The Chosen: Chaim Potok's Look Into Human Nature
A bad thing is only truly bad if you fail to make good of it. The Chosen by Chaim Potok
is a testimant to the human ability to learn, grow and prosper from adversity. The story
is filled with examples of situations in which something that may seem bad at the time,
later reaps great rewards.
In the initial portion of The Chosen one of the main characters, Reuven Malter, is
struck in the eye by a baseball hit by the other main character, Danny Saunders. Surgery
is needed on Reuven's eye, and the future use of his eye is in doubt. To most this might
appear a bad situation, a terrible thing to happen to a boy, but Reuven and Danny are
brought together by this unfortunate incident and develop a strong and rewarding
friendship. This friendship of course has its ups and downs, but overall proves to be an
invaluable learning experience to both young men.
Danny is forced to endure an awkward and possibly cruel situation for the majority of
his formative years. Danny's father never speaks with him. With the exception of Talmud
discussions and Danny's baseball team idea, Danny and his father never speak. This
situation causes Danny a great deal of emotional pain, a pain which he is unable to
comprehend his father's reasons for inflicting. His father feared, and with reason, that
if something were not done, Danny would never find his soul. After many years, Danny
finally understands, and accepts the reasons for his father's silence, and is in many
ways grateful for its success.
History is rich with individual, and broad examples of Potok's look into human nature.
During the Second World War, America suffered approximately four hundred thousand
casualties, yet reached a state of national unity that has not been achieved before or
after. The war also ended the Great Depression that caused so many people, son many
problems. The atomic bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
reaped considerable death and destruction, yet prevented far more. Even as far back as
biblical times, the Isrealites became Egyption slaves, but this oppression forced them to
break out and return to the "promise land."
Charles Darwin theorized that something that is able to survive, adapt and thrive under
harsh conditions becomes stronger and better. The world is abundant with examples great
and small of Potok's look into human nature. While not all bad situations reap greater
rewards than the pain inflicted, if the person or people fail to learn and make something
good of it, then it is all for naught.
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