Saunders And Saunders In Chaim Potok's The Chosen

Malter tells his son what it means to be a friend and what has to be done. He needs someone to talk to and Reuven will listen. And they both need each other, to grow. What bound them together was the accident with the Baseball, But after being somewhat forced to get to know each other talking, and then having no fear of each other, they became bound together and helped each other’s life open up to the world and to be brave as they grew up in a challenging world.

When parents understand how their child responds to certain situations, they can anticipate issues that might be problematic for their child. They can prepare the child for the situation or in some cases they may avoid a potentially difficult situation altogether. Parents who know how to adapt their parenting approach to the particular temperament of their child can best provide guidance and ensure the successful development of their child's personality.

Danny Saunders and Reuven Malters could not be more different in appearance. Following Hasidic traditions, Danny had long earlocks, wore a tzitzit, and wore shoes with a metal bottom. Also, by he is in college his beard is full-grown. The only aspect, appearance wise, that the boys had in common in the beginning of the story were their black skullcaps. Reuven had always worn glasses, but after spending countless years reading every chance he got, Danny needed them too. The stress caused by the reading and from the pressures of his family became too much on his eyes and they started to turn red and develop bags underneath them. As the firstborn son, Danny had known, for as long as he could remember, that he was to take his father’s place as tzaddik and lead his own congregation. But Danny knew that he did not belong up on a podium preaching, just like Reuven knew that he was not meant to be a math professor. Reuven’s father, David, was one of his best friends. He talked to him

While children are influenced by many things, there are no stronger influences than that of their parents. Parents are usually their children’s first playmates, and while there world expands with each passing year, parental influence is still one of the greatest factors in determining the ways in which the child will grow and develop.

Parenting played a big role in shaping the two boys lives. Having a parental mentor is important because they assist and guide children to take the right decisions about their lives. The author had his two parents at the beginning of his life. Also, the author’s parents, especially his mother, tried to raise him in an effective way wanting him to know the right from wrong at an early age. “No mommy loves you, like I love you, she just wants you to do the right thing” (Moore 11). This quote was a live example of the author’s life with his parents. It reflected the different ways his parents used to teach him “the right thing.” Though his mother was upset from his action toward his sister, his father

The two most noticeable and important opposite pairs are Reuven and Danny and their fathers Reb Saunders and Mr. Malter. These character foils are an important element to the story by helping to teach the virtue of tolerance to it’s readers. Danny and Reuven are almost complete opposites, Danny is a Hasid and Reuven is a Traditional Orthodox Jew this difference alone should prevent the boys from even conversing but it doesn’t. Somehow Danny and Reuven manage to overcome their differences and gain respect for the other’s beliefs. Mr. Malter and Reb Saunders differ greatly in their parenting styles. Mr. Malters approach is loving and caring, he is always their for his son to talk to about anything that troubles him. He also gives Reuven valuable advice and encourages him in his goal to become a rabbi. Red Saunders has a rather extreme parenting style. He has made the decision to raise Danny in silence. He only speaks to his son about religion and nothing else. He is strict and has a cold demeanor although he does care for his son deeply he masks his emotions. These opposites show that there are two sides to every story and teach that tolerance is

Although Reb Saunders carries the overwhelming responsibility of being tzaddik and David Malter is often absorbed in his journalistic efforts, both fathers demonstrate through their actions the tremendous concern they possess for the well-being and overall happiness of their sons. At first, the caring nature of Reb Saunders is not apparent, especially considering his complete silence with Danny. However, toward the end, he reacts to Danny’s decision to become involved in the secular world not with rage but acceptance. This

In The Chosen, Potok describes the Jewish culture during the period of World War I. Beginning with the affluence of Polish Jews before the war, Potok established a circle of relationships. In the book, there are three main relationships. The first one is father-son, between Danny and his father, Reb Saunders and between Reuven and his father, David Malter. The relationship between Reuven and Danny is the second main relationship in The Chosen. The third main relationship is Hasidism verses Zionism.

A parent’s parenting styles are as diverse as the world we live in today. Nowadays, parents only want what is best for their children and their parenting styles plays a crucial role in the development of children which will in the long run, not only effect the child’s childhood years, but later prolong into their adult life as well.

The Saunders share dinner each night, shrouded in Reb’s silence, whereas the Malter clan discusses the day and the Zionist movement. Towards the end of the novel, Danny reveals to Reuven, “you can listen to silence and learn from it” (267). Reuven cannot comprehend the meaning behind Danny’s statement because of the parenting technique David Malter utilizes; even with just father and son, conversation is constant. Reuven remains unsure of the point Reb Saunders tries to prove until the man orders an end to the boys’ friendship. Only then does he understand, as the boys communicate through looks instead of words. Not only do the parenting styles of each family differ, but the dynamics diverge. It is clear that Reb Saunders will not tolerate anything than what he declares, while David and Reuven act as an equal pair in their family dynamic. Both boys learn from the other’s father. David gives Danny knowledge through reading and books, proving that life involves more than just religion; Reb helps Reuven understand how to overcome differences and understand different points of view. Reb Saunders and David Malter interact with their sons in different ways, yet teach the boys invaluable

As he talks to Reuven about the silence between him and his father, he remarks, “…you can listen to silence and learn from it… I feel myself alive in it. It talks. And I can hear it… It has a strange, beautiful texture… sometimes it cries, and you can hear the pain of the world in it. It hurts to listen to it then. But you have to” (249). Danny begins to understand what silence teaches him. He learns to listen to the pain of others because he suffers himself. Moreover, as Danny is about to leave to Columbia for college, Reuven describes, “His beard and earlocks were gone, and his face looked pale. But there was a light in his eyes that was almost blinding… There was a long, gentle silence” (270). Reuven notices that Danny is excited from the light in his eyes, and he now understands that silence is gentle. Because Danny realizes why Reb raised him in silence, he is no longer confused about his future. Likewise, when Reuven’s father asks Danny if he will raise his own child in silence, he replies, “Yes, if I can’t find another way” (271). Although Danny anguishes, he plans on raising his child the same way. He understands how silence taught him compassion, and he learns Reb’s purpose for raising him this way. Due to suffering, Danny understands how to listen to the world’s problems through

Mr. Malter tries to teach his son understanding, compassion, and tolerance which are mandatory qualities of rabbis. A good example of this lesson occurs after Reuven has gone with Danny to Danny’s synagogue and does not comprehend the actions of Danny’s father and the tradition that took place. When he comes home to his father late at night, his father tries to help him comprehend what he just witnessed:

In Chaim Potok’s The Chosen, two contrasting characters are introduced—Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders. They are opposites. While Reuven is forward—speaking his mind, Danny Saunders shows a stark contrast—an inflective soul, listening to silence, and growing from it. These characters set the stage for a lasting relationship to form, to be strengthened, and to be stressed.

Every person reaches a point in their lives when they must define themselves in relation to their parents. We all come through this experience differently, depending on our parents and the situation that we are in. For some people the experience comes very early in their lives, and can be a significant life changing experience. In William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” Colonel Sartoris Snopes must decide either to stand with his father and compromise his integrity, or embrace honesty and morality and condemn his family. This is a difficult decision to make, especially for a ten year old boy that has nothing outside of what his father provides. Sarty’s decision to ultimately betray his father is dependent on his observation of Abner’s character

Parents should encourage the child to share their feelings with them. The child