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.
3. Also, reply to at least one student's post.
3. Also, reply to at least one student's post.
The quote that seemed important to the text was "'Welcome back to the land of the living,' I said, staring up at him and feeling my heart turn over. I had been over two years now that we hadn't talked to each other. He smiled faintly and rubbed his beard, which was quite thick. He was wearing his usual dark suit, tieless shirt, fringes, and skull cap. His earlocks hung down along the sides of his sculptured face, and his eyes were bright and very blue. 'The ban has been lifted' he said simply" (260). To me this quote puzzled me how after two years of no communication they can just go back to almost easily being friends. They both seem very calm to me. It seems important to the book because it is a start up of the boys relationship and friendship again. It seem sort of like a circle, they almost started their relationship in a "fight" but ended up just needing to talk about it and all was forgiven. Also later on both the boys are talking about their dislike for Danny's dad and it seem that conflict tends to bring these boys together.
ReplyDeleteA quote that is important to me in these last few chapters is "We shook hands and I watched him walk quickly away tall, lean, bent forward with eagerness and hungry for the future, his metal capped shoes tapping against the sidewalk. Then he turned into Lee Avenue and was gone" (291). Not only was the last sentence of the book, it also was a very image filled paragraph. I could imagine Danny walking down the street turned away from Reuven. I really like this passage because it really helps me wrap up the book in my mind, it pulls everything together. Also I think many people can relate to this passage because I'm almost positive every one has had to watch a loved one, or a good friend walk away. You have to let them go because you know that it is what is best for them. This book has left me thinking mostly about forgiveness. In the first few chapters of the book we saw Danny and Reuven's friendship bud off of Reuven's forgiveness for Danny injuring him. Then later on after their 2 year silence they quickly became friends again. And in little places all throughout the book. Also Danny had to forgive his father or vice versa in a big way by letting him back in and trusting him again. If nothing else I can take away how important forgiveness is from this book.
Can you relate to anything that happened between Danny and his father?
Who do you think was in the right? In the wrong?
How did Danny and Reuven mature throughout the whole book?
I also noticed a common theme of forgiveness throughout the story. After finishing the novel, I wonder what would have happened to Reuven and Danny if Reuven had not forgave Danny of his injury. Their friendship was beneficial to the both of them, as they both greatly deepened their view and understanding of the world. I believe that Reuven and Danny matured in many ways throughout the novel, however in particular they both gained a deeper understanding of the world around them.Their different experiences and conversations with others affected both of them, as they each took a different life lesson. Without Reuven's forgiveness, I do not think they would have matured as much as they did. Their perceptions and views came from each other, as they both gained knowledge of the world. They then were able to take their understandings and develop into mature adults, and have the confidence to choose their own path of life, like Danny who chose to reject the destiny that was chosen for him, and go his own way.
DeleteI was rather surprised by how easily Danny and Reuven were always able to get past their differences. They were two very different people but also two people who fit so well.
DeleteThe image that I liked and feels important is at the very beginning of chapter eighteen.
ReplyDelete"On the afternoon of the first day of Passover, I walked beneath the early spring sycamores on my street, then turned into Lee Avenue. The sun was warm and bright, and I went along slowly, past the houses and shops and the synagogue where my father and I prayed. I met one of my classmates and we stopped to talk for a few minutes; then I went on alone, finally turning into Danny's street[...] I went slowly up the wide stone staircases of Danny's house and through the wooden double door of the entrance. The hallway was dim and cold. The synagogue door stood open. I peered inside, Its emptiness whispered echoes at me: mistakes, gematriya, Talmud quizzes, and Reb Saunders staring at my left eye." This quote really brings the book full circle to me. The Chosen is kind of following Reuvens life as he changes and matures, but only now does it seem that he remembers who he is. This quote reminds the reader of who Reuven is and how his upbringing shaped him, and I think that is really important.
This book challenged me to think about perspective. An outsider might perceive Reuven and Danny to be extremely similar int the beginning of the book, but to each other they are completely different. The ways in which Danny and Reuvens ideas and thoughts grow more similar as they become old friends is astounding. They can have two years of silence between them, but it almost immediately melts away into friendship when they can talk to each other.
Have you ever been in a situation where you were reunited with a friend who you had not talked to for a long time?
Where you still friends after you met?
What did The Chosen make you think about?
