Asher's first struggles between art and religion begin when he is a young boy. Because he goes to a Jewish school, all of his potential friends are Jewish and they do not take kindly to his drawing habits. They ostracize him and therefore force him even deeper into his drawing habits. "'A boy Asher's age should not be by himself all the time.' 'Asher likes being by himself.' 'It isn't healthy. It leaves scars. You don't want to leave scars on the boy.'" (Pg. 19). Asher spends much of his time by himself, often drawing in his room. Asher's father is the only one who recognizes the significance of this and how it could affect Asher's social life later on. This simple ostracizing eventually turns into explicit insults and attacks on Asher.

"I could also hear the high piercing voice, 'Here comes Asher Picasso Lev, the destroyer of Torah. Make way for goy Lev. Hey, Asher, do you draw dirty pictures, too? Draw a dirty picture for the Mashpia.'" (221). Asher tries to satisfy his artistic desires and fit in as a normal Jew at the same time, and obviously it isn't working very well. Now his peers don't just ostracize him, they openly criticize him. By trying to satisfy his art and religion, Asher loses many potential friends, and he never really connects with any of ‘his people'.
While Asher's peers immediately reject him for his artistic tendencies, his parents are a different case. When Asher is younger, his parents are able to see the dangerous potential in his drawing, but they blow it off as a phase. "Go wash your hands. You are driving us all crazy with your pictures and your stubbornness. What kind of Jewish boy behaves this way to a mother and father? You ought to be ashamed of yourself.'" (Pg. 106). Asher's parents express their disappointment and annoyance in Asher's habits by scolding him, but they never take action.

They support his drawing a little because all good parents should support their children, but they expect that he will grow out of his drawing habit, move on, and join the rest of the Jewish community. However, as time goes on, Asher's parents slowly begin to realize that their expectations will not be met. "'Asher, come with us to Europe.' ‘No,' ‘We miss you. I miss you. There are great art schools in Vienna.' ‘No.' ‘Asher-‘ ‘He'll try to take it away from me. No.'" (Pg. 257). At this point, Asher's parents realize that it is too late to save their child from drawing and that all they can do is hope that he doesn't do anything worse. "'Do not forget your people, Asher. That is all I ask of you. That is all that is left for me to ask of you.'" (Pg. 216). Asher could simply desert his family and deserted his religion, but he decides to keep trying to find equilibrium.

Towards the end of the novel, he takes his parents to an art show to show them a picture he had painted for his mother. The drawing of a crucifix did not go over very well with his parents, and after that they spoke to him very little. Additionally, the Rebbe kicked him out of the Jewish community he had been a part of. In the end, Asher ended his relationship with his parents because he kept trying to establish a connection with them between art and religion.

As if losing all of his friends and family were not enough, Asher also loses most of his sense of identity. Asher first realizes the insecurity of his identity when he tries breaking out of his obedient Jewish mold by staying out very late. "Where had I been? Did I know what time it was? My mother was sick with fear and had gone to bed. They had called the police. She had just called them back to tell them I was home. What was I doing? I was driving everybody crazy." (Pg. 115). Asher finds himself second-guessing his own motives and he asks himself if he should continue to act rebellious or if he should try to honor his parents and his religion. "I would not paint on Shabbos. I spent Shabbos mornings praying and reviewing the Torah reading. I spent Shabbos afternoons studying a book on Hasidus I had brought with me." (Pg. 239). It appears that Asher wants to remain committed to his religion, but all this really shows is his lack of identity. After deserting his parents and being ostracized by most of the Jewish community, there is no reason for Asher to continue his traditions other than to regain some of his lost identity.

While Asher does have some identity in art, people have been attacking it his whole life. At the same time, his aggressors always stressed religion, and so that is what he is reaching out to for identity. Sadly, striving for identity is not the same as having identity and in the end, the only identity he has is what little he has left in art.

Asher Lev constantly tries to bring his artwork and religion to an equilibrium. Yet when tries to be two people at once, he fails utterly, and he slowly destroys himself and his relationships. All the other kids at school dislike his drawing habits, and so he never develops any friendships. Asher's parents want to help him and they want to understand, but they are so engrained in their own culture that it is impossible for them to connect with their son. Finally, he loses his sense of identity because he attempts to immerse himself in both the secular world of art, and the religious world of Judaism. Neither of these offers him very much comfort or security while the other is preset in his life because of their complete incompatibility. Asher's unwillingness to be decisive and choose one or the other causes him to lose many that are dear to him

