Quote 2 particular lines or passages from within Chap 5-12: one that feels imp’t to the text and one that feels imp’t to you, and explain why they feel imp’t. End your post w/ a question. (Note page #s.) Also, reply to at least one student's post.
Important to Me: “‘Reuven, as you grow older you will discover that the most important things that will happen to you will often come as a result of silly things, as you call them— ‘ordinary things’ is a better expression. That is the way the world is’” (110). Some of the most important things that have happened to me are a result of ordinary things. Events that are ordinary on the surface, and meaningless to the vast majority of people, might have meaning to one person. I have had thoughts similar to Reuven’s: wondering how something that is small, and honestly, kind of ridiculous, could change my life completely. Though I still think this way sometimes, I have realized that anything can be important, and wonder why people try to define what should be considered an important life event. I wonder if Reuven will come to the same conclusion.
Important to the Text: “I had spent five days in a hospital and the world around seemed sharpened now and pulsing with life. I lay back and put the palms of my hands under my head. I thought of the baseball game, and I asked myself, Was it only last Sunday that it happened, only five days ago? I felt I had crossed into another world, that little pieces of my old self had been left behind on the black asphalt floor of the school yard alongside the shattered lens of my glasses” (99). As the narrator, Reuven certainly sounds different now that he has come back from the hospital. While reading the part about his hospital stay, I could see his perspective changing: because of his inability to see, because of the people he met, and for various other reasons. I find it interesting that Reuven noticed this change so quickly. He seems very self-aware. What else might Reuven realize has changed about himself? In what ways could his friendship with Danny change his perspective?
I think Reuven may also realize that he has matured and that he can now see the world in a different way, in a bigger picture. Also he may realize how little his problems may seem to people like Billy who can no longer see at all. I think Reuven and Danny are alike in some ways. I think Danny seems to be the more mature boy and helps Reuven put silly things aside and put things into the bigger picture. I think Danny will also help Reuven mature more.
This reminds me of ancient Greek myths. In the Greek myths, seers were always blind. They didn't have the capability of actual vision, but the thing they were skilled at was insight. I believe that Reuven's temporary blindness allowed him to become more appreciative and more insightful, which allowed for his friendship with Danny to begin. However, I think his friendship with Danny is in danger. When Reb Saunders finds out that Reuven's father is a Zionist, I think he will forbid Danny from spending time with Reuven, which will create a lot of drama. Earlier in the book, Reb Saunders asks Reuven, "You and your father will not make a goy out of my son?"
The quote that I found that was important to the text was: "'This whole week has been like something from another world. The hospital the people I met there, Mr. Savo, little Mickey, Billy–all because of a ball game.' My father sipped his tea and looked at me over the rim of the glass. He said nothing, but he watched me intently. 'I don't understand it,' I said. 'Weeks and weeks go by, one Shabbat follows another, and I'm the same, nothing has changed, and suddenly one day something happens, and everything looks different'" (111). This quote is important to the text because it shows how Reuven is maturing. In the beginning of his experience he was angry at everyone and he didn't see the bigger picture. Now this shows that he is understanding what his father was saying about you don't realize how fortunate you are until you are unfortunate. The quote that was important to me was: "'Is Billy alright?' 'I'm afraid not. The surgery was not successful.' I felt myself break out into a cold sweat. The hand holding the phone began to tremble and I had to push the phone against my face to keep it steady" (173). This quote is important to me because it bring me back to the hospital when Reuven was talking about how unfair bad health is. How it's no karma, but just in fact bad luck. It also brings me back to when Reuven and his father were talking about how he is lucky compared to some. I can relate to that because sometimes I feel like everything is not in my favor, but when I put my problems into perspective they seem like nothing. How else do you think Reuven has matured? How else do you think Reuven's injury has put things into perspective?
I thik that Rueven has sort of realized his mortality in a way. I've noticed that he's seeing the world in a more profound and beautiful way, like when he focused on the sound of Danny's shoes and when he was sleeping and listening the world. I think he will now be much more grateful for every moment and appreciate little things in life.
I think Ruven has realized the humanness of Danny, even though they are very different. When Ruven was injured it helped him learn forgiveness and how to come to terms with would-be tradgedy and to accept himself how he is.
IMPORTANT TO ME: "'Dreams are full of unexpressed fears and hopes, things that we never even think of consciously. We think of them unconsciously deep down inside ourselves, and they come out in dreams. They don't always come out straight, though. Sometimes they come out in symbols. You have to learn to interpret the symbols'" (Potok 155). --also-- "'Six million of our people have been slaughtered,' he went on quietly. 'It is inconceivable'" (Potok 191).
The first of these quotes is important to me because I often remember my dreams, and they're often very strange. I often wonder if they mean anything or try to interpret them, but it never really works. This is something that fascinates me as well. The second quote is important to me because I am Jewish, and whether or not I believe in God or everything the Torah commands, my being Jewish is a big part of my identity. The Holocaust is an important part of my family's history.
IMPORTANT TO THE TEXT: "'Let's talk about my father. You want to know how I feel about my father? I admire him. I don't know what he's trying to do to me with this weird silence that he's established between us, but I admire him. I think he's a great man. I respect him and I trust him completely, which is why I think I can live with this silence. I don't know why I trust him, but I do. And I pity him, too. Intellectually, he's trapped. He was born trapped. I don't ever want to be trapped the way he's trapped. I want to be able to breathe, to think what I want to think, to say the things I want to say. I'm trapped now, too. Do you know what it's like to be trapped?'" (Potok 201-202)
I think Danny's feeling trapped will play an important role in the book's plot, and will try to escape from his trap whenever he can, but he is stuck in his family and his way of life, which isn't really what interests him. Do you think that Reb Saunders felt the same way when he was younger? Do you think he feels trapped now?
I don't know if trapped is the right word, but I think he does feel that his family is stopping him from being him. He doesn't fit into the mold his family has created for him. Perhaps Reb Saunders did once feel as Danny does, but I think if he was once in a situation like Danny is in now, he wouldn't put this pressure on his son.
In Chapter 12, Reuven’s makes inferences about each of Danny’s family members as he stays with them for a while. He says that Reb Saunders randomly bursts into tears and “was forever silent, withdrawn, his dark eyes turned inward, brooding, as if witnessing a sea of suffering he alone could see. He walked bent forward, as though there were some kind of enormous burden on his shoulders”(193). This quote does suggest that Reb is experiencing a sort of depression, or as you pointed out, being trapped. I think it could also indirectly suggest that Reb Saunders is not as sure of his beliefs as he appears to be. Could this be why Reb refuses to talk to Danny about their religion, rather than just reading the books?
I think Reb Saunders felt nervous and trapped when the role was presented to him, as all people are, but he had come to terms with it. In the modern world people feel more like they can do anything (as they should). Danny wants to be part of that world, and less part of the old Russian Orthadox world. I think anyone in that situation would feel at least a little trapped.
IMPORTANT TO THE BOOK "'Tell me, you know mathematics? My son tells me you are very good at mathematics.' I nodded. 'So. We will see. And you know Hebrew. A son of David Malter surely knows Hebrew.' I nodded again. 'We will see,' Reb Saunders said (121)". Although Danny at first appeared cold and calculating, we learn that that was a front. However, it seems as though Reb Saunders is genuinely disdainful towards David and Reuven Malter. Why do you think that Danny adopted his fathers attitude for the game? Do you think that Reb's attitude will affect the friendship between Danny and Reuven?
