Quote 2 particular lines or passages from within Chap 2-4: one that feels imp’t to the text and one that feels imp’t to you, and explain why they feel imp’t. End your post w/ a question. (Note page #s.) Skip a line between paragraphs since you cannot indent on the blog.
Also, reply to at least one student's post.
“Noone knows he is fortunate until he becomes unfortunate” (73). This line stood out to me because it explains taking something for granted very well. An ability or privilege we have may seem like a guarantee. I often forget to be thankful for the small things myself. But this word of wisdom from Reuven’s father is an important thing to remember. It can be easy to fall into a pattern of expecting something and it being available to you. But once that thing, like the simple ability to go for a walk is taken away, what you have is put into perspective and becomes much more precious.
ReplyDeleteWhile this line exhibits a lesson that is important to me, one line I found important to the plot of the book was, “I was feeling a little regretful that I had been so angry with Danny Saunders” (63). This seems like a real turning point in the book for Danny and Reuven’s relationship. Danny Saunders had just tried to apologize for the baseball incident but Reuven lashed out in hatred. After this interaction, it was clear that neither of them were fond of the other. However, this line shows that he does in fact respect that Danny came because Reuven felt sorry for his actions. It shows that Reuven may be willing to give Danny a second chance and this leads to them taking again and actually enjoying each other’s company.
Near the end of this reading, Danny tells Reuven things that he has never told anyone else in one of their conversations. Why do you think Danny confided in Reuven and told him things such as his wish to not become a rabbi? Did he feel like Reuven was the only one who would listen? Why?
I think a large part of it has to do with Danny feeling a connection toward Reuven. He tells Reuven, “‘I don’t understand why I wanted I wanted to kill you.’ (66)” Danny hadn’t felt this way before, and now he’s feeling it toward a perfect stranger, which hints at some sort of connection between them. It hints at something Danny saw in Reuven that turned Reuven from regular opponent into a mortal enemy, and then in the hospital, to a confidant. There is definitely something about Reuven that makes Danny’s emotions unpredictable. I think this thing that Danny saw told him that Reuven would be the perfect person to confide these pent up thoughts in.
DeleteMaybe that thing that Danny saw was, as you described, Reuven being the only person who would listen. Maybe it’s something else. I don’t think Potok is ever going to tell us why Danny behaves so differently around Reuven. This is just my theory.
I think one reason Danny felt so comfortable sharing such personal information with Rueven is because of how separated their social circles are. Rueven doesn’t know anyone that Danny does, so Danny feels more comfortable telling him things he wouldn’t want his friends or parents to know. Reuven is not only part of a completely different community, he is also a less extreme jew than most people in Danny’s life, which may be why Danny feels so comfortable telling Rueven about his wishes not to become a Rabbi. Danny and Rueven also barely know each other, which might make it easier Danny to open up to him, since he hasn’t needed to give off an image of a serious, extremely devoted jew while around Rueven. He does not have to be scared of whatever he admits changing Rueven’s view of him since he has not yet gotten to know him, giving Danny something of a fresh start when he talks to Rueven.
DeleteOne part of this week’s reading that seemed important to the story was Danny’s first visit to see Rueven in the hospital. When Rueven first sees Danny standing by his bed, he’s understandably angry, and when Danny tries to apologize, Rueven rejects his attempt. “‘...I don’t want to listen,’I told him. ‘Why don’t you go home? Go home and be sorry over my eye!’... ‘I am sorry,’ he said quietly. ‘I’ll just bet you are,’ I told him.” (62). Because Rueven is so severe in his rejection, he later forgives him and even feels bad himself for the way he treated Danny. When Rueven’s father reminds him what the Talmud says about accepting apologies Rueven feels even worse about what he said to Danny. During this passage, Rueven stops hating Danny and begins wishing things between them could be different. Because Rueven first treated Danny unfairly, he ends up wanting to make things right and stops being angry.
