Riley Johnson
Mrs. Murphy
English II PAP
27 April 2010
Research Paper Rough Draft
The plot ofThe Chosenrevolves around the friendship of two boys, Danny and Reuven.
Danny and Reuven come from two very different Jewish backgrounds, Reuven is a
modern Jew, while Danny comes from a strict Hassidic family. This difference in family
background serves as the main source of conflict on the two boys friendship throughout
the book, and shows how hard it can be to ignore cultural differences in the world. Danny
and Reuven must struggle to ignore religious barriers and limitations in order to preserve
their friendship.
The first incident inThe Chosenwhere the stark difference of Danny and Reuvens religions
is evident is the baseball game. As the novel is “in part a novel about the Jewish experience
in America” the Jewish schools in Reuvens neighborhood have taken up baseball as a
pastime and an effort to prove themselves to American society, this is what brings Danny
and Reuven together at their baseball game (Beachham 763). The book gives a thorough
explanation of how the Hassidic Jewish boys looked almost alien to Reuven and his
friends explaining that “There were fifteen of them, and they were all dressed alike in
white shirts, dark pants… untouched hair that tumbled down into the long side curls…
These were very Orthodox.” (Potok 8-9). This baseball game is the first time Reuven and
Danny encounter one another, it is clear from the content of the book that Reuven and his
peers look at Danny and his peers as very stereotypical proper Jews, and feel almost
uncomfortable around them. This is a perfect example of religion playing a role in the two
boys friendship, as in the first meeting of the two they are almost alienated from each other
purely because of a dress code that Danny obeys out of respect for his religion, the
situation is made even more intense when Danny tells Reuven that he told his team “were
going to kill you Apikorism this evening,” this creates an awkward moment on the base
between Danny and Reuven, simply because Danny feels that Reuven does not practice his
religion the right way(Potok 18). This meeting of Danny and Reuven is the first part of the
book where the “Struggle between… and secular american life” comes into play
(Napierzowski). This encounter between Danny and Reuven may have been the last time
they saw each other, had it not been for Danny hitting Reuven in the eye with a baseball.