IMPORTANT TO ME "Mr. Weinberg had told Davy Cantor that President Roosevelt was dead. . . I found myself in a sudden cold sweat. Someone in the room giggled, someone else moaned' Oh, no!' and our faculty advisor stood up and suggested that the meeting be adjourned." Reuven talks about his reaction to Roosevelt's death, and reacts very differently than his classmates. He is stunned and almost betrayed, while his classmates react almost indifferently. He acts as if an idol has died. Have you ever been stunned by the death of someone famous, someone you didn't even know in person?
I think Danny is just get used to his father's attitude. He has played this kind of games for many years and it is the traditional thing to do. I think Reb Saunders' attitude will affect the friendship between Danny and Reuven but he will promote their friendship. I think Reb likes Reuven and wants his son to have a friend like Reuven. In his deepest heart, he wants Danny to do something differently.
Important to the text: "'The world kills us! The world flays our skin from our bodies and throws us to the flames! The world laughs at Torah! And if it does not kill us, it tempts us! It misleads us! It contaminates us! It asks us to join in its ugliness, its impurities, its abominations! The world is not Amalek! It is not the world that is commanded to study Torah, but the people of Israel!'" (p. 113). I found Reb Saunders speech in Chapter 7 very interesting. I chose this particular passage because Reb Saunders is stating his beliefs behinds what it means to be a Jew, by comparing their roles to those of non-Jews. From this passage, I also learned a new side to Reb Saunders. It seems as though he likes to focus on his own sense of suffering, no matter what the outside world is going through. From his speech, I also noticed that perhaps he is worried about his own children growing up, and forgetting about their faith as they get carried away with the outside world. I believe this passage will be very important to the text, especially as Danny Saunders grows up, and begins to look for a profession. Important to me: "Somehow everything had changed. I had spent five days in a hospital and the world around seemed sharpened now and pulsing with life. I lay back and put the palms of my hands under my head. I thought of the baseball game, and I asked myself, Was it only last Sunday that it happened, only five days ago?" (p. 98-99). This quote is important to me because I can relate to the way Reuven is feeling. Although not to the same extreme level as Reuven, I also get caught up in my life and forget to take a moment to realize what is happening in the outside world. Especially during the school year, I notice a pattern or daily routine that appears, and I often get very distracted by sports, homework, and school. This passage is a great reminder to never take a day for granted. No matter how busy, or how crazy, always take a moment to realize the beauty that can be found in the world outside. Have you ever felt the way that Reuven did after coming home from the hospital? Do you think his observations can be seen as a sign of maturity?
I felt the way Reuven did after coming home from the hospital after I overcame an ankle injury I had for a year. I quickly learned that when you are injured, nothing and no one waits for you. Everything changes at the same speed it always did, and you are left behind. My cross-country teammates dramatically improved without me. My friends ran to do something, and I couldn't follow them. Due to several leg problems I have, such injuries are frequent. This was not an isolated incident, but due to how long it lasted, it was the most significant one. In the year that I was dealing with my ankle, I spent most of the time complaining and being jealous of people with normal, healthy legs. However, after I got better, my perspective changed. I remembered how restricted I felt, and how much I wished people would stop abandoning me, and realized that some people spend their entire lives feeling that way. Some people are never able to walk, let alone run. It takes a lot of effort for me to be able to run, but I can still do it. For some, it isn't a matter of effort. Having the power to change or improve my situation is something that I don't ever want to take for granted again. This is similar to what Reuven realized. While his eye was healing, he was frustrated with his inability to see, but after he got better, he became grateful for the fact that it was temporary. His reaction to this new understanding was to show compassion for others, and I reacted in a similar way. Sadly, it is true that the world doesn't wait for you when you can't move as quickly or as easily as others can, but it doesn't have to be true that no one waits for you. I have learned to put aside the convenience of getting somewhere quickly in order to help someone else get there at all.
Important to the book: President Roosevelt's death has a great emotional effect on everyone in the community. However, it causes Reuven to have a realization. "It was senseless, as—I held my breath, feeling myself shiver with fear—as Billy's blindness was senseless. That was it. It was as senseless, as empty of meaning, as Billy's blindness”(188). Reuven relates Roosevelt's death with Billy's blindness with them both sharing the feeling of senselessness. Later in the chapter, Reuven’s learning of the concentration camps intensifies this feeling that the world is full of senseless and random suffering. I think the contrast in how the character’s react to the Holocaust is interesting; both David Malter and Reb Saunders mourn the deaths of the millions of European Jews. However, Reb Saunders believes in God’s doings, whereas Mr. Malter argues that they must rebuild Jewish communities in America themselves. While they both share very different views, they have time and again shown a sense of respect towards one another. Why do you think they can both respect and dislike each other at the same time?
Important to me: In Chapter 5, Reuven seems to have a revelation when he returns home with his father from the hospital. He notices details that had never stood out to him before. Walking throughout the apartment, he thinks, "I had lived in it all my life, but I never really saw it until I went through it that Friday afternoon"(96). I think it is at this moment that we realize Reuven’s accident improved his own perception of the world. He sees all of these everyday objects, but rather than just seeing them, he appreciates them. He realizes how much he values his own life and the simple objects he has always lived with.This scene is significant because is shows how all too easy it is to get into the routine of taking everything for granted.
I also noticed Reuven maturing during Chapter five. I found it especially unique in how he described the outside world continuing, even though he was stuck in a hospital bed. Reuven seems to suddenly have a greater appreciation for our special senses, as he describes the world through "watching," "touching," and "looking." I think this passage acts as a helpful reminder to the readers. It is incredibly easy to get caught up in our busy daily routines, such as going to work every morning, going to school, playing sports, acting in a play, and working on homework. We use our busy schedules to act almost as an excuse, and do not pay as much attention as we should to the world around, as well as what is happening in the world. Of course we could spend much more time investing in news around the world if we did not have our busy schedules, however, it is our duty to make time for the world, and our own life. We should never take the outside world that we live in for granted, for one day it could not be there, and we could not have such beautiful images to look at.
Important to me: "'I feel like a cowboy surrounded by Indians,'" (pg 117) Even though this quote is very short, I read it a few times to internalize it in my brain. It is so unexpected for Rueven to say that, and it's such a modern reference. I have often felt like 'a cowboy surrounded by Indians', as Rueven puts it. To feel like a stranger among others and even among friends and acquaintances, is a common feeling that I think everyone can relate to. Important to the text: "A spider had spun a web across the corner of the upper rail, and there was a house fly trapped in it now, its wings spread-eagled, glued to the strands of the web, its legs flaying the air frantically. I saw its black body arching wildly, and then it managed to get its wings free, and there was the buzzing sound again as the wings struggled to free the body to which they were attached. Then the wings were trapped again by the filmy, almost invisible strands of the web, comma, and the black legs kicked the air. I saw the spider, a small, grey, furry looking spider, with long, wispy legs and black eyes, move across the web toward the fly. I rose from the chair and over to the web. The fly's tiny black legs flayed the air fiercely, then its wings were free again, buzzing noisily but its body remained glued fast. I bent and blew hard against the web. It swayed, but remained intact. I blew again, harder now, and the strands seemed suddenly to melt. The fly fell on its back to the wooden floor of the porch, righted itself, then flew off, buzzing loudly." (P. 165). This quote reminded me a lot of the quote Danny said in an earlier chapter about the ants on a log and how the man killed them and it showed how cruel people can really be. I thought it was very important that Rueven took the time to save a single fly. I think it shows how compassionate he is, and says a lot about him. What, if any, other times did you notice Rueven might have felt like "a cowboy surrounded by Indains"?