In the novel, Danny first experiences suffering after he furiously hits a baseball into Reuven's eye, causing serious damage. Although Reuven is the one who suffers physically, Danny suffers emotionally from all the pain associated with the guilt and remorse of his actions. "His voice wasn't angry, it was sad. ‘You want me to say I'm miserable? Okay, I'm miserable.'" (Potok 62). Danny's grief causes him to suffer, but at the same time it opens doors to a new relationship and to new ways of thinking. Before, Danny had been consumed with being superior, but this incident causes him to branch out and become more understanding of the world around him. "‘No hard feelings anymore?' he asked me. ‘No hard feelings,' I said. ‘I just hope the eye heals all right.' ‘I hope so, too,' he said fervently. ‘Believe me.'" (Potok 71). Danny's attitude has been transformed from that of superiority and self-righteousness to that of mutuality, and even humility.

While Danny is studying experimental psychology, he is greatly troubled by the differing approaches of studying the human mind that seem to be polar opposites of what he is used to. "‘Psychoanalysis is a scientific tool for exploring the mind. What do rats have to do with the human mind?'" (Potok 199). Danny can't stand the new methods of studying psychology and goes through a long period of suffering. Although he does not know it, his suffering allows him to become more open-minded, and accept things more easily. This is shown when he decides to talk to his professor about how he feels, and comes away enlightened. "‘He said that experimental psychology was interested in applying the methodology of the natural sciences to discover how all human beings behaved. It doesn't generalize about personality behavior only on the basis of a certain segment of people. That makes a lot of sense.'" (Potok 211). Danny's new understanding did not come about simply from talking to his professor, it was also due to the pain and misery he went through.

Later in the novel, Danny goes through an immense amount of suffering when his father forces him to stay away from Reuven for two years. "I wondered often during those months whether Danny was also going through these same dreadful experiences. I saw him frequently. He seemed to be losing weight, and I noticed he was wearing different eyeglasses." (Potok 220). Danny is obviously suffering terribly, shown by Reuven's observations of Danny losing weight, and the look in Danny's eyes. Reb Saunders had apparently made this final test to be hard; he wanted to ensure that his son had a soul, and would be empathetic. "‘He suffered and learned to listen to the suffering of others. In the silence between us, he began to hear the world crying.'" (Potok 267). Danny's father is pleased with the results of his son's suffering and he fearlessly sends Danny off as a ‘tzaddik of the world'. His father knows that the suffering which he put his son through has paid off, and that Danny can understand love, pain, and other emotions which one cannot grasp with just a mind.

Danny suffers quite often in The Chosen. The most notable of his sufferings include his misery over Reuven's eye, the pain and confusion he experienced over experimental psychology, and the two year silence between him and Reuven. Each time, however, his suffering leads to him becoming more empathetic and understanding which are shown by his words of compassion and enlightenment. Despite all the confusion and misunderstanding surrounding Danny's sufferings, he and others know that he has ultimately become a well rounded and open-minded person.

Danny, the Hasidic Jewish boy, is constantly struggling throughout the novel. His father, the leader of the synagogue, wants his son to assume his role. Danny on the other hand, wants to study psychology. He is trapped in this cycle where his father and the rest of society want him to become the new tzaddik, and he wants to turn away from all of them and go off on his own. He describes a trapped feeling. “I'm trapped now, too...It's the most hellish, choking, constricting feeling in the world. I scream with every bone in my body to get out of it.”(Potok, 202) This explanation and description of Danny's problem can be closely viewed as the same problem that the European Jews were facing. They were kidnapped by the Germans and tortured in death camps. They, too, were trapped in the most “hellish, choking, constricting” environment. Danny's character and situation parallel that of the European Jews of World War 2.

Reuven, the Orthodox Jewish boy, helps Danny through his problems in the novel. He is the one who recommends Danny start reading books suggested by his father, and he often helps Danny deal with the challenges of living within the Hasidic society. On page 202, Danny states, “...One day I will...I'll need you around on that day...”(Potok, 202) The author italicizes the word “need", giving the impression that there is something more to that sentence than meets the eye. Reuven helps Danny just like the American and British soldiers helped the European Jews conquer the Germans. The soldiers liberated the Jews from an almost guaranteed death. Reuven helps to liberate Danny from the confusing cycle. He shows him a new independence and confidence that Danny can rely on to get through the social stubbornness. Reuven's character and circumstance parallel the American and British soldiers, and their state of affairs, in World War 2.

