Buchanan 1 Gwendolyn Buchanan Ms.

Good English 10 Honors 22 January 2011

The Chosen Essay

Consider the advances in understanding which mankind has made. We have scientists who understand the minute workings of insects and bacteria, and scientists who comprehend farbeyond-huge stars and galaxies. And yet, for all this, we cannot understand ourselves. What we are, who we are, what and why we think and feelall these remain, for the most part, unknown. If, however, we ever gain knowledge of these things, it comes through the eyes. Face and lips can lie, but eyes do not. Thus, eyes have been used symbolically and metaphorically by various authors, of which Chaim Potok is one. In his book The Chosen, Potok repeatedly relies on eyes as symbolism to represent events taking place in the book, themes of rejection, and, most importantly, characters feelings. Eyes are used to represent events taking place in the book. Potok talks about the fact that Dannys eyes are beginning to go badthe more he reads, the worse his eyes get. This seems to be a parallel to the fact that Danny, no matter how hard he tries, can never be quite good enough for his father, and the harder he tries, the more he seems to fail. Dannys own comment illustrates this: [He] said his eyes were bothering him again and that he wouldnt be at all surprised if he ended up wearing glasses soon (Potok 200). Another instance in which eyes are used to illustrate events is when Reuven calls Billy, a blind boy he met in the hospital who was

Buchanan 2 going to have an eye operation which should cure him. When he talks to Billys father, however, he finds out that it wasnt successful. Afterwards, Reuven Kept hearing Mr. Savo saying Crazy world. Cockeyed which seems to be appropriate for the situation (173). This event both the operation, and finding out that it didnt workrepresents how, throughout the book, the real-life principles of good people missing out on deserved rewards are demonstrated. Billy was an unselfish, kind person, and, from what can be known about him, certainly deserved his sight. A last example of eyes symbolizing events can be found in Reuvens own injury. His eye was damaged; for a while, it was thought that he was going to be blind in one eye, but he recovered. This represents almost perfectly his friendship with Danny: while Reuven was in the hospital, he hated Danny, but soon after, they became best friends. These three examples are all instances in which Potok uses eyes to represent events. As well as representing certain events, Potok also uses eyes and faces to emphasize the books overall theme of rejection. One of the most important examples of this is Dannys brother, who is chronically ill. The skin of his face and hands was almost as white as the tablecloth, drawn tightly over the bones, and the veins showed... in his face (128). This fits with the theme of rejection because Danny plans to reject his past and force the position of tzaddik on his brother, but his chances of his father approving and not rejecting him are about the same as his brothers chances of getting well. Another such example in when Danny is at the library and has just read some of an author, Graetzs, book about Hasidism. His [Dannys] eyes were dark and brooding (153). This, too, fits with the theme of rejection, because it is the first time that it become apparent to the reader that Danny is beginning to reject his past. Thirdly, and example of rejection is when Reuven talks to his Talmud teacher, Rav Gershenson, after he has just led the class in an explanation of a particular passage of Talmud. Rav Gershenson talks to

Buchanan 3 Reuven about the various ways that he used to study the passage, and Reuven says that he thinks the passage was wrong and explains how he reconstructed the passage. The teacher listens, and the expression on his face is one of sympathetic understanding. However, at the end of the chapter, Reuven says, It was then I realized why my father was not teaching at that school (254). Reuvens father cannot compromise, reject, or even avoid talking about the ideas and beliefs that he holds to be fundamental and true. Rav Gershenson has apparently learned to do this, no matter how he feels about it. Thishiding beliefsis a controversial topic, but this essay is not the place to talk about it. Lastly, Potok uses eyes to represent characters feelings. In one section of the book, Reuven stays at Dannys house while Reuvens father is in the hospital from a heart attack. Repeatedly, Reuven notices that Reb Saunders cries at seemingly random instances, and that he would sit lost in thought [at supper], his eyes dark and brooding. Danny later explains that he is weeping for the six million Jews that died at Hitlers hand. Another instance of such symbolism is when Danny and Reuven are boarding a trolley, and people stare at Danny. Reuven comments, I had grown accustomed to people staring at Danny, at his beard and side curls. But Danny had become increasingly self-conscious about his appearance ever since the time he had read Graetz on Hasidism (224). This self-consciousness suggests to the reader that Reuven is more comfortable with Dannys religion than Danny himself is. It also suggests that serious doubts in the authenticity of Hasidism have entered Dannys mind because of Graetzs work. This instance is odd in that it is not the eyessightof the person with the emotions that represents that same persons feelings; rather, it is other persons sights that inspire certain feelings. A third and last example of eyes representing characters feelings is when Reuvens father comes to visit him in the hospital. Reuven notices that his fathers eyes are bloodshot and

Buchanan 4 tired-looking. Later on, however, after Reuven is out of the hospital, he sees that his father no longer looks unhealthy. In this scenario, Mr. Malters eyes suggest his worry and deep care for his son. All these are instances when eyes are used to represent or show characters feelings. In The Chosen, Chaim Potok repeatedly uses eyes to represent events of the book, the difference between truth and lie, and characters feelings. This symbolism is essential to the story. It teaches us how to gain knowledge of ourselves and the people around us not only through the things that they say, but, more importantly, the unspoken things that remain in the silence.