These two quotes also stuck out to me while I was reading this section of the book. To respond to your question -- as the novel has progressed and Reuven's friendship with Danny has developed and deepened, Reuven seems to have matured in a way that separates him from most other kids his age. When he returns to school after his injury, he feels like his friends and the subjects they discuss are "childish" (p. 149), indicating a sudden jump in maturity on Reuven's part. I feel like spending time with Danny has changed his perspective on many levels, affecting what and whom he finds interesting to talk to/about. Danny is an especially intelligent and unique boy -- perhaps "gifted" is a good word to describe him -- and as Reuven seems to become more and more similar to him as they spend increasing amounts of time together, Reuven begins to drift away from the "normal" kids, who discuss baseball the way Danny discusses Freud. When he returns to school, suddenly he feels different -- the "cowboy" among all the "Indians".
Important to me: " Reb Saunders is a great man, Reuven. Great man are always difficult to understand. He carries the burden of many people on his shoulders. I do not care for his Hasidism very much, but it is not a simple task to be a leader of people. Reb Saunders is not a fraud." Pg 141 Reuven's father has a really good understanding of everything. His perspective of Reb Saunders is objective and comprehensive. He understands Reb Saunders is not easy and know he is great. I feel it is important to me because I know Reb Saunders better throughout Reuven's father's talk. And Reb Saunders is a important character to this novel I believe. Important to the text: "I'm my father's son, remember? I'm the inheritor of the dynasty. Number one on our catechism: Treat the son as you would the father, because one day the son will be the father." Danny said this and he accepted he would inherit his father's position just like his father did before. But Danny is different from his father because he has read many different types of books and he is not really interested in inheriting his father's position. Danny has Reuven and Reuven's father which makes his life very differently. I feel it is important to the text is because I believe Reuven and Reuven's father would change Danny's mind. Danny might not be the rabbi, he could be what he want to be. It is like the theme of this novel. Question: Do you think Danny will become a rabbi like his father?
Both of these quotes, especially the first one stood out to me. Before Reuven's dad explained to him why it was important for him to be a friend for Danny, Reuven did not have an understanding of Danny's background. The same is true for Rev Saunders. Reuven is starting to understand Reb Saunders and where he is coming from, so he is less intimidating and his thinking and rules are less confusing.
I think the quote that struck me in this section as being most important to the book is on page 106: “‘Now, Reuven, listen very carefully to what I am going to tell you. Reb Sauders’ son is a terribly torn and lonely boy. There is literally no one in the world he can talk to. The accident with the baseball has bound him to you, and he has already sensed in you someone he can talk to without fear. I am very proud of you for that. He would never have told you about his library visits if he believed for a moment you would not keep his words in a secret trust. And I want you to let him be your friend and to let yourself be his friend.” I consider this the most important quote because it is where Danny and Reuven’s friendship begins. I don’t think that Reuven would have reached out to Danny otherwise because he wouldn’t have understood where he was coming from and his background. Do you think that they would have become friends without Reuven’s father talking to Reuven about it?
A quote that is important to me is on page 94. “I walked slowly through the apartment. I had lived in it all my life, but I never saw it until I went through it that Friday afternoon.” I think that almost everyone has had an experience where they are so used to something that they don’t notice it until it’s gone. What is an experience like this that you’ve had?
An experience I had that was similar to Reuven was walking through my grandmothers house right before we sold it, after it had been completely emptied. I was standing in a giant empty room and I could still picture it as it was before but it didn't feel like that place anymore.
An experience that I had that I was reminded of as I read this part of the book was when after my parents separated, I walked through our old house that now my dad lives in. It felt so empty with all of my mom's stuff gone. It made me look at the things that were left in a new way. I saw some things that had been there for my entire life but had never really looked at them. I remembered memories that I shared with my family and different events that changed my life. Like the dresser where I had found my old teeth that the tooth fairy had hidden them years after I had lost all of my teeth. Or the painting that had always been there, hanging over the couch that reminded me of the ocean where my grandparents live. Whenever there is a change in someone's life, that person forever will look at things differently. Whether it be an injury or changing in a family, the way everyday things are looked at after the event is different than before.
Important to text: "I came out of the kitchen and stood for a moment staring down at the strip of gray carpet that ran the length of the hall. I turned left and walked slowly along the hall, past the bathroom and dumbwaiter to my left, past the telephone stand and the pictures of Herzl, Bialik, and Chaim Weizmann that hung from the wall on my right, and into my bedroom. It was a long, somewhat narrow room, with a bed against it's right wall, a bookcase along its left wall, two closets near the door, and a desk and chair set a bit away from the wall facing the door. To the left of the desk, along the bookcase wall, was a window that looked out onto the alleyway and backyard beyond. The room had been cleaned, the bed carefully made and covered with its green and brown spread, and on the desk were my school nooks arranged in a neat pile. Someone had brought them home for me after the game and there they where on my desk as if I had never been away." Pg 96 I think this passage is very important to the text partially because of the imagery it creates but also seeing where Reuven lives makes the reader reflect on his character and perhaps his fathers character a bit too as the house is a reflection of them. Important to me: "God is everywhere he told them, and if it seems at times that he is hidden from us, it is only because we have not yet learned to seek him correctly." pg107 This part caught my attention and had me thinking on it a lot. It reminded me of the poem Footsteps which is basically about someone seeing a set of footsteps throughout their life and seeing that in the hardest times there was only on set of footsteps not two like there had been before (those two pairs of footsteps belonging to themselves and God) and when they questioned God about why in those hard times he had abandoned them he said it was then that I carried you. That kind of resembles how in a time like that you might not feel God but he is still there and I felt a resemblance between that and the quote from the book.
One thing that I noticed while reading is none of our major characters (Reuven, Bobby and Danny) have living mothers. There are a few motherly figures in the book but I still found it to be an interesting coincidence. Why do you think the author chose to have them all have passed mothers?
One passage that I thought may be important to the text was one in the end of chapter nine. Reuven and Danny are walking home from Danny’s house and Reuven is recalling the interaction he had with Danny’s father. Reb Saunders had asked Reuven about the kinds of books Danny reads when he goes to the library. Danny knew that his father would find out eventually, but he wished that his father had gone directly to him instead of interrogating Reuven. As they walk, the two boys share the following conversation: He shrugged. his eyes were moist and gloomy. “I almost wish he has asked me instead,” he said quietly. “But we don’t talk anymore, except when we study Talmud.” “I don’t understand that.”... ... “I’m not sure I understand it myself,” he said gloomily. “But that’s the way he is. I don’t know how he found out I was reading behind his back, but I’m glad he knows about it. At least I won’t have to walk around in the library scared to death. I just feel bad having had to fool my father like that. But what else could I have done?” I agreed with his that he couldn’t have done anything else, but I told him I wished he could somehow get around to talking about it with his father. “I can’t,” he said, shaking his head. “I just can’t . You don’t know what torture it was talking to him about organizing a ball team. We just don’t talk, Reuven. Maybe it sounds a little crazy to you. But it’s true.” “I think you ought to at least try.” “I can’t!” he said, a little angry know. “Don’t you listen to what I’m saying? I just can’t!” “I don’t understand it,” I told him. “Well, I can’t explain it to you any better than I have,” he said angrily (Potok 168-169). This passage is just one that shows the difference between the two boys and their lives at home. Reuven is trying to understand what it must be like for Danny, who talks rarely to his father, but is having a hard time doing so. Reuven thinks that Danny is just not trying hard enough to talk to his father, but Danny is trying to make Reuven understand that this is just how his life is and that this is normal. This interaction is one of the first interactions where they get into an argument over the differences of their families. I think that this may be important to the plot and I think that there may be other interactions like this in the rest of the book. Before this part of the book, I was certain that one of the boys would be pulled over to the other boys way of life, but this interaction proved me wrong. Both of the boys are sticking to what they think and not changing their opinion of the matter.