I also thought about Reuven and Danny's similarities, but in a different way than you did. I didn't percieve them as extremely similar in the beginning of the book; I think their similarities became much more evident later on. At the end of the book I was struck by the many parallels between their lives up to that point and how they were going to have completely separate futures. That made me think about my own future and how it might be completely different from that of friends of mine whose lives have so far been very much like my own.
DeleteA passage that really stood out to me in the final chapters of The Chosen, was a conversation between Reuven and his father. His father was explaining to him how much Reuven has developed in the past couple of years, starting from when he was hit in the eye with a baseball. “‘Human beings do not life forever, Reuven. We live less than the time it takes to blink an eye, if we measure our lives against eternity. So it may be asked what value is there to a human life. There is so much pain in the world. What does it mean to have to suffer so much if our lives are nothing more than the blink of an eye?’... ‘I learned a long time ago, Reuven, that a blink of an eye in itself is nothing. But the eye that blinks, that is something. A span of life is nothing. But the man who lives that span, he is something’”(217). This passage has left me with a deeper understanding of the world around me. I also find this passage important to the story because there seems to be a reoccurring theme that is found in this passage, as well as many others found earlier in the book. I find it very powerful how Reuven’s father used an eye as an image when he was making his point to Reuven. In addition, I find it to be very powerful in the way that Reuven’s father recognized the people who are unfortunately suffering in the world. By noticing one’s suffering, we become aware with others, and therefore appreciate all life and the little details that God has created. From Mr. Malter’s perspective, having a deeper appreciation of life and the world around us gives us a better meaning and path on how we can impact the world and make a difference. This message is very important to the story line, and creates an overall awareness for what is happening around us, compared to how we as humans deal with different problems.
ReplyDeleteAfter finishing The Chosen, I have been left with a greater appreciation of all that life has to offer us. It has caused me to notice and observe all the little details in life, and to not just take every day for granted. As mentioned in an earlier blog post, I often find myself focusing on my daily routine, and what I must get done, while paying very little attention to what is happening elsewhere in the world. As we grow, our perceptions and understanding of life changes, as well as our own view on the world. This was greatly demonstrated throughout The Chosen, specifically noticed between Danny’s and Reuven’s friendship. Our friendships that we have in life greatly affect us, and the way we develop. At the end of the novel, we see the importance of Danny and Reuven’s friendship, when Potok indicates that Reuven’s perception has widened, and Danny has also gained a deeper understanding of life around us. However, Danny and Reuven would not be given these important life values if it wasn’t for their friendship.
Has your understanding of life and your view on the world changed from a friendship you have/had?
Many of the friendships I have had throughout my life have caused me to regard life differently -- my life specifically. The thing about friendship is that it often sparks between two people of either very different or very similar backgrounds. The friendships that have especially changed my views of the world have been those between me and a person whom I would consider very different from me. In Danny and Reuven's case, I would argue that they are both very similar and very different. Their similarities bring them together, but they also draw them apart. Both are stubborn and deeply passionate, eager to stay true to their beliefs, but sometimes unsure which to stay most true to. Their differences, too, create connections between them, but also cause them to separate. I find myself viewing the world in a new way when a friend reacts differently to a situation than I would. This happens to Reuven and Danny in multiple parts of The Chosen, such as when Danny follows his father's orders and stops talking to Reuven while Reuven can't imagine doing the same. Having friendships like this is beneficial to our understanding of the world, because it helps us explore and think about all options and paths of life.
DeleteYes, and drastically. For instance, I have spent over an hour every day in the second semester of middle and high school learning a musical. And why, because of a friend. I knew very little about musicals until I became friends with Malcolm, but now I am a musical nerd. This has changed my opinion of the world by allowing me to see through the eyes of others. I believe this is similar to Danny and Reuvens friendship. Before they became fast friends, Danny seemed to be a cold and calculating character, while Reuven was upbeat and rather happy-go-lucky. I believe that Reuven changed Danny's world view by allowing him to view events differently, and this helped him for the better.
Delete“Besides, he added, the anti-Zionists among the Hasidic students looked upon him as their leader. How would it be if he joined a Zionist group? It would do nothing but add to the already existing bitterness. He was trapped by his beard and earlocks, he said, and there was nothing he could do” (228). This quote allowed me to better understand Danny’s frustrations about being the son of a tzaddik. He objects to certain aspects of his religion, and yet he has a central role in it because of his father. Danny wants to think for himself and interpret his religion and his life in his own way. However, he is often seen as a symbol of his father’s beliefs. If he deviates from the path he is expected to follow, he will be accused of abandoning his religion and family. He struggles to show that both of those things are part of his life, but they don’t define him. He also wishes people would understand that he is not, as his father once said, “a mind without a soul,” and that deciding his own future and caring for others are not mutually exclusive.
