3 thechosen zine - shoreline school...

The ChosenChaim Potok

Mcbride, Luke Wednesday, April 13, 2011 11:46:17 AM PT 00:16:cb:a4:79:64

DistilledPageThedistilledpageshowstwohandslockedtogether,alighteningboltthatcutsdownthroughthemiddle,alongropewithapurpleribbonwrappedaroundthe

middle,andtworoadsheadingoppositedirections.ThetwohandslockedtogetherrepresentthefriendshipbetweenDannySaundersandReuvenMalter.Althoughtheirfathersbelieveindifferent“religions”,theystillmanagedtobecomebestoffriends,Cightthroughtheirdifferences,andbecomestrongertogether.Althoughtheyarelockedtogether,thereisaropewithapurpleribbonabovethem.ThatropeiswhatI’dliketocall“TheRopeofFriendship”.It

beganasareallysmallthreadbutkeptgrowingastheboyscameclosertogether.Youcanseetheropestartsoutabitsmallerattheedgesofthepagebutgradually

becamethicker.ThisropekeptthetwoboystogetherbutwasseveredwhenDanny’sfathercalleduponasilencebetweenthem.Aftertwoyears,theboyscamebacktogetherandtheribboninthemiddlerepresentsthere‐bonding.Behindtheropeandthehands,thereisalighteningboltthatcutsstraightdownthemiddle.It

representsthateventually,thetwoboyswillhavetoseparateandleadtheirownlives.Thatiswhytherearetwoseparateroadsoneithersideofthebolt.However,youcouldalsothinkthattheycouldfollowthesetworoadsbackandmeetagain.It

isn’tsuchasadending.

BethanyLi


TableofcontentsThemestatements

Symbol

AuthorBio

Setting

Character

Investigator

Bibliography

1

2

4

6

7

910


Theme Truefriendsmighthavedifferences,buttheyCightthroughthemandgrowstrongertogether.

Subordinate

Therelationshipbetweenafatherandsonisvitaltothecohesivenessofa

family.

Familieshavetheirownbeliefsandpreferences,butitisimportantforitsmemberstobranchoutandpursuetheirowndreams.

Regardlessofdifferentbeliefs,friendscan

understandeachothereveniftheydonotentirelyagreewithoneanother. 1


SymbolsReuvenandDannybothexperienceatypeofblindness‐‐asymbolinTheChosen‐‐ina

physicalsenseandthroughstudyingtheTalmudwiththeirfathers.

SarahHadnot

2

• Whileinthehospital,Reuvenhastodealwithonlybeingabletoseethe

worldthroughoneeye.HealsohastoconfronttheunfairnessofBilly’s

blindness.EmpathyCloodsReuven’sthoughtsashethinksabouthowBilly

willneverseetheworldashedoesandhowhemightneverbeabletosee

theworldasheoncedid.Gratefully,Reuventhinksabouthowluckyhehas

beentobeabletoseetheworldthroughtwofunctioningeyesandhopesto

beabletoseeitthesameoncemore,whichhedoes.Similartohisnear‐

blindnessinhiseye,whileReuvenstudiestheTalmudheissometimesblind

tocertainmeaningsofpartssoheandhisfatherhaveconversationaboutthe

meaningsofit.Inthisway,Reuven’sfatherisexposinghimtootheropinions

oftheworldandhowtheyaffectwhatisgoingonintheirworld.


SymbolsCont.• ThisisverydifferentfromthewayDanny’sfather,RebSaunders,hasraisedDanny.Byraising

Dannyinsilence,hehasforcedhimtolookinsidehissoulforanswersratherthanother

sources,althoughRebSaunders“knewalreadywhen[Danny]wasaboythatIcouldnot

preventhismindfromgoingtotheworldforknowledge”(285).TheonlytimeRebSaunders

talks,orarguesrather,withDannyiswhentheyarestudyingTalmud.Dannydoesn’tgeta

chancetohaveconversationswithhisfatherwheretheydiscusstheirpersonalopinionslike

Reuvendoes.TakingadvantageofRebSaundersandDanny’sknowledgeoftheTalmud,

Reuvencomesovertodiscussitwiththemoften.ThisopensReuven’seyestootherpeople’s

opinionsoftheTalmudandprepareshimtobecomearabbi.DuetoDanny’sHasidic

upbringing,heisblindtopartsoftheworldthatReuvenisknowledgeablein;hemakesupfor

thatbyvisitingthelibrarydailyandgatheringinformationaboutotherpartsoftheworldthat

hehasbeendeprivedofthroughbooksandtheknowledgeofReuven’sfatherwhomeetshim

thereoccasionally.