Reb Saunders, Danny Saunders' father, is "an extraordinarily limited character, who embodies the stereotypes of the intolerant religious fanatic and of the provincial immigrant father."(Kurshan) Mr. Saunders is endlessly trying to persuade Danny to follow his example and become a tzaddik. Saunders is also a very powerful man of high priority in terms of the Jewish Hasidic Community. As the reader finds out, Mr. Saunders has an odd, unnatural way of teaching Danny how to become independent and less reliant on his father. This process of "changing" Danny through isolation is somewhat like how Hitler and the other fascist leaders tried to "change" the face of the earth by isolating and exterminating the European Jews during World War 2. Reb Saunders exhibits other parallels to Adolf Hitler like the excellent, convincing speaking skills he shows when he communicates with the Jewish and German community. Hitler was known for his persuasive speeches and rallies that convinced the German people to vote the Nazi party into office. In addition, large rallies and speeches motivated the German men to join the army. Adolf Hitler actually coaxed the German citizens into thinking that they were the “master race” and that Germany would become the greatest world power. Reb Saunders' character and condition parallel to that of Adolf Hitler at the time of World War 2.

David Malter, Reuven's father, represents the ideal American Jewish father. "He combines religious rigor with scientific inquiry and a love of knowledge, all of which he tempers with his overwhelming love and respect for his son."(Kurshan) He is always willing to teach one about anything. Mr. Malter is an individual who understands the importance of relationships. He values and accepts the dual perspectives of tradition and secularism. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the US President at the time of World War 2, understands many of the same things that Malter understands. Roosevelt was a respected politician for many years as a Senator, a Navy Secretary, and the President. Mr. Malter is very much like a politician. By definition, a politician is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision-making. Mr. Malter not only teaches Danny the importance of opening up to new opportunities, but he also teaches him how to make decisions for himself, and not his father. Just like Malter believes that tradition and secularism should be balanced, Roosevelt understood the importance of bringing a new era into the White House but not completely stomping out the past eras and accomplishments. David Malter's character and status parallel to Franklin Roosevelt's character during the time of World War 2.

Many of the major elements from the era of World War 2 parallel major characters of the novel, The Chosen , by Chaim Potok. The author of this popular novel, whether purposefully or accidentally, alluded to the parallels present between the elements of the war and the characters of the story. These parallels are not random comparisons. They advance the plot of the novel and directly reveal the theme of the book. These clever equivalents also reveal how intelligent and passionate the author is towards this story.

The novel opens up quickly with a confrontation between Danny Sanders and Reuven Malter. When Reuven first spots Danny Sanders and the rest of the Hasidic Jews he is somewhat annoyed by their religious rituals such as the clothes they wore. Reuven does not fully understand the Hasidic Jews and there rituals so he basically sees them as foreign and strange. He somewhat knows Danny because they both went to the same school, but he has never really met him because Danny's Hasidic community "kept to itself."

As the game progresses, Reuven finally gets a chance to talk to Danny after Danny had reached second base. Reuven, trying to start conversation, congratulates Danny for his hit but is shocked when Danny replies rudely by telling him that they were going to kill him. Later on in the game, at Danny's next time up at bat, Reuven is hit right in the eye by the pitch thus causing him to lose sight in that eye for weeks.

This is where the novel really begins. Potok is trying to show that yes Reuven was physically blinded by Danny Sanders hit, but he also became blind to the ways of Danny and the Hasidic Jews. Potok even makes a point to show how blind he really was when Reuven imagines seeing Danny smiling at him when he is on the floor injured.

As the introduction to the novel continues, Potok decides to show the effect of blindness to other cultures and religions, when Danny comes to visit Reuven at the hospital. Reuven has just learned about his eye, and that he would be unable to do various things, such as reading, when Danny comes to visit. Reuven, blinded by hate, wanted nothing to do with Danny and quickly told him to leave. Though Danny tried his best to try to start a conversation and to reach out to him, Reuven would have none of it. He demanded him to leave because he wanted nothing to do with Danny not only because of what had happened, but because he was different. He simply just didn't and him and thought that everything he did was "weird."

As the novel continues, a change begins to take place in Reuven. Right after he rudely dismissed Danny from the hospital, he beings to regret it and feels remorseful about it. When Danny comes to visit again the very next day, Reuven apologizes for his behavior, forgetting all that had happened between them. They talk for a long time and he actually begins to enjoy his company. Later, he tells his father about the conversation and that Danny is nothing like what he thought he would be like. He states that he doesn't sound like a Hasidic, but rather, he likes to study secular books such as Freud. In this scene, it appears that Potok's goal is to show what can happen when we ignore our differences and become more open minded. Though Reuven is not fully there yet, he is beginning to slowly open his eyes to Danny's world.