ReplyDeleteThis book left me thinking about how a person’s choices are affected by others. We are surrounded by the influences of other people, positive and negative (though many things cannot be put in just one of those categories). We seek help with challenges and accept advice in difficult situations. Others encourage us to keep trying when we can’t convince ourselves that it’s worth it. We make sacrifices for others and think about the impact our decisions will have on people besides ourselves. But we can also feel trapped by people and be forced to give up our own interests so someone else can live vicariously through us. We carry the weight of expectations and traditions. We are told to put things that mean nothing to us above our own happiness, and shoved into the conventional way of doing something because uniformity makes it easier to keep things organized.
When it comes down to it, these choices are our own. We control our actions first and foremost. And yet, at the same time, they are not entirely our choices. Aspects of the world around us greatly impact our personal choices, whether they are the needs of the people we love or realities we wish we could ignore. This is, of course, a contradiction, but contradictions can be true.
Do you think it’s possible for these two things, or other things that directly contradict each other, to both be true at the same time?
"He said to Moses, "You have toiled and labored, now you are worthy of rest."
ReplyDeleteThis had me thinking about reincarnation, which I suppose sounds silly, but it popped into my mind. And I was thinking about the idea of being reincarnated till you fulfill your purpose, or, as Ruevans father says, till your life has meaning.
"I learned a long time ago, Reuvan, that a blink of an eye in itself is nothing. But the eye that blinks, that is something. A span of a life is nothing. But the man that lives that life, he is something. He can fill that tiny span with meaning, so its quality is immeasurable, though its quantity may be insignificant. A man must fill his life with meaning, meaning is not automatically given to life. A life filled with meaning is worthy of rest. " (217)
This seems so true and I kept thinking about it. So many lives don't have meaning. They pass by and nobody knows or nobody cares. Its your job to make your life meaningful. I think Reuven's and Danny's lives had meaning. I think they left their mark.
"Reuven, you and your father were a blessing to me. The master of the universe sent you to my son. I looked at your soul Reuven, not your mind. In your fathers writings I looked at his soul, not his mind. If you had not found the gematriya mistake, Reuven it would have made a diffrernce? No. That only told me you had a good mind. But your soul I knew already. I knew your soul before I knew your mind or face." (286)
I didn't like Reb saunders upon his first being introduced, but he definatly is my favorite character from the book. I think he gave this book more meaning to me than anything else in it. Everything he said would just roll through my mind and I wouldn't be able to get past it, whether because it confused me or I admired it or saw truth in it. He was a complex character that I liked very much.
"I think he's a great man. I respect him and trust him completely, which is why I think I can live with his 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. Its the most hellish, choking, constricting feeling in the world." (202)
Danny has been pressured his whole life to be like his father. As his sister is promised to her husband, Danny is promised to the life of a Rabbi. But Danny is his own person. It's hopeful to think about this and Danny being able to find solace in his life despite his restrictions.
Did reading The Chosen help you find deeper insight into a problem in your own life?
I think The Chosen did help me solve a problem. I'm not sure what yet, but it'll probably show up later. Reading and discussing this book has helped me gain insight into the world around me, though. We have all had different interpretations and feelings about this book and it may help solve a problem of understanding between peoples. The Goyim in the class can understand the Jews better and the Jews can understand the Goyim. Maybe reading this book hasn't especially helped me solve a problem, but it has helped me understand those around me.
DeleteI always feel very guilty when I'm under educated on any subject, and I was definitely under educated on Judaism. Since I grew up in a very Christian family, I didn't know much about any other religions. This book has helped me a lot to understand and become more familiar with Judaism, and I think that's very important.
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DeleteI do not think this book necessarily helped me solve a problem, however it did give me more insight and appreciation for what I have. Through the many obstacles the characters faced, whether relating to religion, friendships, education, etc., I was able to relate them in some way in how I can appreciate my own life. For example, I realized through looking at the relationship between Danny and Reuven, that I have people in my life that influence me in similar ways. In a greater sense, this whole book seemed to revolve around the theme of perspectives on life. Therefore, I would not say it was “problem solving”, but rather that it lead me to consider and understand the same lessons that were taught throughout the novel.
