Essay

Prompt 1975: Although literary critics have tended to praise the unique in literary characterizations, many authors have employed the stereotyped character successfully. Select one work of acknowledged literary merit and in a well-written essay, show how the conventional or stereotyped character or characters function to achieve the author’s purpose.


Chaim Potok wrote the book The Chosen to show how two Jewish teenagers of different faiths struggle in the American society during World War II. There are two protagonists in The Chosen, Reuven Malters who is an Orthodox Jew, and Danny Saunders who is a Hasidic Jew. Chaim Potok is a Jew himself and also grew up during this time period in New York, so his literary work comes from first hand experiences in America. He uses Jews to show the struggle of life in America because they are often stereotyped and discriminated against throughout history.

The story is narrated by Reuven Malters the calmer of the two boys because most people can relate to him more than Danny Saunders. Although Reuven is the narrator, Danny is the protagonist who is presented with struggle in the story of the two boys. Throughout the novel the boys help each other out, whether the problems were school, family, socially related. The boys came together because they were both deeply faithful to Judaism and had to adjust to a modern society that was rapidly changing. The two boys were torn apart from each other several times because of Reb Saunders, Danny’s father, who was opposed to some of the beliefs and ideas of the Orthodox Jewish people. Regardless of what happened and their differences of faith, the boys cam back together to resume their inseparable friendship.

Danny struggled with breaking away from his obligations to follow in his fathers footsteps to become a tzaddik and the many possibilities of the modern world in the United States. Reuven often comforted and calmed Danny’s anger toward his father because of the way he raised him. Reuven seemed to be Danny’s one link to the world outside of Hasidism. Danny wasn’t the only one with struggles though; he helped Reuven to understand and broaden his thoughts on society. David Malters, Reuven’s father, suffered from several heart attacks because of the stress of his involvement in the Jewish part of society. When Daivd Malters was too sick to be home, Reuven would live with the Saunders who would take good care of him.

Chaim Potok uses two protagonists to show his point with this novel. Without the power of friendship the Reuven Malters and Danny Saunders would’ve had a much harder time growing up in New York. Their friendship gave them the power to work through hardships and struggles that would’ve otherwise not been overcome.