Theme Of Silence In Chaim Potok's The Chosen

The novel The Chosen by Chaim Potok provides readers a view of late and post-World War II New York City. This view is presented in a historical fiction that chronicles the unlikely friendship of two very different Jewish boys. In his book Chaim Potok tells us of the formation, friendship, and hardships between the Hasidic raised, Danny Saunders and the Orthodox raised, Zionist, Reuven Malter. Potok’s story serves to both give an interesting story of a friendship, as well as inform us about the various denominations in Judaism. The story begins as Danny and Reuven play softball against each other and they present tensions towards one another. Both players play a great game, but Danny accidentally hits a ball that hits Reuven in the eye causing him to be …show more content…
Throughout his novel Potok utilizes silence in a unique way. Silence is utilized to allow characters to learn about their souls, and the people around them. Many small moments of silence, such as the first time Danny visited Reuven’s house and he found Reuven sleeping, and when Reuven visited Danny at the library and did not disturb Danny because he was reading. Both scenarios involved silence but both characters were able to use those situations to deduce different ideas about each other from their time observing their friend in silence. The biggest example of silence in the novel is, however, how Reb Saunders raises Danny in silence, only speaking to him to study Talmud. This silence is perplexing to Danny and Reuven, yet it is efficient as Danny is very active in studying Talmud and he is very active in figuring things out deep inside himself. We eventually learn that this silence was meant to make Danny develop his soul, a concept Reuven never understands. Potok uses this silence to show his reader the importance of quiet times in our lives as we can deduce so much information about ourselves and those around us in these times of