DeleteOne quote that I thought was important to the book was on page 262: “He nodded his head, and his right hand went up and stroked his white beard. 'You have become a man,' he said quietly. 'The first day you sat here, you were only a boy. Now you are a man.' … “'My son, Daniel, has also become a man.'” This quote points out an important part of the story, which is how much Danny and Reuven have grown up and matured throughout the book. In the first chapter, the boys are playing Baseball, which is more of a childish activity than when they are sitting and having an extremely serious, fairly solemn discussion with Reb Saunders. They have matured mainly in their understanding of the world, of knowledge, and of themselves. They have grown to understand each other’s cultures and ways of thinking, and no longer believe that their way of doing things is the only right way. Reuven’s dislike for Hasidism evolves and changes many times throughout the book, but the more he learns about it, the less he hates it.
ReplyDeleteReading this book has made me think a lot about all of the different ways Jews all over the world embrace their Judaism. Danny is brought up in a Hassidic family, and is raised to become a tzaddik, so he has no choice but to be super dedicated and observant of his religion. It is the most important thing in his life. Reuven by comparison seems laid back, but he is also an orthodox jew and really really observant as well and it is a very important part of his life. There are many Jews that I know who go to synagogue and celebrate all the holidays, but have many things in life that are very important to them in addition to religion. How does your religion, if you have one, impact your life and how do you take part in it?
To me my religion doesn't apply much to my life. I go to church most Sundays but since my religion is a popular well known religion I don't have many troubles with being a Christian. Almost the whole world celebrates the holidays my religion does. Christianity it an easy religion to follow because it is one of the more popular religions.
DeleteI am not a really religious person but I do some kind of religions in China. I go to temples every month with my grandparents. We burn joss sticks for Bodhisattva and wish for good luck. Some people only eat veggies for some special days per month.
DeleteI am Jewish, so reading this book (again) was a very relatable thing for me. I am not hasidic, but I feel my Judaism deeply. I was talking to our director of the hebrew school I work at, and she said my nefesh, or soul, had grown. I think she is right. When I am going through a hard time I pray. I may not have a strong belief in g-d, but I do feel a deep connection to my community.
ReplyDeleteThe scenes where they pray also sit deeply with me. I have cried during the Saturday morning services I go to because they are so beautiful. During these services I think about how everything we say is thousands of years old, and how it was almost destroyed during the Shoah.
My Judaism helps me be more aware, learn everything I can, and try harder. As there are no failures in DBT, there are no failures in my community.
#1: In chapter fourteen, Reuven is feeling increasingly helpless and angry as a result of the forced distance between him and Danny. As the tension between the Hasidic students and Zionist students becomes more and more palpable at college and the war worsens in Europe, Reuven’s father is working later and later into the night. The fact that these changes occur at the same time as the loss of communication with his best friend affects Reuven dramatically. He narrates a striking and important image in the beginning of this chapter: “I haunted the apartment, wandered the streets, barked at Manya, and thought of Danny. I remembered him telling me how much he admired and trusted his father, and I couldn’t understand it. How could he admire and trust someone who wouldn’t talk to him, even if that someone was his father? I hated his father. Once I even went up to the third floor of the public library, hoping I might find Danny there. Instead, I found an old man sitting in the chair that Danny had once occupied, staring nearsightedly at the pages of a scholarly journal. I went away from there and walked the streets blindly until it was time to go home to a lonely supper” (Potok 237). This passage and its weight struck me while I was reading. The amount of detail it offers shows how heavyhearted Reuven feels; even his mention of the old man reading “nearsightedly” has a certain heaviness to it. This image is important to the text because it shows how helpless and lonely Reuven becomes when he is without Danny, and how his lack of understanding frustrates him to the point of anger and hatred directed at Danny’s father. Reuven is a student of logic, so when something does not make sense to him, he is irritated. This is not wrong – the problem is that he lets the irritation boil into something greater. He feels things very strongly, like Danny does, but their passions do not complement one another. This passage shows Reuven’s inability to see from Danny’s perspective, and makes clear the fact that this causes him to suffer from loneliness and anger.