In chapter eight, when Danny and Reuven have meet in the library to read and talk, they begin to discuss dreams. Danny is telling Reuven about how in one of the books he is reading, there is lots of discussion on dreams and how sometimes the subconscious expresses itself in dreams. They share the following conversation: “Where did you find out about that?” “In my reading. There’s a lot of work been done on dreams. It’s one of the ways they have of getting to a person’s unconscious.” I must have had a strange expression on my face, because he asked me what was the matter. “I dream all the time,” I told him. “Everyone does,” he said. “We just don’t remember a lot of them. We repress them. We sort of push them away and forget them, because sometimes they’re too painful.” “I’m trying to remember mine,” I said. “Some of them weren’t very pleasant.” “A lot of times they’re not pleasant. Our unconscious isn’t a nice place–I call it a place; it isn’t a place, really; the book I read says it’s more like a process–it isn’t a nice place at all. It’s full of repressed fears and hatreds, things that we’re afraid to bring out into the open” (Potok 155-156). This passage is one that I thought was important because dreams fascinate me. The way that Danny describes dreams as being the things that we are afraid of is an idea that I never thought about, but now realize is sort of true. Whether it be a dream as in something you dreamt about at night, or a dream as in being something you want to achieve, I think that both of those things usually have an element that is found to be scary to the normal person. I also think that even though this is talking literally about dreams, it may also be talking about how there are things that scare us and are too painful in everyone's lives and those are the things that get pushed away.
Do you think that Danny and Reuven will continue to hang out? Will their friendship grow stronger, or weaker? Are dreams always scary? Can you think of a dream that you had that wasn’t scary?
The passage I find important to the book takes place at the very end of chapter twelve in the library, when Reuven and Danny are talking about Danny’s family. Danny starts to talk about how he admires his father, but how he is “intellectually trapped.” “‘I don’t ever want to be trapped the way he’s trapped. I want to be able to breathe, to think what I want to think, to say the things I want to say. I’m trapped now, too. Do you know what it’s like to be trapped?’ I shook my head. ‘How could you possibly know?’ Danny said. ‘It’s the most hellish, choking, constricting feeling in the world. I scream with every bone in my body to get out of it. My mind cries to get out of it. But I can’t. Not now. One day I will, though. I’ll want you around on that day, friend. I’ll need you around on that day’” (Potok 202). Although he doesn’t say it outright, it seems like Danny is referring to the religious responsibilities his father will pass down to him, and how he feels as if there is no way to refuse them despite how desperately he desires something else. Danny’s father is extremely proud of him, and expects him to continue studying their religion dedicatedly, but that’s not what Danny wants. He needs Reuven’s friendship and support when he tells his father that he cannot study the Talmud forever, and he needs to escape from the constant pressure his father puts on him. On multiple occasions, Danny has expressed his feelings on this matter; each conversation is very important to the book’s storyline, and develops not only Danny’s personality and desires, but betters our understanding of them. The quote that is important to me is said by Reuven’s father to Reuven while the two of them are talking about Reb Saunders: “‘Great men are always difficult to understand’” (Potok 147). This quote is important to me because it is not said in a resigned way, urging Reuven to not even try to understand Reb Saunders because he’s just too complicated. Instead, Reuven’s father says this like he is urging Reuven to be the type of great man who is difficult to understand. He makes it sound like being complicated and confusing is admirable, a trait that should be striven for. I like this because to me, and to Reuven, I imagine, it sounds like a challenge. A great man is a complicated man, and a complicated man is difficult to understand. But if you are equally as great and complicated, you will never stop trying to figure him out, and that is something to be proud of. How did you interpret this piece of wisdom from Reuven’s father? Can you think of another time when Danny expresses how trapped he feels to Reuven?
"'Six million of our people have been slaughtered,' he went on quietly. 'It is inconceivable'" (Potok 191). Not to copy from Malcolm or anything but this is a very important QUOTE to me also, so I think I shall write on it also. I am from a family of German and Slovak Jews. The horror of the Shoah really resonates with me, and as inconceivable as it is, I cannot help but imagine it happening today. Going to the Holocaust museum in seventh grade I was shocked yes, but there was not much new there. I was confused about my classmates who were crying, this had been my main subject of reading since fourth grade. I wanted to be Anne Frank for the wax museum that same year, only to be told by my teacher "it might be a hard topic". What happened was horrific, beyond imagination, except for those of us who have nightmares where we have to pack one small bag and hide from the nazis (as I did just last night, how convienient!) But all weirdness aside, this is a topic close to my heart, and I talk about it far too much, so without further ado, something important to the book: The entire page 155 I think is important. It illustrates Danny and his father's relationship, how they argue, how they CORRECT, and how they eventually come to no conclusion (sounds like government to me). Now as I look at the cover I come to a different conclusion about this page. In the corner of my cover Ruven stands with his father, whose arm is around his shoulder, facing Danny. My questions are, is the absence of Danny's father on the cover a symbol of some kind carried out in the rest of the book? Does he debate so much with his father simply because it means he can talk to him, or because he enjoys it?
I am very intrigued with the dynamic between Danny and his father. I think that Danny's father is so far into his job that he has a hard time connecting personally with Danny. I wonder if that persists with his wife, and with Danny's siblings. I think that the cover symbolizes how as much as he tries to be with Danny with these debates they have, he can't really connect with him or be with him unless he does something else with him outside of their religion. I think part of Danny enjoys the debates, but not all of him, and he doesn't get the kind of satisfaction out of it as he does with other things, such as deciphering hard texts like Freud. I think part of him realizes that his whole life is going to be doing this type of debating, though not really in the same setting, and while it is fun for him, it's not really satisfactory for him. I also think that he does do it because he misses his father, and this is the only way he can connect with him.
Important to me: "After a while i was singing loudly, swaying back and forth and clapping my hands, and once I saw Reb Saunders looking at me, and his lips curbed into a shadow of a smile. I smiled at Danny and he smiled back at me, and we sat there for about half an hour, singing, swaying, and clapping, and I felt light and happy and completely at ease" (pg 124). This passage means a lot to me because of the power of music: it's really compelling to me. I like how even though Reuven and Danny's synagogue don't really have much in common, they do have music in common. I think that it's wonderful that they are able to have this in common, and that they are able to connect and relax together. You can feel the stress that Reuven has about not having much in common with the rest of them, but that all goes away as they sing together. I also like the idea that even though their two types of Judaism have lots of differences, their songs are very much the same.
Important to the text: "'But your father is an observer of the Commandments, and you have his head, and so I am happy you are friends'" (pg. 135). I think this passage is important to the text because of what Reb Saunders says about Danny's father observing the Commandments: it's really important that though they follow the Commandments in different ways, the basis is still the same. It's also important that Reb Saunders is able to look past the differences, because he has such a strict regimen of following the correct ways to observe the Commandments, and that he recognizes that all Jews are the same in the end is important. It's also important that he is able to feel grateful at Reuven's presence in Danny's life; it shows just how important Danny is to him, and that really all he wants for Danny is for him to be happy, but it to preferably be with someone who is a Jew and is also smart like Reuven.
Do you think that, after the events of the dinner at the end of the chapter, when Reb Saunders blows up at Reuven, he'll be able to get back to this same feeling of connection with him over the feeling that they're really all Jews, and that's all that matters? Or do you think that the separation will last? How will that affect Danny and Reuven's relationship?
Important to Me:
ReplyDelete“‘Reuven, as you grow older you will discover that the most important things that will happen to you will often come as a result of silly things, as you call them— ‘ordinary things’ is a better expression. That is the way the world is’” (110).