• DannyandReuven’sblindnesstotheworldiswhatbroughtthemtogetherassuchclose

friends.Althoughtheyhavetheirdifferencesofwhattheyareblindto,theycanstillrelateto

andteachoneanotherthroughthat.

3Mcbride, Luke Wednesday, April 13, 2011 11:46:17 AM PT 00:16:cb:a4:79:64

AuthorBiography• EarlyLife

• ChaimPotokisanAmericanJewishauthorbestknownforwritingTheChosenwhichhassoldmorethan3.4millioncopiesworldwide.ChaimwasbornonFebruary17th1929andpassedawayonJuly23rd2002.ChaimwasborninTheBronx,NewYorkwhereherecievedanOrthodoxJewisheducationalongwithhisthreeothersiblings.HewasinspiredtobeawriterafterreadingBridesheadRevisitedbyEvelynWaugh.

• Adultlife

• Chaim’s1irstpublishing’swereinaliterarymagazineatYeshivaUniversitywhereheattendedschool.LaterhebecameaRabbiandbecamethedirectoroftheConservativeYouthOrginizationLeaderTrainingFellowship.HelaterjoinedtheArmyandservedintheKoreanwarwhichhesaidwastransformative.WhenhecamebackhemovedtoL.A.andthenBrooklyn.

TheoHumphreys


AuthorBioCont’d• Adultlifecont’d

• In1967TheChosenwaspublished.TheChosenwontheEdwardLewisWallantPrizeanditwasalsonominatedfortheNationalBookAward.In1969asequeltoTheChosenwasreleased,itwascalledThePromise.HelaterwroteMyNameIsAsherLev,InTheBeginning,Davita’sHarp,andTheGiftofAsherLevamongothers.

___________________________________________________

• TheauthorsharedseveralsimilaritiestothecharacterReuveninTheChosenthesesimilaritieslikelyinCluencedmuchofthebook.TheybotharebothHasidicJew’s,theybothbecameRabbi’s,andtheybothgrewupandlivedinNewYork.InKoreaChaimhadalifealteringexperience.KoreahadaverysmallJewishpopulationandverylittleanti‐semitismwhichhewasnotusedto.HewasbroughtuptobelievethattheJewishpopulationwasamajorpopulationworldwideandwasthussurprisedbythelackofJudaisminKorea.


Setting• The setting in this book is really important, not so much the place, or mood, but the

time and social conditions.

• The setting in this book takes place on the east coast, but more importantly, it takes place during WWII. This time period is important because many Jews couldn’t believe what was happening to the people who believe the same things. This also is important because back then, they did not have all of the technology that we do today. So communicating and healing would take more effort.

• The main place in the book in in Brooklyn. these few cities had many different forms of Judaism. Many jewish people lived in Brooklyn and New York, this can change the story line because living there would be easier. It would be easier because finding synagogues and other houses are easier to find, making it easier to stay in touch with their friends. The setting in this book takes place on the east coast, but more importantly, it takes place during WWII. This also is important because back then, they did not have all of the technology that we do today.