ReplyDelete#2: This book has left me thinking about a large number of things. Firstly, there is much that I was unaware of regarding the wars and conflicts of this time period, and much that I did not know about Judaism. This novel also caused me to think about the power of a person’s morals, and how these affect one in all aspects of life. For example, Reuven’s father discourages Reuven’s negative comments about Reb Saunders, and counters them by describing what a powerful and intelligent man Reb Saunders is despite their conflicting ideas about Judaism. It is clear that Reuven’s father is a man of strong beliefs, and that one of which is to always attempt to see the entirety of a person, and judge him or her based on all that is known. The idea of morals and their effects also made me think about how in some cases, one’s morals are included in their religion, and how sometimes, they are not. Danny disconnects himself from Reuven because his belief is that one should respect the wishes of one’s father, but later, he actively goes against his father’s wish that he become tzaddik because he believes in “leaving the jail”, as Reuven’s father puts it in the end of chapter seventeen. In many cases, Danny’s morals are within the morals of the Hasidic belief, but in others, he must find a way to maintain allegiance to both. In the end, all his struggling is almost for nothing, as his father already knows about his decision to not become tzaddik.
Do you think a part of Danny wishes he had been forced to tell his father about his wish to become a psychologist outright, so he could actively show the courage we all know he has? Do you think that Danny’s not telling his father partly detracts from the strength shown in his decision?
The quote that was important to me was "you can listen to silence, Reuven. I've begun to realize that you can listen to silence and learn from it. It has a quality and dimension all it's own. It talks to me sometimes. I feel myself alive in it. It talks, and I hear it." (Potok 249)
ReplyDeleteThis quote was important to me because I like silence. I like it when I can be truly inside my head, without auditory distractions.
I also read somewhere that in art, the picture presented is as much about what you can see as what you can't. In an art class I was taught to "draw what isn't there" and that, I think, is the same with silence.
What someone doesn't say is as important as what they don't. People don't have to say they're miserable for others to pick up on it. Cats don't speak as we do and yet they have a complex system of body language. Silence, like the silence in the woods on a winter's night, tells us much about what is there. Silent hunters going after sleeping mice. If you hear something, it won't be there for long.
A quote that seemed important to the text was "On the afternoon of the first day of Passover, I walked between the early spring sycamores on my street, then turned into Lee Avenue. The sun was warm and bright, and I went along slowly, past the houses and the shops and the synagogue where my father and I prayed... I had gone up this street years ago. Those years were coming to an end now. In three months, in a time when the leaves were fat and full, our lives would separate like the branches overhead that made their own way into the sunlight." (Potok 260)
This quote seemed important to the text because it outlines how much Reuven has grown. He outlines everything he remembers about the first time he came to the Hasidic community, and thinks about the future. He is realizing how everything is coming to an end soon, and how he will part with the world he knows. He is realizing that his childhood is very over, and that he will have to become part of a much larger and scarier world.
Do you ever think about when you will go into the world? What do you think you will do to contribute to it? Do you think Danny and Reuven are scared?
I do think about what it will be like when I leave home and enter the real world. I hope to contribute something to the world, but I am not sure what it will be. When I think about moving on with my life, I sometimes get scared so yes, I imagine that Reuven and Danny might be a little nervous about moving on to the next part of their life. But I also think that there are things that they both will be glad that they have left in the past. I think that Danny will be glad that his father will talk to him now, for example.
Delete1. One passage that I thought was important to the text was in the beginning of chapter three. Reuven and his father are talking one night before they go to bed. They are discussing a variety of topics including Danny’s thoughts of Professor Appleman, the recent events of the war, and things that were happening in their town. Reuven’s father says the following to him after talking to him about how he is no longer a child:
ReplyDelete... He paused again, his eyes misty now, then went on. “I learned a long time ago, Reuven, that a blink of an eye in itself is nothing. But the eye that blinks, that is something. A span of life is nothing. But the man who lies that span, he is something. He can fill that tiny span with meaning, so its quality is immeasurable though its quantity may be insignificant. Do you understand what I am saying? A man must fill his life with meaning, meaning is not automatically given to life. It is hard work to fill one’s life with meaning. That I do not think you understand yet. A life filled with meaning is worthy of rest. I want to be worthy of rest when I am no longer here. Do you understand what I am saying?” (217).
This passage was one where I thought Reuven’s father was giving him some real advice. He is trying to explain to him that filling your life with meaning is the most important thing that a person can do with their life. He has talked to Reuven lots of times throughout the course of the book, but this one time, the advice that his father gave is some that I feel everyone should hear.
