Opening
Bibliographic Information:
The
Chosen / by Chaim Potok
ISBN-13: 978-0449911549 / Ballantine
Books
p. 284 / $10.00 (Amazon)
1969
Body of Content
Summary: Reuven
Malter and Danny Saunders meet on the baseball diamond, when Danny hits a line
drive that shatters Reuven’s glasses – requiring a rush to the ER. As the story unfolds, these two unlikely
rivals in sports become closer friends.
But their Jewish cultures stand in the way, as Reuven is an Orthodox Jew
and Danny is a Hasidic Jew. The story
unfolds, additionally, as a story of two fathers – Mr. David Malter and Rabbi
Reb Saunders – and how they interact with their sons. The constant themes of the story relate these
themes – of religion, of family life, of modernity – all set against the
backdrop of American life during the Second World War. With both fathers have plans and desires for their
respective son’s life, the novel sees the two teenagers grow as individuals –
to a place that may or may not reflect the wishes of their fathers.
Critique: The novel
is intended for a teenage audience. And it
tells a very moving story – both from the perspective of two faiths trying to
understand each other – and of two fathers trying to understand their
sons. Some of the scenes in the later
portions of the book talk about theology and religion in a way that requires a
fair amount of knowledge on the reader’s part – to completely understand the
issues and dilemmas that face the characters.
There are a few scenes when Reuven interacts with his
professors regarding various ancient texts. While the flow of the scene is
apparent to the reader, the vocabulary and methodology employed by the author –
though respective of realistic dialogue in such a situation – leaves the reader
with only partial knowledge of the dialogue transactions.
Reuven struggles with his professor – at one point –
answering the professor’s question by elaborating on textual criticism,
redaction methodology, source comparison, etc. – which would make sense only if
a person holds an education from a linguistic or theological background. Reuven’s use of the “historical methodology”
within his religion courses points out how the main protagonist struggles with
trying to understand his role as a Jew living in modern times. While this theme is reemphasized throughout
the novel, without significant theological knowledge, the particulars to and
the depth of Reuven’s struggles may escape the reader’s eye.
Teaser: Set in the tension of 1940s Brooklyn, two unlikely rivals
dare to become friends.
Information about the Author: Potok’s other works include a
sequel to The Chosen – a book titled The Promise (1969). Other prominent works include My Name is Asher Lev (1972), Davita’s Harp (1985), and The Tree of Here (1993). Potok was himself born in Brooklyn, the
setting of The Chosen. His parents moved to America from Poland and raised
their family in an Orthodox Jewish manner (Wikipedia, 2011).
From an early age, Potok desired to become a writer –
submitting entries into magazines while still a teenager. He eventually elected instead to pursue an
English major at Yeshiva University.
After graduating with an esteemed summa cum laude for his bachelor’s
degree, Potok continued his studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary of
America – eventually becoming an army chaplain in South Korea after the military
conflict there. It was not until his
late thirties that Potok sat down to write his first manuscript – now back in
America as a professor. The author died in
the summer of 2002 – at the end of 73 – having also married – and raised three
children (Wikipedia, 2011).
Supplemental Material
Genre: Historical Fiction
Curriculum Ties: Sociology – religion, culture,
Judaism, urbanization, wartime
Booktalking Ideas: 1)
Have you ever met someone from a different culture or religion who you knew
little about? 2) Why did the author of the book choose the Second World War as the
backdrop to his story?
Reading Level: Best aimed at the lower levels
of high school – ages (14-16)
Challenge Issues and Defense: The
novel tackles faith issues and intra-religion topics within Judaism. I do not
know of any challenges issued at the book – though some may contest Zionism as
a past controversial issue (though not so much within recent decades).
Personal Reasons for Inclusion: I am
a bit nostalgic – as I first read this story as a sophomore in high school –
and later, it was a book that I assigned (as a teacher) to my ninth-grade
students.
Last Thoughts
References:
Wikipedia.
(2011). Chaim Potok [Webpage]. Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaim_Potok
Listening to (Music):
Artist – Michelle Tumes / Album – “Michelle Tumes (2006)”
