Quote 2 particular lines or passages from within Chap 5-12: one that feels imp’t to the text and one that feels imp’t to you, and explain why they feel imp’t. End your post w/ a question. (Note page #s.) Skip a line between paragraphs, since you cannot indent on the blog.
Also, reply to at least one student's post.
There is a passage that is roughly 2 pages long that starts on page 155 and ends on page 157 in chapter 8. It's the paragraph when Danny, Reb, and Reuven discuss the Talmud together. This passage provided a lot of insight into the family dynamic between Danny and Reb. This is the first time we see the two of them really interact with each other. When Reb quizzed Danny in public it was done calmly and in a near emotionless manner. This encounter Reuven described as a pitched and intimate battle. Their voices are raised and their hands are moving around in wild gestures. They're actually engaged with each other. This isn't something that we've seen or even heard Danny describe before. We know from what Danny has said and our impressions of Reb so far as well as Danny's explosion in a later chapter that his relationship with his father is one of silence and something that is pretty much borderline emotional neglect. Reb is a special kind of man and he has a path chosen for his son that he believes is the only true path his son can take. We notice that he is always happier when Danny beats him in an argument. Reb sees his son excelling in the path that he has chosen for Danny. This, coupled with his fear that Danny is too brilliant and will go do different things gives him a sense of relief and happiness and so he responds to Danny with enthusiasm and approval Danny doesn't often receive. Danny, is of course starved of this sort of thing from his father and so of course he looks forward to these times with his father and responds with enthusiasm.
ReplyDeleteThe passage on page 164 to 165 felt important to me. This is the one where he learned that Billy's operation was unsuccessful and that he was still blind. The spider of course was an obvious metaphor for what was happening to Billy. The fly kept getting so close to freedom before being trapped again was like Billy being so close to being able to see before having his hopes dashed of escape from the darkness. He gets up and frees the fly by blowing on the web. This is a manifestation of his frustration and anger with Billy's situation and I think also Danny's and his desire to free them from the situations. The passage wasn't all that deep, but that frustration he expressed seemed very similar to the emotions one feels when living with someone who has a mental illness.
The dynamic between Danny and his father intrigued me as well. There is clearly a mental paradox that Reb Saunders is dealing with concerning his son. He is clearly incredibly proud of his son's brilliance but is terrified of where it will take him outside of Talmud. Reb wishes for his son to gain endless knowledge but fears that some of that knowledge will create a void between him and his son. It is evident that Reb is a brilliant man but he has kept his learning within the strict confines of his faith. Reb has realized that Danny's mind cannot be kept within the same bounds as his and is unsure of whether to be proud or fearful
DeleteGood observations, Ian, about the relationship between Danny and his father.
DeleteA passage on page 191 stood out to me. Reuven's father is a deeply religious man but his reaction to the news of decimation of jewry is not to call on god for guidance. Reuven's father states that now "we cannot wait for god." He immediately recognizes the responsibility now set upon the shoulders of American jews to continue the legacy of their faith, but does not seem to believe that god will help. I am not religious but I often ponder how people who are deal with terrible tragedy. If someone believes in god, and undeserved terrible things happen to them, how do they retain their faith in a god that seems to have forsaken them? This conflict between faith in god and disbelief that he could let something so terrible happen is apparently raging in the father's head. Meanwhile Reb Saunders retains trust in god but simply asks him "why." How the fathers of Danny and Reuven deal with this mutual tragedy brings their idealogical differences to light further.
ReplyDeleteI believe a passage on page 110 where Reuven's father compares Danny to Solomon Maimon is very important to the text. Danny indeed seems to be very similar to how Solomon is described. Danny was brought up in a rigid world of Talmud and Hasidism but his mind is to brilliant to remain at rest. It seems that as Danny explores worlds of knowledge outside of Talmud he becomes utterly torn between two conflicting realities. One is familiar and carries the weight of his fathers approval but the other is new, exciting, and Danny's mind thirsts for its enlightenment. It seems impossible for these two worlds to coexist within Danny so will one give? Solomon strayed from his path of Talmud and achieved wonders. Will Danny follow suit? It is evident that whatever path Danny takes will significantly influence the story.
I do agree that these worlds would not be able to coexist. I think that his father will have a huge impact on which way he chooses. I also think the atrocities happening in Europe specifically the holocaust will influence his future. As seen at the end of the reading his father is suffering for the millions of Jews dying. I do not think that after this point Danny will see continuing in his fathers path attractive. However, this event could also give him a reason to be more dedicated than ever. it will be interesting what develops.
DeleteI think that because Danny was compared to Solomon he will follow the same path. I think that is the path that Danny wants to follow. He has support outside his family with the Malters. Danny mind is already made up. He says that he wants his brother to stay in good health so that he can take Danny's place as heir to the Rabbiship of Haddism. I am looking forward to how Danny tells his father.
Delete"He always has to approve of my friends,"Danny said. On page 115 This passage felt important to me because if i was Danny i would not feel like i have a normal life as he is supposed to. I would want my parents to meet my friends but i would not want them to make decisions for me and approve who is to be my friend and who is not supposed to be my friend. I think it has already been hard for him to not have a right to choose his future but at least he could get to choose his friends.