2. The end of the book was very different that I had thought it would be. I did not really have a full picture of the events that would happen, but the events that did were not ones that I saw coming. The last chapter especially was one part that I did not expect. Throughout the entire book, I was mad at Reb Saunders. I was mad that he treated his son the way he did. I was mad that he was overprotective and did not let Danny talk to Reuven once Reuven’s father gave his speech. But that last chapter made me, and I think Danny and Reuven, realize why Reb Saunders acted the way that he did. After finishing the book, I thought about how at the beginning of the book Danny and Reuven are clearly children. But as the book continues, and years pass, they grow up. The last chapter, to me, was filled with all of the things that Reb Saunders had wanted to say to his son and to Reuven, but never thought they were old enough. The last chapter shows how much they have grown and how it is now their turn to choose the path they want to take.
Did you find a place in the last chapters where there was a piece of advice given by one of the characters to another? Is this piece of advice something that you can use in your life?
What do you think made Reb Saunders finally to talk to his son? Was it that he got old enough? Or something else?
I think the question of why the silence between Reb Saunders and Danny ended is really not a complicated one. The silence was to prepare him to be not just a tzaddik, but a rabbi. Now that the decision has been made that Danny will not be inheriting his father's position, the silence has come to an end for two reasons. The first is that Danny is not going to be a rabbi, and doesn't need to be taught as one. The second is that he has become a man. Reb Saunders describes the moment at which his son has become a man. He is his own person now, with his own identity, and he does not need things like Talmud quizzes and finding mistakes. He is no longer just his father's son, but a fellow member of the community and a tzaddik.
DeleteI never felt mad at Reb Saunders, though I didn't necessarily agree with his parenting/teaching methods. A large part of Reb Saunders' identity is based on tradition, and so is his entire community. He never seemed to me to be a selfish or immoral person. He believed in what he was doing. He believed that it was right and that it was necessary. He cared about his community and his family, and he wanted, like David Malter, to give his life meaning.
One image I thought was incredibly meaningful was the entire scene when Reb Saunders was talking to Rueven and Danny and Danny was silently crying because his father was saying how Danny was not the son he wanted. That's how I interpreted the scene, and I thought it meant a lot and the way the author wrote it made it even more impactful. I think it summed up Danny's relationship with his father very well and I thought it was very important.
ReplyDeleteThe book left me with a feeling of both happiness and sadness. I am glad that everything ended relatively well, but I am saddened by the feeling one gets when finishing a story. I don't want it to end. The book ending, to me, is like Rueven and Danny and all the characters have ceased to exist.
What scene do you think summed up the book?
This quote that is said by David Malter seems to represent many of the morals of the book: “‘There is so much pain in the world. What does it mean to have to suffer so much if our lives are nothing more than the blink of an eye?” He paused again, his eyes misty now, then went on. ‘I learned a long time ago, Reuven, that a blink of an eye in itself is nothing. But the eye that blinks, that is something. A span of life is nothing.` But the man who lives that span, he is something’”(217). It is interesting that throughout the book, the theme of ‘imagery’ and ‘site’ is repeated to show how perceptions change through experiences. According to David Malter, having a greater perception of life will lead to a more fulfilling one. In the last passage of the book, it is emphasized that Danny and Reuven have deepened their perceptions on life, to the point where they have the courage to pursue their own aspirations. They both shake hands, and Reuven watches Danny walk away and describes the situation in great detail. I think this relates again to the theme of sight, and how Reuven learned about the world through being almost blinded.
ReplyDeleteBy the end of the book, I find the author’s way of incorporating the theme of silence to be interesting. While throughout most of the novel, silence is symbolized as being a confusing and harsh way of teaching Danny. However, this leads to him to having a greater understanding of empathy and individual growth. Reuven seemed to always relate silence to being distant. I think that by the end of the novel, it is evident that silence exists in all relationships, and can ultimately contain just as much meaning as words have. To me, this concept is hard to accept. I think that it is represented well in the book, however, I cannot see it applying to my own life as well as I do with the characters.
Do you think that Danny really understands why his father used this method of silence as a way of teaching him, or do you think he will always have a feeling of resentment? Do you yourself think this was a respectable way of teaching?
(1) LINES/PASSAGES THAT FEEL IMPORTANT TO THE TEXT:
ReplyDelete"Ideas should be fought with ideas, my father said, not with blind passion. If Reb Saunders was fighting him with passion, that did not mean that my father had to fight Reb Saunders with passion" (Potok 235).
