to keep their strong connection, and friendship, even though they are going their separate, and very different, ways.
DeleteI agree that knowing more about their would’ve been helpful while reading the book. I think the author did a good job explaining a lot of things, but there were times when I felt a little lost. I think that the lectures that Reuven’s father gave earlier in the book definitely helped. Also there were times when Reuven didn’t know everything about Danny’s religion, but he learned and I’ve learned a lot throughout this book. I think that Danny and Reuven live different lives, but that they are good friends and will stay connected. There was one part in the book where they didn’t see each other for a while because school and life in general got in the way. Although they didn’t see each other, they stayed connected and still talked.
DeleteA phrase from the reading that I thought was important to the text was when Danny’s father was finally explaining his silence to Danny. “‘Reuven, I want you to listen carefully to what I will tell you now.’ He had said: Reuven. His eyes had said: Danny. ‘You will not understand it. You may never understand it. And you may never stop hating me for what I have done. I know how you feel. I do not see it in your eyes? But I want you to listen” (263). This statement was extremely powerful. The fact that he is talking through Reuven, but his words are directed at Danny, shows how conflicted he was about the silence that he used to raise Danny. He still feels that it was important that he raised him that way, and he seems to be happy with the way that Danny turned out, and sees a certain success with his methods. But at the same time, there is regret evident. He most likely wishes that he could have talked freely with his son, whom he adored, but was not able to. It was also significant that he said “‘I know how you feel,’” because it is later revealed that he was raised the same way. This signifies that he is familiar with the hardships and struggles that Danny went through being raised that way, and he sympathizes with him. I think it was so important for Danny to know this, because though he may still resent him for the way that he was raised, he finally understands why he did it, and that he did it because he loved him. It was so necessary for Danny to hear this, and he could finally be at peace with the decisions he made for his future.
ReplyDeleteThis book had a huge impact on me, and it left me thinking about a lot of different topics that were brought up throughout the course of the novel. One of the biggest topics that it left me thinking about, was the environment in which we are raised, and how it affects us. Danny’s father was raised just as Danny was, and these raising methods are being passed down through the generations, yet Danny has plans for a future completely different than his father’s. Religion was an extremely significant part of his life growing up, but he chooses to pursue a career that is very far and different from this, even though religion is still important to him. On the other hand, though religion was important, Reuven was raised much less extremely, and yet decides to be a rabbi when he is older, even though his father saw a different future for him. This signifies that you can be raised a certain way, but when you are at the age to make your own decisions for your own future, you can choose something entirely different. At the same time though, it seems that the environment you were raised in will always be significant to the way you see and approach the world, like how Danny is planning to possibly raise his children in the same way that his father did, because he knows no different, even though he knows how hard it can be, and was. Through this, it was extremely interesting to hear about the different branches of religion, though it could be confusing at times, it opened my eyes to these different religions and customs.
A question that I have following the end of the book is, do you think Danny will ever be able to fully forgive his father for the way that their relationship was while he was growing up? Do you think he understand why he was raised this way?
I think that Danny had forgiven his father already. When his Dad explained his reasoning for not talking to him, I think that Danny was able to truly understand and accept his father's choices. I think that their religion is a big piece that will always keep them together, and I think that is what held them together when Danny was younger. Reb Saunders only talked to Danny when they were reading the Talmud, so religion was the only way for Danny to really interact with his father. Danny has forgiven his father, even if he doesn't say it out loud. It shows that Danny understands why his father never talked with him because Reuven asks if Danny will do the same thing to his child and Danny says that he will. He knows that his father was only doing what he thought was right, and thinks that it is important for his child to have the same experience as well.