ReplyDeleteWhen I finished, I saw him smile. He put down the glass, sighed, and said ," Reuven it is tragedy that your mother is not alive to_." On page 111 Reuven and his dad have been talking about the past. They also talked a little bit about the past of Danny's family, how Danny's past changes his life. Reuven's dad mentioned something about Reuven's mother which I think is something interesting. I want to know why his mom died, why his dad mentioned her in a sentence, and did not finish it ,and I am also curious to know why Reuven didn't react to his dad's words about his mother. I wonder if maybe Reuven knowing his past might change his life?
I agree with you. By "approving' Danny's friends, Reb Saunders strips Danny of the independence and responsibility of knowing who to befriend. It makes it seem as though Danny's father does not trust his son to make intelligent decisions. Your second quote is powerful. To answer your question, I believe that Reuven doesn't pursue the conversation with his father because he knows that there is a reason he doesn't finish the sentence. Reuven has a great deal of respect for his father, and he doesn't ask questions about his mother because he knows that it is a sensitive topic. I don't think Reuven's life would change if he knew more about his past and his mother, but I do think that his perspective would be altered. Knowing how his mother died or basically anything about her would give him relief. He probably wonders about it constantly. I certainly would.
DeleteI like your comments about approving Danny's friends as well. I also like your question about his mom.
Delete“And I want you to let him be your friend and to let yourself be his friend”(110). I think that this is incredibly important to the book. This clues us that the friendship between the two boys will grow. I think it will be interesting to see how these two boys interact. Now that Reuven knows all the history I think that he will be able to bond better with Danny. I wonder why Reuven’s father is so involved in this relationship. Does he want to become a closer ally with Danny’s father? Is it simply to help Danny and Reuven? I think as the relationship grows the greater familial and group reactions will be interesting.
ReplyDelete“He’s —I think he’s thinking of them. He’s suffering for them”(199). This is important to the book but also in general. The imagery of this scene is extremely graphic. This realistic event is incredibly moving. This highlights such extreme faith in religion by these rabbi. For Danny, however, this could be scary for more than one reason. Obviously it is an awful event and everyone should grieve. Being so dedicated is what he will have to be like in the future. How big of an affect does this scene have an affect on Danny for his future?
Posted for Owen
DeleteIt’s interesting you found quote on page 189 important because I think it is very important to Danny’s development as a person and very likely a Rabbi. To see his father grieving for the six million Jews who died during the Holocaust must have quite an affect on Danny. To see his father shouldering the burden of all of those people probably makes Danny think about what that will be like for him as a Rabbi. Will he be able to shoulder such a heavy load? I think seeing his father react like this must make Danny unenthusiastic to take his father’s place.
“Now, Reuven, listen carefully to what I am going to tell you. Reb Saunders’ boy is a terribly torn and lonely boy. There is literally no one in the world he can talk to. He needs a friend. The accident with the baseball has bound him to you, and he has already sensed in you someone he can talk to without fear.” (110).
ReplyDeleteMr. Malter tells Rueven that he should develop a close friendship with Danny. Mr. Malter claims that Danny wouldn’t have told Reuven anything unless he was absolutely sure that he could trust him. By urging Rueven to befriend Danny Mr. Matler is pushing the story forward, this quote is hinting that Danny and Rueven will become friends. And also that Reuven and Mr. Malter will be Danny allies when the eventual conflict with Reb occurs.
“…President Rosevelt was dead…
I found myself in a sudden cold sweat… I couldn’t believe it. It was like god dying.”(186).
President Rosevelt’s death was a national tragedy. Reuven’s reaction showed that the president meant a lot to him. I can’t help but wish that if our current president were to die the countries reaction would be the same as it was in 1945. The man or woman who becomes the president is supposed to be the countries greatest politician. FDR was a great leader during one of the darkest points in world history. Reuven’s detailed reaction to his death shows that the people of America loved their president. Was FDR an advocate for the Jewish faith or did he mean that much to the average American?
Seeing how FDR was elected four times, I think it's safe to say he was loved by a lot of Americans. Like Winston Churchill, FDR was a strong (although he was actually in a wheelchair) individual who was a pillar of light in such a sinister world. He was seen as a war hero even though he died before the end of the war. By examining American history, you can see that Americans idolize war heroes. I'm sure that after the war, when everyone became aware of the horrible things Hitler was doing to the Jewish people, some American Jews came to love FDR for his relentless fight for their people.
DeleteInteresting question about Roosevelt---I'm not sure how much he meant to the Jewish people and whether it was more or less than any other American.
Delete"'I don't understand it,' I said. 'Weeks and weeks go by, one Shabbat follows another, and I'm the same, nothing has changed, and suddenly one day something happens, and everything looks different'" (107). This quote affected me because it explains how things can stay the same for everyone else, but something can happen to you, and your view can become shifted. Reuven plays a casual baseball game and ends up in the hospital with a piece of glass in his eye. He is introduced to people that he will remember forever, all because of a bad situation that he didn't see coming. His friendship with Danny began because of one bad situation.
