Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary
devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.
Father-Son Relationships
The epigraph of Book One of The Chosen is
a quotation from Proverbs that highlights the importance of father-son
relationships in the novel: “I was a son to my father. . . . And
he taught me and said to me, ‘Let your heart hold fast my words.
. . .’” Because it is from the Bible, this quotation also points
to the connection between obedience to one’s father and obedience
to God and religion. The critic Edward Abramson explains that The
Chosen’s “stress upon fathers parallels a similar stress
in Judaism, where God is King, Judge, and Father. . . . [T]he father
can be viewed as a fount of wisdom, one who takes upon himself some
of the aura of the Godhead.” David Malter and Reb Saunders both
possess profound knowledge and deep spiritual commitment, qualities
they pass on to their sons. Yet, the two fathers interpret Judaism
in contrasting ways. In particular, they have different beliefs
about what their commitments to the outside world should be. These
differences in beliefs inform how each father teaches and relates
to his son, and how each son develops and matures.
As both Reb Saunders and David Malter emphasize, we are
able to choose our friends, but not our fathers. This difference
between friendships and father-son relationships adds another shade
of meaning to the novel’s title: fathers and sons cannot choose
each other, but this lack of choice does not make their relationships
any less meaningful. By the end of the book, all the characters
have learned that one must strike a balance between what one can
choose and what has been chosen for one. Danny chooses his own path,
but he has also learned the value of being a tzaddik and the value
of his family’s heritage. Potok’s message is that although we do
not choose our fathers and sons, we must appreciate and respect
them.
Perception
Ten of The Chosen’s eighteen chapters
conclude with references to eyes, seeing, watching, looking, or
listening. Perception and vision is the novel’s dominant motif,
bridging the entire text from Reuven’s eye injury at the beginning
to the final passage, in which Reuven watches Danny walk away after
perceiving an “almost blinding” “light” in Danny’s eyes. Vision
in the novel symbolizes the ability to see the world, to see oneself,
and to see beneath the surface and into the heart of a matter. As
Danny and Reuven mature over the course of the novel, they develop
clearer pictures of themselves and of the world around them.
After Reuven’s eye accident, he remarks that “everything
looks different.” His experience in the hospital gives him a newfound appreciation
of his own health. Later, his friendship with Danny teaches him
to look beyond superficial appearances. Their friendship broadens
and deepens Reuven’s perception of the world and allows him to relate
to and empathize with others’ suffering.
As the novel progresses, Potok focuses on other senses
besides vision. In Chapter 7, Reb Saunders
scolds Danny for hearing but not listening. When Danny reads in
the library, he covers his ears to block out sound. As Danny’s friendship
with Reuven develops, he learns to be a better listener. As a result
of Danny’s experience with silence—which parallels Reuven’s experience
with blindness—Danny learns to appreciate words. Furthermore,
Reuven’s development is apparent in his descriptive language, which
becomes more specific throughout the novel. As he becomes more aware of
the world around him, his descriptions become more detailed, displaying
Reuven’s improved command of his senses. The novel’s final passage
mentions four of the five senses, showing the development both Reuven
and Danny have experienced over the course of the novel.
Suffering
The characters in The Chosen experience
some suffering: Reuven is hospitalized after being hit by a baseball,
Danny struggles with his father, and David Malter suffers two heart
attacks. For the most part, however, the characters lead calm, happy,
fulfilling lives, while the world suffers in the background of the
novel. For instance, in the hospital, Mr. Savo, Billy Merrit, and
Mickey all suffer far more than Reuven does. David Malter’s heart
attacks are overshadowed by the news of FDR’s death and by the terrible revelations
of the Holocaust.