Some of the most important things that have happened to me are a result of ordinary things. Events that are ordinary on the surface, and meaningless to the vast majority of people, might have meaning to one person. I have had thoughts similar to Reuven’s: wondering how something that is small, and honestly, kind of ridiculous, could change my life completely. Though I still think this way sometimes, I have realized that anything can be important, and wonder why people try to define what should be considered an important life event. I wonder if Reuven will come to the same conclusion.
Important to the Text:
“I had spent five days in a hospital and the world around seemed sharpened now and pulsing with life. I lay back and put the palms of my hands under my head. I thought of the baseball game, and I asked myself, Was it only last Sunday that it happened, only five days ago? I felt I had crossed into another world, that little pieces of my old self had been left behind on the black asphalt floor of the school yard alongside the shattered lens of my glasses” (99).
As the narrator, Reuven certainly sounds different now that he has come back from the hospital. While reading the part about his hospital stay, I could see his perspective changing: because of his inability to see, because of the people he met, and for various other reasons. I find it interesting that Reuven noticed this change so quickly. He seems very self-aware.
What else might Reuven realize has changed about himself? In what ways could his friendship with Danny change his perspective?
I think Reuven may also realize that he has matured and that he can now see the world in a different way, in a bigger picture. Also he may realize how little his problems may seem to people like Billy who can no longer see at all. I think Reuven and Danny are alike in some ways. I think Danny seems to be the more mature boy and helps Reuven put silly things aside and put things into the bigger picture. I think Danny will also help Reuven mature more.
DeleteThis reminds me of ancient Greek myths. In the Greek myths, seers were always blind. They didn't have the capability of actual vision, but the thing they were skilled at was insight. I believe that Reuven's temporary blindness allowed him to become more appreciative and more insightful, which allowed for his friendship with Danny to begin. However, I think his friendship with Danny is in danger. When Reb Saunders finds out that Reuven's father is a Zionist, I think he will forbid Danny from spending time with Reuven, which will create a lot of drama. Earlier in the book, Reb Saunders asks Reuven, "You and your father will not make a goy out of my son?"
DeleteThe quote that I found that was important to the text was: "'This whole week has been like something from another world. The hospital the people I met there, Mr. Savo, little Mickey, Billy–all because of a ball game.' My father sipped his tea and looked at me over the rim of the glass. He said nothing, but he watched me intently. 'I don't understand it,' I said. 'Weeks and weeks go by, one Shabbat follows another, and I'm the same, nothing has changed, and suddenly one day something happens, and everything looks different'" (111). This quote is important to the text because it shows how Reuven is maturing. In the beginning of his experience he was angry at everyone and he didn't see the bigger picture. Now this shows that he is understanding what his father was saying about you don't realize how fortunate you are until you are unfortunate.
ReplyDeleteThe quote that was important to me was: "'Is Billy alright?' 'I'm afraid not. The surgery was not successful.' I felt myself break out into a cold sweat. The hand holding the phone began to tremble and I had to push the phone against my face to keep it steady" (173). This quote is important to me because it bring me back to the hospital when Reuven was talking about how unfair bad health is. How it's no karma, but just in fact bad luck. It also brings me back to when Reuven and his father were talking about how he is lucky compared to some. I can relate to that because sometimes I feel like everything is not in my favor, but when I put my problems into perspective they seem like nothing.
How else do you think Reuven has matured?
How else do you think Reuven's injury has put things into perspective?
I thik that Rueven has sort of realized his mortality in a way. I've noticed that he's seeing the world in a more profound and beautiful way, like when he focused on the sound of Danny's shoes and when he was sleeping and listening the world. I think he will now be much more grateful for every moment and appreciate little things in life.
DeleteI think Ruven has realized the humanness of Danny, even though they are very different. When Ruven was injured it helped him learn forgiveness and how to come to terms with would-be tradgedy and to accept himself how he is.
DeleteIMPORTANT TO ME:
ReplyDelete"'Dreams are full of unexpressed fears and hopes, things that we never even think of consciously. We think of them unconsciously deep down inside ourselves, and they come out in dreams. They don't always come out straight, though. Sometimes they come out in symbols. You have to learn to interpret the symbols'" (Potok 155).
--also--
"'Six million of our people have been slaughtered,' he went on quietly. 'It is inconceivable'" (Potok 191).
The first of these quotes is important to me because I often remember my dreams, and they're often very strange. I often wonder if they mean anything or try to interpret them, but it never really works. This is something that fascinates me as well. The second quote is important to me because I am Jewish, and whether or not I believe in God or everything the Torah commands, my being Jewish is a big part of my identity. The Holocaust is an important part of my family's history.
IMPORTANT TO THE TEXT:
"'Let's talk about my father. You want to know how I feel about my father? I admire him. I don't know what he's trying to do to me with this weird silence that he's established between us, but I admire him. I think he's a great man. I respect him and I trust him completely, which is why I think I can live with this silence. I don't know why I trust him, but I do. And I pity him, too. Intellectually, he's trapped. He was born trapped. I don't ever want to be trapped the way he's trapped. I want to be able to breathe, to think what I want to think, to say the things I want to say. I'm trapped now, too. Do you know what it's like to be trapped?'" (Potok 201-202)
I think Danny's feeling trapped will play an important role in the book's plot, and will try to escape from his trap whenever he can, but he is stuck in his family and his way of life, which isn't really what interests him. Do you think that Reb Saunders felt the same way when he was younger? Do you think he feels trapped now?
I don't know if trapped is the right word, but I think he does feel that his family is stopping him from being him. He doesn't fit into the mold his family has created for him. Perhaps Reb Saunders did once feel as Danny does, but I think if he was once in a situation like Danny is in now, he wouldn't put this pressure on his son.
DeleteIn Chapter 12, Reuven’s makes inferences about each of Danny’s family members as he stays with them for a while. He says that Reb Saunders randomly bursts into tears and “was forever silent, withdrawn, his dark eyes turned inward, brooding, as if witnessing a sea of suffering he alone could see. He walked bent forward, as though there were some kind of enormous burden on his shoulders”(193). This quote does suggest that Reb is experiencing a sort of depression, or as you pointed out, being trapped. I think it could also indirectly suggest that Reb Saunders is not as sure of his beliefs as he appears to be. Could this be why Reb refuses to talk to Danny about their religion, rather than just reading the books?
DeleteI think Reb Saunders felt nervous and trapped when the role was presented to him, as all people are, but he had come to terms with it. In the modern world people feel more like they can do anything (as they should). Danny wants to be part of that world, and less part of the old Russian Orthadox world. I think anyone in that situation would feel at least a little trapped.
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DeleteIT POSTED WRONG AAAAAH
DeleteI'LL REPOST IN A SEC SORRY
IMPORTANT TO THE BOOK
ReplyDelete"'Tell me, you know mathematics? My son tells me you are very good at mathematics.'
I nodded.
'So. We will see. And you know Hebrew. A son of David Malter surely knows Hebrew.'
I nodded again.
'We will see,' Reb Saunders said (121)".
Although Danny at first appeared cold and calculating, we learn that that was a front. However, it seems as though Reb Saunders is genuinely disdainful towards David and Reuven Malter. Why do you think that Danny adopted his fathers attitude for the game? Do you think that Reb's attitude will affect the friendship between Danny and Reuven?
IMPORTANT TO ME
"Mr. Weinberg had told Davy Cantor that President Roosevelt was dead. . .
I found myself in a sudden cold sweat. Someone in the room giggled, someone else moaned' Oh, no!' and our faculty advisor stood up and suggested that the meeting be adjourned."
Reuven talks about his reaction to Roosevelt's death, and reacts very differently than his classmates. He is stunned and almost betrayed, while his classmates react almost indifferently. He acts as if an idol has died. Have you ever been stunned by the death of someone famous, someone you didn't even know in person?