ReplyDeleteDuring Danny’s next visit to the hospital, he and Rueven begin talking about their lives the softball game, and their different experiences growing up in different jewish sects. Their conversation helps them find common ground and realize that their first impressions of each other may have been incorrect. This is especially apparent when Danny is explaining the situation he was during the softball game. “‘What do you think would have happened if you’d lost?’ ‘I don't like to think about that. You don’t know my father.’ ‘So you practically had to beat us.’ (71). This part of their conversation seemed important because although Rueven was upset about his eye, he was also upset about the way Danny and his team had played. Hearing why their team had played so aggressively seemed to help Rueven understand that Danny’s targeting of him had not been personal, it was just his best chance to win, something he needed to to out of fear. The lesson Rueven learns from this experience is one I have had to learn myself. Often, the way I first perceive someone is not completely accurate, and there is much more to everyone than anything you can see the first time you interact with them. From similar less extreme experiences, I have realized how helpful it can be to wait until you know a person’s circumstances and motivation for whatever they are doing before forming an opinion, a lesson illustrated well in this part of the book.
After Danny’s second visit to the hospital, and his talk with Rueven, I wonder how each of their feeling toward the other have changed? Will they continue to talk, and maybe even become friends?
Danny and Reuven have definitely grown closer due to their conversations in the hospital. At the baseball game, the competition between the two sides seemed to shift to something more personal between Danny and Reuven. They really began to dislike each other and from Danny’s apologies, it is clear that he wanted to mend that relationship. The way they look at each other and interact is much different now than from what it was before. I do think that they will proceed to talk to each other and learn more about one another. In fact, at the end of the chapter they made plans to go for a walk in a few days. The way that Danny told Reuven things he has not mentioned to anyone before, also leads me to believe that they will keep connecting.
DeleteI also found it interesting how you asked if they will “maybe even become friends.” After reading this section of the book, I got the feeling that they were already friends because of how they spoke to each other. However, this question you asked reminded me that it takes a while to gain someone’s trust and maybe these conversations are only the beginning of a friendship rather than just saying they are friends already.
The relationship between Reuven and Danny keeps evolving as we get further into the book. At first, during a baseball game, we see the hate they had for each other. Then after Reuven got hurt and was in the hospital, we see Danny try to reach out to Reuven. However, Reuven is not ready to accept Danny’s outreach and move passed the hate yet. But it does seem to me that after a couple of visits they are starting to become friends. I do agree with Gretta that they will continue to talk which is evident by the plans that they have made to see each other even after Reuven is out of the hospital.
DeleteHowever, I do think that Gretta raised an interesting point about how she feels they have already became friends. I feel like they are definitely on the road to becoming friends but I'm not sure I would say just yet that they are friends. I still think that they are learning a lot of things about each other and it will take some more time for the hard feelings they once had towards each other to completely change. I also feel like once Reuven is home and adjusting back to that life the start of their friendship will quickly make them really close friends.
On page 47, when discussing Reuven’s eye, Reuven tells his father, “‘It’s not all right,’... ‘I want you to tell me.’” Reuven’s father then proceeds to tell Reuven about the danger of the scar tissue growing over his pupil. This line feels important to me because it speaks to our tendency to doubt that things are okay, especially when we’re stressed. It shows how we worry a lot about things that may never happen and even though the scar tissue probably won’t blind Reuven, he still worries about it a lot. He’s really concerned about the “what if” and I notice that I do that a lot as well. I think it’s human for us to be overly concerned about things that probably won’t happen.
ReplyDeleteOn page 82, Reuven asks Danny, “‘Are you going to like being a rabbi?’ ‘No.’ He said.” This says a lot about Danny as a character. Danny has things he wants to do in life, but he feels trapped by his birth. He feels pressured by his father and his community to become a rabbi, even though that’s not something Danny wants to spend his life doing. It also makes Reuven feel sorry for Danny, which, after the baseball game, is not something one would expect Reuven to be feeling. I think that over the course of the book Danny is going to work up the courage to tell his father that he doesn’t want to be a rabbi, and he’s going to take control over his own life. Do you think this will happen? Or do you think that Danny won’t be able to overcome the pressure that his father puts on him?
I think over the course of the book, Since it looks like Danny and ‘
DeleteReuven are going to become friends, I think Danny will work up the courage to tell his father that he does not want to be a rabbi. I think Danny will work up the courage if he remains friends with Reuven because he will have someone to confide in and share his ideas. Also I think Reuven will be supportive of Danny if he makes the decision to tell his father he does not want to be a Rabbi. Danny will be able to overcome the pressure that his father puts on him because he will have Reuven by his side.