——also——
"We never talked about it again. But if I was around, I always knew when he thought about it. His eyes would become dreamy, and he would sigh and shake his head. He had worked so hard for a Jewish state, and that very work now kept him from seeing it. I wondered often during the coming months what meaning he could possibly give to that. I didn't know, and I didn't ask him" (Potok 257).
The first passage I chose is important to the text because it is important to Reuven's relationships both with Danny and with Reb Saunders. His hatred for Reb Saunders and for Danny at times is instinctual. Reuven never really has a good explanation for it. He is driven by passion. His realization in the end of the book of the relationship between Danny and his father is when he realizes the ideas behind it all. As he becomes more mature he learns to follow his father's advice. It's also a piece of advice that can be very valuable for me and probably for other members of our class. Particularly as young people, it's an important thing to realize. "Ideas should be fought with ideas, not with blind passion."
The second passage I chose because it reminds me of Exodus. David Malter is like Moses. He has fought very hard and worked much of his career for a Jewish state. It is real; he has been successful. At least temporarily, the suffering of his people has come to an end (or at least is very close), but he cannot see the Holy land. It also reminds me of the famous speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. "Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop."
(2) WHAT THIS BOOK HAS LEFT ME THINKING ABOUT:
This book has dealt with a lot of issues: suffering, acceptance, loss, but perhaps the most interesting and more obvious issues it deals with is the ongoing conflict between tradition and modern culture. It is hard to break tradition. Tradition makes up a lot of who we are as people, and as a society. Tradition is not always a bad thing. Very often, it is a great thing. But that is ultimately the difference between Hasidism and other forms of Orthodox and Reform Judaism. Hasidism has fought changes in society and culture. Other forms of Orthodox and Reform Judaism have abandoned aspects of Hasidic Judaism and rituals to adapt to modern culture and society. Just look at our government. Tradition seems to be one of the most popular arguments against civil rights. Tradition is a common argument against same-sex marriage, against the right for transgender and transexual people to fight in the military, and lots of other similar issues. Tradition is the most common argument for the placement of the Confederate Battle Flag on government buildings and in schools and other public institutions. Tradition was a common argument against the right for blacks to vote, for women to vote, desegregation, the end of slavery, the list goes on. TRADITION IS IMPORTANT, BUT SO IS ADAPTATION AND ACCEPTANCE.
Well, unfortunately, I think about what I will do in the future all the time, even though it scares me. I'm hoping that I will be able to help other people, and be able to be a positive influence to the people around me, as well as a positive influence in the field that I will go into. I mean, I don't even know what the field I'm going to go into is, but I'm hoping that whatever it is, I'll do well in it. I'm not really looking forward to having to leave home or anything like that.
ReplyDeleteIf Danny and Reuven are similar to me, then they are terrified right now. But I don't think they're very similar to me. I think Danny's really excited: he gets to go into a field that he really enjoys, instead of being stuck in a place that he's dreaded being in his whole life. He's probably scared somewhat, because he's going to be a completely different person by the end, and he's really making a huge decision by breaking up the system of the tzaddik, but overall I think he's excited. I think that Reuven's probably more scared than Danny, because he probably doesn't want to leave his father, and he doesn't know everything yet, and he probably wants more time to prepare for the world. I also think he's scared that he's going to lose Danny, seeing as they're going on such different paths. I think he's terrified, but also pretty excited.
So this was supposed to be a response to Leah's post (I don't know why it posted it in the wrong place, but there you go).
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ReplyDelete1. Important to the text: "[Reb Saunders'] brow was crisscrossed with wrinkles, his dark eyes brooded and burned with some kind of invisible suffering, and the fingers of his right hand played aimlessly with a long, gray earlock. He greeted me quietly, but did not offer me his hand. I had the feeling that a handshake was a physical effort he wanted to avoid. Danny and I sat in the chairs by his desk, Danny to his right, I to his left. Danny's face was expressionless, closed. He tugged nervously at an earlock" (pg. 261). The part of this quote that stood out to me was the similarity between Reb Saunders' and Danny's actions of pulling at an earlock. I remember other parts of the book where Danny specifically plays with his earlock, and seeing Reb Saunders do it for the first time spooked me. First, because it seems to be a sign that they are either under great stress or are nervous, and we only see Reb Saunders doing it when he's getting old and weary, but we see Danny doing it when he's only fifteen. This says to me that Danny is having troubles that are far above his head and too advanced for his age, since Reb Saunders at the beginning of the book is calm and collected, and never uses this nervous tic. Also, it spooks me because however Danny would not like it, I see so many signs that he is just like his father: he looks like him, he talks like him, and he has the same habits as him. This quote scares me because it makes me think that no matter how much Danny tries, even though he goes into a different career from his father, there's still no way that he can escape fully from becoming scarily similar to him, and it's clear that the trying to escape it is causing him an incredible amount of hardship and stress. It really makes me sympathize with his character.