6

JackCooper


Character• TheCharactersin“TheChosen”reallydoshowalot.Itstarts

outwiththenarratorReuvan,whoisgreatatsymboliclogicbutwantstobearabbi.HeisverysmartandisaOrthodoxJew.ThenDanny,thenextmaincharacter,isaHasidicJewwithaphotographicmemory.Hewantstobeapsychologist.HeissupposetotakehisfatherpositionasRebbeandRabbi.ThethereisDanny’sfatherwhichisaastheysay“fanatic”towardsJewishHasidismandanti‐Zionist.HeisaverysilentpersonandnevertalkstoDanny(exceptduringstudy)andhas“explosions”whenpeopletalkaboutsomethingoppositeofhisbeliefs.Danny’sfatherisaregularOrthodoxJewwhoisveryZionist.Heisakindandconsideratepersonbutworkshardtowardshisbeliefs.

LukeMcBride


Character (Continued)

• Inthisbooktherereallydoesn’tseemtobemuchofanAntagonist.InthebeginningDannyseemstobewhenhehitsReuvan(protagonist).Thentheybecomeveryclosefriends.IwouldhavetosaythatDanny’sdadbecametheAntagonistwhenhewouldn’tletthemtalkbuttherealAntagonistwasDanny’sFatewhichpreventedhimfrommanythings.Nowthesetworeallyprovetheourthemebecauseeventhroughallthedifferences,problems,andtimetheystaytheclosestfriendsandareinseparable.Theyarethemainmeaningofourtheme.Theyreallyprovethatnothingcanbreakafriendshipandfriendsunderstandeachothersidesanddecision.


Hasidism

• ThewordHasidicisfromaHebrewwordmeaninglovingkindness.HasidismisabranchofOrthodoxJudaismandtheHasidicJew’sbelievein“thefundamentalaspectsofJewishfaith”.HasidismwasstartedbytheRabbiBaalShemTovinthe18thcentury.TherearedozensofmajortypesofHasidismandhundredsofsmallerbranches.Thedifferentgroupshavesomedifferencesandsomesimilarities.

• TherearedozensofmajortypesofHasidismandhundredsofsmallerbranches.Thedifferentgroupshavesomedifferencesandsomesimilaritiesthesimilaritiestendtoincludesimilar:philosophy,worshippractices,dressandsongs.

TheoHumphreys


HasidismCont’d

• Traditions

• SomeHasidicJewstakeplaceinaceremonycalledmikvahinwhichtheyimmersethemselvesinwatertoachievespiritualcleanlinessortobecomemoreholy.Hasidicmenandwomanhavemanydistinguishableclothingarticlesthattheywear.BothmenandwomanhaveclothingthatsgenerallymoreforeverydaywearandhaveclothingforJewishholidays.MenalsolettheresideburnsgrowoutfollowingaBiblicalcommandment.

• Hasidicmarriagesareusuallymadethroughamatchmaker.UnlikemanyotherarrangedmarriagestheHassidicmarriagesrequireconsentfromthecoupleandfromtheparents.Hassidicfamiliesalsotendtohavelargefamilies‐‐7or8children‐‐duetothepassageinthebiblethatsays“befruitfulandmultiply”.HasidicpeoplespeakthelanguageoftherecountryandspeakYiddishasawaytopreservetheretraditionandtodistinguishthemselves.


HasidismCont’d• Ifitwasn’tforthedifferencesbetweentheHasidicandOrthodox

Jewsthantherewouldn’thavebeenanytensionsandDannyandReuvenlikelywouldn’thavemetinthewaythattheydid.WithoutDannyandReuvenmeetinginthewaythattheydidyoueitherwouldn’tseetherefriendshipdevelopthewayitdid,theymayhaveneverendedupmeeting,and/ortherefriendshipwouldn’thavebeenasstrongasitwas.OneofthemajorpartsofthestorywastheconClictbetweenthebeliefsoftheOrthodoxandHasidicJewsandwithoutthattensiontherereallyisn’tmuchofastory.


PhotographBibliography

• Clipart.Photograph.MicrosoftWord

• FavoriteAuthors.Digitalimage.CapacityForWings.Web.13Apr.2011.<http://capacityforwings.wordpress.com/favorite‐authors/>.


Bibliography

• "Chaim Potok." Chaim Potok. Jewish Virtual Library. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. <http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Potok.html>.

"Hasidic Judaism." Hasidic Judaism. Wikipedia. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasidism>.


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