“You can go to hell, and take your whole snooty bunch of Hasidim with you!” (63). This line stood out for me because Reuven said something that he will later regret. I have been in this situation many times. I have an older brother and when I was younger we used to fight all the time. During or at the end of the fight I would often say something that I would regret and that something could be really mean or hurtful and sometimes what I said would backfire on me. So when Reuven said what he said to Danny I totally empathized with Danny and Reuven because I knew exactly what was going through their minds at the moment.
ReplyDeleteA couple days after the incident, Reuven’s father comes to visit him and says, “Reuven, if you can, make Danny Saunders your friend.” (74) This is a really important moment in the book because after the incident and before his father said this to him, we saw a little bit of that. Now, Reuven is really going to make an effort to do this because his father told him too and Danny is actually a really nice guy.
Since It looks like Danny and Reuven are going to be some friends, I wonder what is going to happen. Will they keep their friendship secret from Danny’s father? Will they go on to do something great becasue of all the books they read and the minds they have? Will they study together? And will they play baseball together?
I can 100% agree with you about the whole regret thing. I've said many many things to people that I later regretted because I felt so bad. My brother and I have done it a lot. And I can definitely see the connection between the two lines that you chose. It was not a great thing to say because he now has to befriend Danny. I think the connections you made were very good, and were clear to me as I read.
DeleteDuring this reading there were many important turns in the plot that were crucial to the book. On page 61, while Reuven is in the hospital a familiar face shows up by his bed that he was not expecting to see. “‘Hello,” Danny Saunders said softly (61).”’ To me, Danny reaching out even though he knows the situation between the two of them is rough is the start to a bond that they are going to form. And as I kept reading and Danny kept coming back, this quote seemed more and more important to the book. The bond between the two of them got stronger and stronger each time they saw each other and that made the initial hello from Danny a moment that would likely be the start of something more.
ReplyDeleteInitially when Danny came to see Reuven, Reuven did not want to talk to him. Reuven ended up telling Danny he didn't want to listen to him and that he should go home. After that happened Reuven seemed to regret what he said. “I was feeling a little regretful that I had been so angry with Danny Saunders (63).” This line made an impact on me. I think we all have times when we wish we had been kinder to a person or wish we had said something different. Reuven saying that reminded me how important it is to think about what we are saying before we say it. And how it is important to think about how what we are saying is going to make others feel.
Reuven’s dad comes to visit him while he is in the hospital. And every time he walks in Reuven comments about the cold his father has. We as readers keep hearing about how he looks worse and worse and continues to cough. My question is, is the cold that Reuven’s dad has just a cold or is it something that is going to become more than a cold?
Ben Acker
DeleteLily, prior to reading your post I never would have put two and two together to conclude that Mr. Malter’s cold could be worse than he is letting on. But after thinking about it, it seems like a very possible plot twist. Every time we meet Reuvan’s dad he seems to be in worse condition due to his cold. I believe Reuvan mentioned bags under his eyes, looking tired, and a worsening cough. It will be interesting to see if Mr. Malters cold is just a cold, or foreshadowing towards a turn in the plot.
i was wondering the exact same thing as I was reading. i think that it most likely will manifest into something more than just a cold. this would have a large impact on the story because as we learned Mr. Malter is also a has had a large impact on Danny's life. whether it dose become more or not it is a great whay to biuld suspens in the story and keep things interesting.
DeleteBen Acker
ReplyDeleteAfter reading through chapter four of The Chosen by Chaim Potok I found a quote that feels important to the text and one that feels important to me. A quote that struck me was when Reuvan and his father were talking and Reuven mentioned wanting to play outside, “‘No one knows he is fortunate until he becomes unfortunate,’ my father said quietly. ‘That's the way the world is’”(73). This quote brought me to visualize how privileged and lucky I am and that stuck with me.
Another quote that caught my eye while reading was when Danny and Reuvan are talking by Reuvans hospital bed, “‘...That’s a funny way to talk. You're going to become a rabbi’ ‘I have no choice. It’s an inherited position.’ ‘You mean you wouldn't become a rabbi if you had a choice?’ ‘I don't think so’ ‘What would you be?’ ‘I don't know. Probably a psychologist’”(69). And on the next page, “‘What would you be if you didn't become a rabbi?’ Danny Saunders asked. ‘A mathematician,’ I said. ‘That's what my father wants me to be’...`I sort of feel like I could be more useful to people as a rabbi’”(70). Danny wants to become a psychologist, but feels obligated to become a rabbi; whereas Reuven wants to become a rabbi, but feels pressure from his father to be a mathematician. This sort of similar yet different nature of the boys situations with themselves and their fathers is interesting, I wonder how it will play out in their relationship and their communities as the novel continues.