DeleteOn page 241, Reuven describes his classmates’ reaction to the death of a recent graduate of their school, a casualty of the war going on in Jerusalem. “We were stunned. We had never thought the war would come so close.” This line seems very important to me, especially in light of our country’s contemporary struggles with gun violence. While any given community can be completely informed and aware of the tragedies occurring around them, reading a story on the news is very different from having first hand experience. It is certainly possible to be deeply affected by such an event—in fact, it is crucial to our society that we understand and care about the plights of others—but it is also easy fall into the false sense of security that these things do happen, but not to us, because what are the chances? The truth is that it’s unlikely, but always possible—catastrophes can happen anywhere. Hanover High School, for example, received an anonymous threat of a shooting last year. It turned out to be a false alarm, but I was still very upset by it. I remember calling a friend of mine who is a student there, shocked and frightened, as soon as I heard the news. She assured me that nothing had come of the threat and that everything was fine, but we were both very sobered by the incident. It was a wake-up call to how dangerous the world can be. Just as Reuven knew of the war but never expected to be affected by it so personally, my peers and I knew of the recent escalation of gun violence, but we never expected to be threatened by it ourselves.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading The Chosen, I was struck by what a dominant force religion is in Danny and Reuven’s lives. Their family life, education, and community all revolve around their religion—their very identities are entwined with it. It provides the set of morals they live by and guides the decisions they make. While the relationship between Danny and Reuven was, in my opinion, the most central aspect of the book, I also found it really interesting to learn about their religion. I am not religious at all, but this book has prompted me to wonder what how my life would be different if I was. I wonder if I would view the world differently and if I would be able to understand the actions of the people around me better. I’m happy with my life as it is, but I really appreciated being able to read about Danny and Reuven’s religion because it allowed me to look at things in a different way.
At the end of the book, it is confirmed that Levi, Danny’s younger brother, will inherit their father’s position as tzaddik. Earlier in the book, Danny revealed that he didn’t have much of a relationship with Levi, and that all of Danny’s concern about Levi’s health was only because he wanted him to be well enough to become the tzaddik one day instead of him. Now that his wish has been fulfilled, do you think that Danny will come to love Levi because they are brothers and because of who he is, more than just because Levi can serve as a benefit to him?
It is hard to say honestly, Danny has never really had a solid relationship with Levi throughout the book so it is hard to say whether one will start up. I feel that Danny feels like Reuven is the brother he never had and treats him almost like it. Despite their ups and downs they always came back to supporting and helping each other out. I feel that Reb Saunders also sees this and how Danny feels about Reuven and tells how especially blessed he is to have both Reuven and his dad be in his son's life at the end of the book. I think that Danny sees Levi as more of an accomplice than a brother.
DeleteOne image that I found important to the text was when Danny finally comes back to talk to Reuven during lunch about needing help with a large smile on his face. This is after the whole anti-Zionist campaigns the Reb Saunders was organizing so it somewhat reveals the fact that it was Reb Saunders who forced Danny to stay away from Reuven. This event changes the course of the book and causes Danny to come out about how he wants to go to Graduate School instead of becoming a Rabbi. It is very important to the text as in it resolves a major issue that has been happening for the past few chapters. Danny comes back to Reuven and they eventually become good friends again hopefully for good.
ReplyDeleteThis book has left me thinking about a lot of things. It has left me thinking about how much your parents can shape your lives from day one like Reb Saunders did. Raising Danny in silence caused him to not become a Rabbi but rather have the soul of a tzaddik. A much more important characteristic. It left me wondering whether Reb knew all along that Danny was to not become a Rabbi, or rather he was hoping he would do it anyway. Reb did set up a marriage and the position for Danny but then how did he know and/or why set him up to not be a rabbi from day one?
Did he know the eventual plans of Danny from the beginning? Or was it only within the week?
Riley,
DeleteIt is hard to tell whether Reb Saunders knew about Danny not wanting to become a rabbi. Reb Saunders is very wise. He knew Danny was brilliant from the start and knew that Danny would be smart enough to wonder about realms other than rabbinic ones. I think Reb Saunders probably realised it when or very soon after Danny realised it. I think Reb Saunders has also felt trapped at some point in his life, and knew, with a son more curious, that Danny would try to break loose from that trap.