Important to me: "'A man must fill his life with meaning, meaning is not automatically given to life. It is hard work to fill one's life with meaning. That I do not think you understand yet. A life filled with meaning is worthy of rest. I want you to be worthy of rest when I am no longer here'" (pg 205). I think this has a really profound message in it. While I am not a very religious person, and the larger portion of the text that I like has a much more religious meaning to it, I still think that the meaning of this section can greatly be applied to all people, no matter if they are religious or not. To me, this section means to tell you to live life to the fullest (carpe diem, right?) so that at the end of your life, you feel like you are able to say that you did everything, and there's nothing left for you to do. At this point of the text, Reuven's father is trying to make sure that he taught Reuven as well as he could, since he's nearing the end of his life, and Reuven's life is just starting to get into the thick of it. I think as a young reader, I can relate a lot to Reuven's position, and this powerful message meant a lot to me.
2. Something that really impacted me about the last part of the book was what Reb Saunders was saying about Danny's soul: essentially, how he didn't have much of a soul, but only a mind. I fully disagree with this. I think if there's one thing that I appreciate about this book, it's the characters of Danny and Reuven, We see in so many ways that Danny has an incredible power to love, and to feel, and if that isn't a soul I don't know what is. We see this when, he's reading Freud, when he's struggling with Professor Appleman, when he first visits Reuven in the hospital, and most especially when he's separated from Reuven. We only really know what Reuven is feeling, but we can also fully see what Danny is feeling, and that is true pain. Danny has been separated from his best friend, and that tears him apart. It's hard to comprehend in the span of the book, but they spent two whole years apart. That's an incredibly long expanse of time, and during it, you just know that Danny is feeling an incredible love for Reuven, and feeling so so much pain at not being able to even slightly communicate with him. I think that Reb Saunders was wrong: Danny has an incredible soul, and he and Reuven's love for each other is completely whole and wonderful. I think that's the part of the book and the end of the book that will always impact me.
ReplyDeleteDanny says at the end of the book how he will probably end up raising his children in silence. Why do you think he's going to do this? Do you think he feels grateful to his father in a way? Or is it some other reason?
Important to the text: “Daniel,” he said brokenly. “Forgive me… for everything … I have done. A—a wiser father…may have done differently. I am not…wise.”He rose slowly, painfully, to his feet. “Today is the—the Festival ofFreedom.” There was a soft hint of bitterness in his voice. “Today my Daniel is free…I must go…I am very tired…I must lie down.” (Page 268)
ReplyDeleteI feel kind of sorrowful and pitiful for Reb Saunders but I am also proud of him. He finally broke the centuries of tradition and sent Danny free. It is the best ending because Danny had his own life finally and the whole novel talked about his effort of doing what he really want to do. Reb Saunders loved Danny so he was brave enough to say he was not wise and give his son freedom.
Question: Why Reuven disliked Reb Saunders so much after he talked with Reb?
People themselves are not hateful but the society system. Like “don’t hate the player , hate the game.” I feel sorry for Reb after reading this novel. I don’t think he did anything wrong before but some people hated him included Reuven. He must be struggled between the tradition and the love. I am glad that he chose to give his son freedom but also feel sorry for himself because he was the victim of the traditional system.
I think that Reb Saunders was knew that by saying this he was letting go of some part of his son. He understands that it has been hard for Danny to live knowing that his father would never fully accept who he wanted to be, so I think it's important that he explained everything to Danny and Reuven from his point of view so that they could better understand how he felt about it. He had known about Danny's decision for a long time, and always knew he couldn't do anything about it, and I agree that in some ways he was being very brave. I don't think the way he handled it with silence was good, but I agree with Lulu in that it is a satisfying ending.
DeleteI feel like it's very hard for two different people to become friends in the past. Danny and Reuven had totally different backgrounds and they broke a wall between them to became good soul friends. We are better now because we make friends no matter their nationality, racial or backgrounds. The society is more advanced. And I admire Danny and Reuven's friendship, Reuven's father's wiseness and Reb Saunder's braveness.
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