I think Danny is just get used to his father's attitude. He has played this kind of games for many years and it is the traditional thing to do. I think Reb Saunders' attitude will affect the friendship between Danny and Reuven but he will promote their friendship. I think Reb likes Reuven and wants his son to have a friend like Reuven. In his deepest heart, he wants Danny to do something differently.
DeleteImportant to the text:
ReplyDelete"'The world kills us! The world flays our skin from our bodies and throws us to the flames! The world laughs at Torah! And if it does not kill us, it tempts us! It misleads us! It contaminates us! It asks us to join in its ugliness, its impurities, its abominations! The world is not Amalek! It is not the world that is commanded to study Torah, but the people of Israel!'" (p. 113). I found Reb Saunders speech in Chapter 7 very interesting. I chose this particular passage because Reb Saunders is stating his beliefs behinds what it means to be a Jew, by comparing their roles to those of non-Jews. From this passage, I also learned a new side to Reb Saunders. It seems as though he likes to focus on his own sense of suffering, no matter what the outside world is going through. From his speech, I also noticed that perhaps he is worried about his own children growing up, and forgetting about their faith as they get carried away with the outside world. I believe this passage will be very important to the text, especially as Danny Saunders grows up, and begins to look for a profession.
Important to me:
"Somehow everything had changed. I had spent five days in a hospital and the world around seemed sharpened now and pulsing with life. I lay back and put the palms of my hands under my head. I thought of the baseball game, and I asked myself, Was it only last Sunday that it happened, only five days ago?" (p. 98-99). This quote is important to me because I can relate to the way Reuven is feeling. Although not to the same extreme level as Reuven, I also get caught up in my life and forget to take a moment to realize what is happening in the outside world. Especially during the school year, I notice a pattern or daily routine that appears, and I often get very distracted by sports, homework, and school. This passage is a great reminder to never take a day for granted. No matter how busy, or how crazy, always take a moment to realize the beauty that can be found in the world outside. Have you ever felt the way that Reuven did after coming home from the hospital? Do you think his observations can be seen as a sign of maturity?
I felt the way Reuven did after coming home from the hospital after I overcame an ankle injury I had for a year. I quickly learned that when you are injured, nothing and no one waits for you. Everything changes at the same speed it always did, and you are left behind. My cross-country teammates dramatically improved without me. My friends ran to do something, and I couldn't follow them.
DeleteDue to several leg problems I have, such injuries are frequent. This was not an isolated incident, but due to how long it lasted, it was the most significant one. In the year that I was dealing with my ankle, I spent most of the time complaining and being jealous of people with normal, healthy legs.
However, after I got better, my perspective changed. I remembered how restricted I felt, and how much I wished people would stop abandoning me, and realized that some people spend their entire lives feeling that way. Some people are never able to walk, let alone run. It takes a lot of effort for me to be able to run, but I can still do it. For some, it isn't a matter of effort. Having the power to change or improve my situation is something that I don't ever want to take for granted again.
This is similar to what Reuven realized. While his eye was healing, he was frustrated with his inability to see, but after he got better, he became grateful for the fact that it was temporary. His reaction to this new understanding was to show compassion for others, and I reacted in a similar way. Sadly, it is true that the world doesn't wait for you when you can't move as quickly or as easily as others can, but it doesn't have to be true that no one waits for you. I have learned to put aside the convenience of getting somewhere quickly in order to help someone else get there at all.
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ReplyDeleteImportant to the book:
ReplyDeletePresident Roosevelt's death has a great emotional effect on everyone in the community. However, it causes Reuven to have a realization. "It was senseless, as—I held my breath, feeling myself shiver with fear—as Billy's blindness was senseless. That was it. It was as senseless, as empty of meaning, as Billy's blindness”(188). Reuven relates Roosevelt's death with Billy's blindness with them both sharing the feeling of senselessness. Later in the chapter, Reuven’s learning of the concentration camps intensifies this feeling that the world is full of senseless and random suffering.
I think the contrast in how the character’s react to the Holocaust is interesting; both David Malter and Reb Saunders mourn the deaths of the millions of European Jews. However, Reb Saunders believes in God’s doings, whereas Mr. Malter argues that they must rebuild Jewish communities in America themselves. While they both share very different views, they have time and again shown a sense of respect towards one another. Why do you think they can both respect and dislike each other at the same time?
Important to me:
In Chapter 5, Reuven seems to have a revelation when he returns home with his father from the hospital. He notices details that had never stood out to him before. Walking throughout the apartment, he thinks, "I had lived in it all my life, but I never really saw it until I went through it that Friday afternoon"(96). I think it is at this moment that we realize Reuven’s accident improved his own perception of the world. He sees all of these everyday objects, but rather than just seeing them, he appreciates them. He realizes how much he values his own life and the simple objects he has always lived with.This scene is significant because is shows how all too easy it is to get into the routine of taking everything for granted.
I also noticed Reuven maturing during Chapter five. I found it especially unique in how he described the outside world continuing, even though he was stuck in a hospital bed. Reuven seems to suddenly have a greater appreciation for our special senses, as he describes the world through "watching," "touching," and "looking." I think this passage acts as a helpful reminder to the readers. It is incredibly easy to get caught up in our busy daily routines, such as going to work every morning, going to school, playing sports, acting in a play, and working on homework. We use our busy schedules to act almost as an excuse, and do not pay as much attention as we should to the world around, as well as what is happening in the world. Of course we could spend much more time investing in news around the world if we did not have our busy schedules, however, it is our duty to make time for the world, and our own life. We should never take the outside world that we live in for granted, for one day it could not be there, and we could not have such beautiful images to look at.
DeleteImportant to me: "'I feel like a cowboy surrounded by Indians,'" (pg 117)
ReplyDeleteEven though this quote is very short, I read it a few times to internalize it in my brain. It is so unexpected for Rueven to say that, and it's such a modern reference. I have often felt like 'a cowboy surrounded by Indians', as Rueven puts it. To feel like a stranger among others and even among friends and acquaintances, is a common feeling that I think everyone can relate to.
Important to the text: "A spider had spun a web across the corner of the upper rail, and there was a house fly trapped in it now, its wings spread-eagled, glued to the strands of the web, its legs flaying the air frantically. I saw its black body arching wildly, and then it managed to get its wings free, and there was the buzzing sound again as the wings struggled to free the body to which they were attached. Then the wings were trapped again by the filmy, almost invisible strands of the web, comma, and the black legs kicked the air. I saw the spider, a small, grey, furry looking spider, with long, wispy legs and black eyes, move across the web toward the fly. I rose from the chair and over to the web. The fly's tiny black legs flayed the air fiercely, then its wings were free again, buzzing noisily but its body remained glued fast. I bent and blew hard against the web. It swayed, but remained intact. I blew again, harder now, and the strands seemed suddenly to melt. The fly fell on its back to the wooden floor of the porch, righted itself, then flew off, buzzing loudly." (P. 165).
This quote reminded me a lot of the quote Danny said in an earlier chapter about the ants on a log and how the man killed them and it showed how cruel people can really be. I thought it was very important that Rueven took the time to save a single fly. I think it shows how compassionate he is, and says a lot about him. What, if any, other times did you notice Rueven might have felt like "a cowboy surrounded by Indains"?