Jessica S.
DeleteWhile I was reading, I was also thinking about the two of their situations. I think that this sort of similar situation the two of them are facing having pressure on them, will connect them together even more because they have each other to relate to. They can confide in each other and give each other advice because they are both in the same boat in a way. I think that in terms of their different career desires, this will have much more of an impact on their communities, especially Danny’s. The fact that Danny is expected to become a Rabbi and inherit his father’s position is very significant to his community, because a lot of people look up to Danny’s father and his ways. If Danny were to come out and say he wanted to be a psychologist instead, I don’t think that would go over well because it would go against what Danny’s father wants and what the followers of his father thinks as well. It will be interesting to see what happens.
“Look at that. Look at all those people. They all look like ants. Sometimes I get the feeling that we are all ants. Do you ever feel that way” page 79. This line is really a turning point in the relation between Danny and Reuvan in the previous encounters between them. Up to this point they either hated each other, danny was trying to apologize, or they were getting to know each others background. After this line they really begin to break apart how they look at the world compared to how they are told to look at the world by the differing communities they live in. This discovery that they both have unique views of the world and what they what want from it makes her friendship so much more meaningful as well as allow for them to open up further. It is the one single line that invokes the idea that they both struggle with. How do I make a positive impact on this world, and isn't that what God made them to do.
ReplyDeleteOne line that has more personal meaning to me is from page 81. “If you’d’ve ducked that ball I would still be wondering.” There point that really grabbed me because it has to do with the idea of the absurdity of their meeting. The idea that the most bizarre circumstances will bring people together that seem destined for each other. How many other people that you mesh with perfectly exist in this world and what makes some moments strong enough to pull these people together while most of the time you never notes each other? How does that relate to the meeting of Danny and Reuvans?
After reading through chapters 2-4, one quote that I felt was very important to the story was when his father said, “Reuven, if you can, make Danny Saunders your friend.” (74) I feel that this is important because this was said after the incident occurred, and now that his father asked him this, he will really make an effort to befriend Danny. And this friendship is going to go a long way throughout the story, which I feel is very important.
ReplyDeleteA quote I found while reading that really caught my eye and made me stop and think for a minute, was when Reuvan and his father were talking, “‘No one knows he is fortunate until he becomes unfortunate,’ my father said quietly. ‘That's the way the world is’”(73) This quote made me stop and think about how much that I have compared to others, and that I should really be grateful for what I have, because like his father said, there is only one way to find out how privileged you are, and that is to become less privileged.
A question that kept flowing through my head was how will Danny and Reuvan continue to become friends without Danny's father finding out? Or do they want him to find out? If they do tell Danny's father, how will they break it to him?
(Sent late, WiFi problems)
Jessica S.
ReplyDeleteOne line that really stood out to me being important, is when Reuven’s Father says, “No one knows he is fortunate until he becomes unfortunate” (73). This line made me take a step back and realize how many little things in life I overlook and take for granted. Things like having two functioning eyes, being able to read whenever I want, or being able to go outside. It made me appreciate having the privilege to have all of these things a little bit more by being able to step into the shoes of Reuven while he’s in the hospital.
One line that felt important to the text took place the second time Danny came to visit Reuven in the hospital. “What would have happened if you’d lost? I don’t like to think about that. You don’t know my father” (71). This line helps Reuven to understand the mentality of their team wasn’t fully personal, but influenced a lot by the power of Danny’s Father. Towards the end of their conversation, Reuven also says, “Your father must be quite a man” (73), and Danny responds with, “Yes” (73) with what Reuven describes as a “cold, glassy stare in his eyes” (73). Considering the seriousness of Danny when he responds, it seems that his father is a very important dominant figure that has a lot of authority over him.
Since Danny’s father seems to have such a large impact on Danny as well as his community, I wonder, will Reb be a barrier in Danny and Reuven’s developing friendship because of all his power?