This book has left me thinking about a lot of things, but one major concept it has throbbing in my mind is the relationship between a parent and child. I am deeply disturbed by the way that each of Reb Saunders’ children are being raised. Reb Saunders’ way of making sure his children feel the suffering of Jewish people seems a little off to me. I understand him wanting his kids to understand the hardships in which people face, but I would also want my kids to see all the beauty that the world holds. I will never fully understand this type of relationship from a parent’s point of view until I become a parent. And even then, I won’t be able to understand Reb Saunders’ particular view point. It just seems so cruel of him to treat his children the way he does. It seems like there would be a lot of flaws in social development that would occur, but perhaps I’m wrong. There will never be a clear answer to how a parent should raise their child.
ReplyDeleteAlthough there are many quotes in the end of the book that do a good job at wrapping the story up, there was one that stood out for me. It was when Reuven finally returned to Danny’s house to talk to Reb Saunders. He explains how the synagogue looks saying, “It seemed tiny to me now, the synagogue, so much less neat than when I had seen it for the first time” (260). This story is about change. I like this quote because it doesn’t glorify the process of change. Change can be messy and gnaw at someone’s health and soul. It shows that hard work is not always glamorous and you have to make sacrifices to succeed. Throughout the book, you can see Danny becoming confused as he struggles to understand the things that he chooses to research. Will Danny remain happy studying psychology?
It’s difficult to predict whether or not Danny will remain happy studying psychology. When he first entered college, he was extremely disappointed with the psychology class he was enrolled in because he didn’t approve of his teacher’s approach to examining the subject. He is bound to become frustrated in his job if he can’t tailor any project he is commissioned to do to fit his thought process. However, being as intelligent and ambitious as he is, it is likely that he will gain a lot of respect in the field and will get a good job allows him to direct his own work. Conversely, his intelligence and hunger for knowledge are so extreme that he may eventually realize that his true passion lies not in psychology, but in an entirely different discipline. With the grade of intellect that Danny possesses, there are no doubt many subjects that he could apply himself to with great success.
DeleteA quote from the reading that felt important was on page 219 when Reuven is talking to his father. His father tells him that it is the rabbis who will educate new people who come into the synagogues. Since the beginning of the book we’ve known that Reuven has wanted to become a rabbi. Reuven’s father continues talking about the duties of rabbis and says:
ReplyDelete“‘It will be your task if you become a rabbi.’
I looked at him.
‘If you become a rabbi,’ my father said, smiling at me warmly.
‘When I become a rabbi, you mean.’”
This was important to me because it kind of gave me hope for Reuven. It was also important because it showed Reuven’s dedication. He wanted to be a rabbi and he seems willing to put in the work. He’s not going to give up on his dream. On the next page he makes a reference to Mr. Savo about how becoming a rabbi was a better choice than becoming a boxer. The time he spent in the hospital had such an impact on Reuven. He wasn’t there for very long, but he made some friends and still thinks about it.
This book has left me thinking about fate and chance. It was a total coincidence that Reuven and Danny met. They had lived close to each other for their entire lives. They didn’t know each other at all. Then they played a baseball game against each other. A baseball game in which Danny’s team was barely formed and he had to beg his father to let there be a team. After that game, Danny and Reuven became friends, but so many things had to happen before that. Reb Saunders had to approve the baseball team, Reuven and Danny had to dislike each other eventually leading to Reuven getting hit with the ball and going to the hospital, and then Danny had to feel bad enough to visit him until Reuven forgave him. So many things happened within a week of their lives that changed so much for them. Danny’s father seems to think it was something other than coincidence that brought the two boys together. On page 286 he says, “Reuven, you and your father were a blessing to me. The Master of the Universe sent you to my son. He sent you when my son was ready to rebel. He sent you to listen to my son’s words. He sent you to be my closed eyes and sealed ears… A thousand times I have thanked the Master of the Universe that He sent you and your father to my son.” Do you think the author intended fate to be a theme of the book?