These two quotes also stuck out to me while I was reading this section of the book. To respond to your question -- as the novel has progressed and Reuven's friendship with Danny has developed and deepened, Reuven seems to have matured in a way that separates him from most other kids his age. When he returns to school after his injury, he feels like his friends and the subjects they discuss are "childish" (p. 149), indicating a sudden jump in maturity on Reuven's part. I feel like spending time with Danny has changed his perspective on many levels, affecting what and whom he finds interesting to talk to/about. Danny is an especially intelligent and unique boy -- perhaps "gifted" is a good word to describe him -- and as Reuven seems to become more and more similar to him as they spend increasing amounts of time together, Reuven begins to drift away from the "normal" kids, who discuss baseball the way Danny discusses Freud. When he returns to school, suddenly he feels different -- the "cowboy" among all the "Indians".
DeleteImportant to me: " Reb Saunders is a great man, Reuven. Great man are always difficult to understand. He carries the burden of many people on his shoulders. I do not care for his Hasidism very much, but it is not a simple task to be a leader of people. Reb Saunders is not a fraud." Pg 141
ReplyDeleteReuven's father has a really good understanding of everything. His perspective of Reb Saunders is objective and comprehensive. He understands Reb Saunders is not easy and know he is great. I feel it is important to me because I know Reb Saunders better throughout Reuven's father's talk. And Reb Saunders is a important character to this novel I believe.
Important to the text: "I'm my father's son, remember? I'm the inheritor of the dynasty. Number one on our catechism: Treat the son as you would the father, because one day the son will be the father."
Danny said this and he accepted he would inherit his father's position just like his father did before. But Danny is different from his father because he has read many different types of books and he is not really interested in inheriting his father's position. Danny has Reuven and Reuven's father which makes his life very differently. I feel it is important to the text is because I believe Reuven and Reuven's father would change Danny's mind. Danny might not be the rabbi, he could be what he want to be. It is like the theme of this novel.
Question: Do you think Danny will become a rabbi like his father?
Both of these quotes, especially the first one stood out to me. Before Reuven's dad explained to him why it was important for him to be a friend for Danny, Reuven did not have an understanding of Danny's background. The same is true for Rev Saunders. Reuven is starting to understand Reb Saunders and where he is coming from, so he is less intimidating and his thinking and rules are less confusing.
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ReplyDeleteI think the quote that struck me in this section as being most important to the book is on page 106: “‘Now, Reuven, listen very carefully to what I am going to tell you. Reb Sauders’ son is a terribly torn and lonely boy. There is literally no one in the world he can talk to. The accident with the baseball has bound him to you, and he has already sensed in you someone he can talk to without fear. I am very proud of you for that. He would never have told you about his library visits if he believed for a moment you would not keep his words in a secret trust. And I want you to let him be your friend and to let yourself be his friend.” I consider this the most important quote because it is where Danny and Reuven’s friendship begins. I don’t think that Reuven would have reached out to Danny otherwise because he wouldn’t have understood where he was coming from and his background. Do you think that they would have become friends without Reuven’s father talking to Reuven about it?
ReplyDeleteA quote that is important to me is on page 94. “I walked slowly through the apartment. I had lived in it all my life, but I never saw it until I went through it that Friday afternoon.” I think that almost everyone has had an experience where they are so used to something that they don’t notice it until it’s gone. What is an experience like this that you’ve had?
An experience I had that was similar to Reuven was walking through my grandmothers house right before we sold it, after it had been completely emptied. I was standing in a giant empty room and I could still picture it as it was before but it didn't feel like that place anymore.
DeleteAn experience that I had that I was reminded of as I read this part of the book was when after my parents separated, I walked through our old house that now my dad lives in. It felt so empty with all of my mom's stuff gone. It made me look at the things that were left in a new way. I saw some things that had been there for my entire life but had never really looked at them. I remembered memories that I shared with my family and different events that changed my life. Like the dresser where I had found my old teeth that the tooth fairy had hidden them years after I had lost all of my teeth. Or the painting that had always been there, hanging over the couch that reminded me of the ocean where my grandparents live.
DeleteWhenever there is a change in someone's life, that person forever will look at things differently. Whether it be an injury or changing in a family, the way everyday things are looked at after the event is different than before.
Important to text:
ReplyDelete"I came out of the kitchen and stood for a moment staring down at the strip of gray carpet that ran the length of the hall. I turned left and walked slowly along the hall, past the bathroom and dumbwaiter to my left, past the telephone stand and the pictures of Herzl, Bialik, and Chaim Weizmann that hung from the wall on my right, and into my bedroom. It was a long, somewhat narrow room, with a bed against it's right wall, a bookcase along its left wall, two closets near the door, and a desk and chair set a bit away from the wall facing the door. To the left of the desk, along the bookcase wall, was a window that looked out onto the alleyway and backyard beyond. The room had been cleaned, the bed carefully made and covered with its green and brown spread, and on the desk were my school nooks arranged in a neat pile. Someone had brought them home for me after the game and there they where on my desk as if I had never been away." Pg 96
I think this passage is very important to the text partially because of the imagery it creates but also seeing where Reuven lives makes the reader reflect on his character and perhaps his fathers character a bit too as the house is a reflection of them.
Important to me:
"God is everywhere he told them, and if it seems at times that he is hidden from us, it is only because we have not yet learned to seek him correctly." pg107
This part caught my attention and had me thinking on it a lot. It reminded me of the poem Footsteps which is basically about someone seeing a set of footsteps throughout their life and seeing that in the hardest times there was only on set of footsteps not two like there had been before (those two pairs of footsteps belonging to themselves and God) and when they questioned God about why in those hard times he had abandoned them he said it was then that I carried you. That kind of resembles how in a time like that you might not feel God but he is still there and I felt a resemblance between that and the quote from the book.
One thing that I noticed while reading is none of our major characters (Reuven, Bobby and Danny) have living mothers. There are a few motherly figures in the book but I still found it to be an interesting coincidence. Why do you think the author chose to have them all have passed mothers?
IMPORTANT TO THE BOOK:
ReplyDeleteOne passage that I thought may be important to the text was one in the end of chapter nine. Reuven and Danny are walking home from Danny’s house and Reuven is recalling the interaction he had with Danny’s father. Reb Saunders had asked Reuven about the kinds of books Danny reads when he goes to the library. Danny knew that his father would find out eventually, but he wished that his father had gone directly to him instead of interrogating Reuven. As they walk, the two boys share the following conversation:
He shrugged. his eyes were moist and gloomy. “I almost wish he has asked me instead,” he said quietly. “But we don’t talk anymore, except when we study Talmud.”
“I don’t understand that.”...
... “I’m not sure I understand it myself,” he said gloomily. “But that’s the way he is. I don’t know how he found out I was reading behind his back, but I’m glad he knows about it. At least I won’t have to walk around in the library scared to death. I just feel bad having had to fool my father like that. But what else could I have done?”
I agreed with his that he couldn’t have done anything else, but I told him I wished he could somehow get around to talking about it with his father.
“I can’t,” he said, shaking his head. “I just can’t . You don’t know what torture it was talking to him about organizing a ball team. We just don’t talk, Reuven. Maybe it sounds a little crazy to you. But it’s true.”
“I think you ought to at least try.”
“I can’t!” he said, a little angry know. “Don’t you listen to what I’m saying? I just can’t!”
“I don’t understand it,” I told him.
“Well, I can’t explain it to you any better than I have,” he said angrily (Potok 168-169).
This passage is just one that shows the difference between the two boys and their lives at home. Reuven is trying to understand what it must be like for Danny, who talks rarely to his father, but is having a hard time doing so. Reuven thinks that Danny is just not trying hard enough to talk to his father, but Danny is trying to make Reuven understand that this is just how his life is and that this is normal. This interaction is one of the first interactions where they get into an argument over the differences of their families. I think that this may be important to the plot and I think that there may be other interactions like this in the rest of the book. Before this part of the book, I was certain that one of the boys would be pulled over to the other boys way of life, but this interaction proved me wrong. Both of the boys are sticking to what they think and not changing their opinion of the matter.