Not long after their first real conversation, they meet up again. This time they have an even deeper conversation talking about various subjects like family and their religious rituals. Reuven is amazed to find out that he and Danny were both born in the same hospital. Danny then reveals to him that his father has raised him in silence and he only speaks to him when they are studying the Torah and Talmud. Reuven has a hard time understanding why someone would do such a thing but he continues to keep an open mind. As their conversation progresses, Reuven finds out that Danny reads multiple secular books a week. Much to his surprise, Danny is not a strange as he first suspected him to be and they actually share a lot of things in common.

In chapter 7, Danny comes over to Reuven's house to see if he wants to walk over to the Shul to meet Reb Saunders (Danny's father). Reuven excitingly says yes and they begin their walk down there. On the way, they have yet another deep conversation where they talk about mostly family. Surprisingly enough, the two boys have even more stuff and common and Reuven is again amazed to find out that they were born only two days apart. Danny then explains to Reuven that his father is a tzaddik(Spiritual leader of the people) and this makes him even more anxious to meet him. When they arrive, two men approach Danny and ask him to interpret a passage of the Talmud.

After giving a great explanation, Reuven is amazed by the intelligence of Danny. After the party, the two began to walk back to Reuven's house. Reuven, still amazed by how much they have in common, becomes even more aware of this when he finds out that Danny is planning on going to the same college as he is. As you can see, they have a lot of things in common and this is where Reuven begins to fully open up his eyes to Danny's world and accept it.

As the novel continues, Reuven begins to fully dig into Danny's world and starts to embrace their differences. Though Danny is against the Zionist movement which Reuven supports, Reuven looks past this difference and still continues to be friends with him(though later in the novel Danny's father forbids them from talking). He studies the Talmud with Danny and his father and he realizes that he has almost the same amount of knowledge as Danny does. They are in a way, the same person just from different backgrounds. Reuven becomes so connected to Danny that they are pretty much inseparable, like Jonathan and David. They become so close that he even begins to feel his pain/joy when Danny's father explains to him why he has raised him is silence.

It is clear, at least it is to me, that Chaim Potok wrote this novel to get us to think and to change. He wanted us to open ourselves up to different cultures and religions for that we could fully understand them. He understood that unity is a beautiful thing; you can see this through Reuven. He changed throughout the novel, from a closed eyed blinded person to an open minded person. He became a better person for it as well (studied the Torah more and decided to become a Rabbi).

Just think of what he would be like if he hadn't looked past the differences between him and Danny. He gained so much by accepting him. If we open ourselves up to others who are different from us, we will reap the many blessing and benefits from it just like Reuven did.

Chaim Potok's The Chosen portrays the friendship between two boys, Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders, from different Jewish sects. Many differences in their lives help to shape their friendship. Perhaps the greatest factor that influences their relationship is their fathers. These men, David Malter and Reb Saunders, are radically different in their perspectives, home lives, and childrearing methods yet they share great a great commonality: their love for their sons.

David Malter is an orthodox Jew. He is dedicated to his faith but Rabbi Saunders considers him an apikoros or one who has left the rabbinic tradition. With his wife dead and his people being killed by Nazis, David has devoted his life to his only child and Zionism. David proves himself to be a godly man and a loving father. He develops a powerful and lasting relationship with his son because he is able to communicate well with him. It is easy for David and his son to talk with each other.

In contrast, Reb Saunders, Danny's father, is a dedicated rabbi whose focus is on the law and tradition rather than the establishment of a new Zion. He hopes for the best for his three children and strives to help them through constant studying and teaching of Talmud. Yet unlike David Malter, Reb never speaks to Danny except when studying Talmud. This silent treatment is much hated by Danny who longs for communication between himself and his father. Reb Saunder's radical way of relating to his son cannot be understood by anyone but himself.

In spite of their different philosophies and methods of raising their sons, these two men share the same goal: to love their sons and help them grow into great men. Reb Saunders and David Malter both want their sons to gain a great extent of knowledge. Reb Saunders puts many restrictions on what his son can read while David is much more lenient in what he allows Reuven to read, yet each desires his son to be well educated. Both of these men also share their faith with their sons, one through discussion and example and the other through direct teaching. In addition, both dedicate time to their sons. David Malter makes time to share and talk with Reuven while Reb Saunders sets aside time just for teaching Danny. All in all, David and Reb both convey that they love their sons very much.

These two devoted fathers differ in most aspects of their lives. They view and live out their Jewish faith in different ways and their relationships with their sons are radically different. Yet despite these differences, it is clear that they both have a deep love for their sons.