IMPORTANT TO ME:
DeleteIn chapter eight, when Danny and Reuven have meet in the library to read and talk, they begin to discuss dreams. Danny is telling Reuven about how in one of the books he is reading, there is lots of discussion on dreams and how sometimes the subconscious expresses itself in dreams. They share the following conversation:
“Where did you find out about that?”
“In my reading. There’s a lot of work been done on dreams. It’s one of the ways they have of getting to a person’s unconscious.”
I must have had a strange expression on my face, because he asked me what was the matter.
“I dream all the time,” I told him.
“Everyone does,” he said. “We just don’t remember a lot of them. We repress them. We sort of push them away and forget them, because sometimes they’re too painful.”
“I’m trying to remember mine,” I said. “Some of them weren’t very pleasant.”
“A lot of times they’re not pleasant. Our unconscious isn’t a nice place–I call it a place; it isn’t a place, really; the book I read says it’s more like a process–it isn’t a nice place at all. It’s full of repressed fears and hatreds, things that we’re afraid to bring out into the open”
(Potok 155-156).
This passage is one that I thought was important because dreams fascinate me. The way that Danny describes dreams as being the things that we are afraid of is an idea that I never thought about, but now realize is sort of true. Whether it be a dream as in something you dreamt about at night, or a dream as in being something you want to achieve, I think that both of those things usually have an element that is found to be scary to the normal person. I also think that even though this is talking literally about dreams, it may also be talking about how there are things that scare us and are too painful in everyone's lives and those are the things that get pushed away.
Do you think that Danny and Reuven will continue to hang out? Will their friendship grow stronger, or weaker?
Are dreams always scary? Can you think of a dream that you had that wasn’t scary?
The passage I find important to the book takes place at the very end of chapter twelve in the library, when Reuven and Danny are talking about Danny’s family. Danny starts to talk about how he admires his father, but how he is “intellectually trapped.” “‘I don’t ever want to be trapped the way he’s trapped. I want to be able to breathe, to think what I want to think, to say the things I want to say. I’m trapped now, too. Do you know what it’s like to be trapped?’
ReplyDeleteI shook my head.
‘How could you possibly know?’ Danny said. ‘It’s the most hellish, choking, constricting feeling in the world. I scream with every bone in my body to get out of it. My mind cries to get out of it. But I can’t. Not now. One day I will, though. I’ll want you around on that day, friend. I’ll need you around on that day’” (Potok 202).
Although he doesn’t say it outright, it seems like Danny is referring to the religious responsibilities his father will pass down to him, and how he feels as if there is no way to refuse them despite how desperately he desires something else. Danny’s father is extremely proud of him, and expects him to continue studying their religion dedicatedly, but that’s not what Danny wants. He needs Reuven’s friendship and support when he tells his father that he cannot study the Talmud forever, and he needs to escape from the constant pressure his father puts on him. On multiple occasions, Danny has expressed his feelings on this matter; each conversation is very important to the book’s storyline, and develops not only Danny’s personality and desires, but betters our understanding of them.
The quote that is important to me is said by Reuven’s father to Reuven while the two of them are talking about Reb Saunders: “‘Great men are always difficult to understand’” (Potok 147). This quote is important to me because it is not said in a resigned way, urging Reuven to not even try to understand Reb Saunders because he’s just too complicated. Instead, Reuven’s father says this like he is urging Reuven to be the type of great man who is difficult to understand. He makes it sound like being complicated and confusing is admirable, a trait that should be striven for. I like this because to me, and to Reuven, I imagine, it sounds like a challenge. A great man is a complicated man, and a complicated man is difficult to understand. But if you are equally as great and complicated, you will never stop trying to figure him out, and that is something to be proud of.
How did you interpret this piece of wisdom from Reuven’s father? Can you think of another time when Danny expresses how trapped he feels to Reuven?
"'Six million of our people have been slaughtered,' he went on quietly. 'It is inconceivable'" (Potok 191).
ReplyDeleteNot to copy from Malcolm or anything but this is a very important QUOTE to me also, so I think I shall write on it also.
I am from a family of German and Slovak Jews. The horror of the Shoah really resonates with me, and as inconceivable as it is, I cannot help but imagine it happening today. Going to the Holocaust museum in seventh grade I was shocked yes, but there was not much new there. I was confused about my classmates who were crying, this had been my main subject of reading since fourth grade. I wanted to be Anne Frank for the wax museum that same year, only to be told by my teacher "it might be a hard topic". What happened was horrific, beyond imagination, except for those of us who have nightmares where we have to pack one small bag and hide from the nazis (as I did just last night, how convienient!) But all weirdness aside, this is a topic close to my heart, and I talk about it far too much, so without further ado, something important to the book:
The entire page 155 I think is important. It illustrates Danny and his father's relationship, how they argue, how they CORRECT, and how they eventually come to no conclusion (sounds like government to me). Now as I look at the cover I come to a different conclusion about this page. In the corner of my cover Ruven stands with his father, whose arm is around his shoulder, facing Danny. My questions are, is the absence of Danny's father on the cover a symbol of some kind carried out in the rest of the book? Does he debate so much with his father simply because it means he can talk to him, or because he enjoys it?
I am very intrigued with the dynamic between Danny and his father. I think that Danny's father is so far into his job that he has a hard time connecting personally with Danny. I wonder if that persists with his wife, and with Danny's siblings. I think that the cover symbolizes how as much as he tries to be with Danny with these debates they have, he can't really connect with him or be with him unless he does something else with him outside of their religion. I think part of Danny enjoys the debates, but not all of him, and he doesn't get the kind of satisfaction out of it as he does with other things, such as deciphering hard texts like Freud. I think part of him realizes that his whole life is going to be doing this type of debating, though not really in the same setting, and while it is fun for him, it's not really satisfactory for him. I also think that he does do it because he misses his father, and this is the only way he can connect with him.
DeleteImportant to me: "After a while i was singing loudly, swaying back and forth and clapping my hands, and once I saw Reb Saunders looking at me, and his lips curbed into a shadow of a smile. I smiled at Danny and he smiled back at me, and we sat there for about half an hour, singing, swaying, and clapping, and I felt light and happy and completely at ease" (pg 124). This passage means a lot to me because of the power of music: it's really compelling to me. I like how even though Reuven and Danny's synagogue don't really have much in common, they do have music in common. I think that it's wonderful that they are able to have this in common, and that they are able to connect and relax together. You can feel the stress that Reuven has about not having much in common with the rest of them, but that all goes away as they sing together. I also like the idea that even though their two types of Judaism have lots of differences, their songs are very much the same.
ReplyDeleteImportant to the text: "'But your father is an observer of the Commandments, and you have his head, and so I am happy you are friends'" (pg. 135). I think this passage is important to the text because of what Reb Saunders says about Danny's father observing the Commandments: it's really important that though they follow the Commandments in different ways, the basis is still the same. It's also important that Reb Saunders is able to look past the differences, because he has such a strict regimen of following the correct ways to observe the Commandments, and that he recognizes that all Jews are the same in the end is important. It's also important that he is able to feel grateful at Reuven's presence in Danny's life; it shows just how important Danny is to him, and that really all he wants for Danny is for him to be happy, but it to preferably be with someone who is a Jew and is also smart like Reuven.
Do you think that, after the events of the dinner at the end of the chapter, when Reb Saunders blows up at Reuven, he'll be able to get back to this same feeling of connection with him over the feeling that they're really all Jews, and that's all that matters? Or do you think that the separation will last? How will that affect Danny and Reuven's relationship?