ReplyDeleteReuven stays with Danny's family while his father is recovering in the hospital, and he notices some differences in how they act around one another. Danny and Reb Saunders do not talk to each other unless is is about the Talmud. "There was never any simple, intimate, human kind of conversation between him and his son. I almost had the impression that they were physically incapable of communicating with each other about ordinary things," (184). I think this is important to the book because it will most likely appear later. Reuven and Danny have very different relationships with their fathers. I wonder if there is an unsaid reason that Danny and his father don't speak often. If so, what is it?
I think its not only in good times that people find good friends sometimes , good things come out of bad things and they turn up having an importance in your life more than you even imagined. I think Reuven got many lessons from that one bad thing that happened to him, and a lesson that is going to change his life.
DeleteI like your observation about how things can change in an instant.
Deleteat the end of page 158 and the beginning of 159, something surprising happened. Reuven was confronted by Reb Saunders during Danny's absence of one of the Talmud debates and Reuven is asked about what Danny reads. Before Reuven explains, in the middle of page 158, Reb Saunders says, "My son is my most precious possession. I have nothing in the world compared to my son." This to me both confuses me and makes me more interested. Further down Reb displays a concern of the world contaminating his son and the of reading Darwin and Freud. But on the beginning of page 159 Reb says this, "the pain of raising children, so many troubles. So many troubles. Reuven, you and your father will be a good influence on my son, yes?" I found this part particularly interesting because Reb kind of just accepted this as so. He trusted Reuven and his father to take care of Danny and not "contaminate" him. This is particularity important to me because Reb Saunders still didn't talk to Danny. Reb believes in silence and that Danny needs to look into his soul in order to find the answers, but why is that only towards Danny? His conversations flow freely with Reuven and he can ask Reuven about Danny reading the forbidden books but he cannot talk to Danny about this. This being said, How will this affect what Reb Saunders wants Danny to become?
ReplyDeleteI find from pages 176-182 very powerful. The description of the depression and feelings of sorrow after Roosevelt had died and after the war had ended were very clear. It showed the historical significance to both the beloved president who had given them hope through the depression and through the war. As the war came to an end and the final number of casualties was announced, you could see it affected everyone. Reb Saunders would cry and leave the room and return in silence because he was suffering for the one who had died, "Six million Jews have died,... He's-I think he's thinking of them. He's suffering for them." (189) I think the way everything is described is very sad but it's also described in a very powerful way. I feel it will set the tone for the rest of the book. After Reb Saunders discovered Danny's deceptive reading, what will be of Danny's future? Will Danny end up becoming the Rabbi his father has been teaching him to be?
The web page is not allowing me to reply to any post so I hope it is okay if I post in the comment section. Hannah I agree with the importance of what you're saying about Danny and Reb Saunders relationship in the house now that Reuven is living there. Because its true that it confused Reuven a lot whenever Danny would talk about his fathers silence. But I do feel that the unsaid silence is one of two things. Either it is his fathers belief of looking into your soul to solve your problems which gives one time to think and to realize themselves. Or, it is something deeper. I'm curious to see if they will actually talk about some of the important matters. Hopefully in this case like when Danny is telling Reuven he will tell his father about his younger brother becoming the rabbi and that Danny wants to live his life a different way. Problems may also arise with Reb and Danny after a while of his studying of Freud and other forbidden book. I do not think Reb will be fully letting this go. I wonder if this will happen I hope Danny does finally talk to his father.
ReplyDelete“‘I’m not offending you or anything. I just want to be honest.’”
ReplyDelete‘I want you to be honest,’ Danny said” (119).
This quote really portrays Danny and Rueven’s friendship. They are two young boys, still trying to figure out their place in this world, and struggling to understand who they are, even with each other. Growing up in such different households and neighborhoods makes them unsure what they can and cannot say to each other. However here, it seems they truly come to realize that, with each other at least, they are allowed to say the wrong thing without the other taking offense. They are trying to understand the other’s way of life, and as the story progresses, the reader can definitely see that each is able to make comments without the other passing judgment. Their bond is so unique. It is so raw and true, despite their differences. From each other they have been taught so much and have been forced to keep an open mind. I believe it will be vital for them to stick together as they grow, both for the story and for themselves.
“‘Sir?’
‘Yes?’
‘May I come over and visit Billy?’” (173).
This exchange really struck me. Rueven is doing something purely for the kindness of it. He wants to visit this boy, not because it will make him feel like a good person, but because he cares about Billy and does not want Billy to think he has forgotten him. Rarely do I find people acting simply because it will benefit someone else. Often I do not do this either. It is much simpler to go about one’s business doing only the actions necessary to make one’s own life the easiest. However, this part really reminded me how important it is to take a minute out of one’s day to show kindness to others.
This section made me wonder a lot about Rueven and Danny’s future. I worry about Danny and how his life will unfold. Will Danny grow up to be just like his father, as everyone expects? Or will Rueven’s role in his life change what path he chooses to take? How will Rueven and Danny’s friendship influence their lives?
You pose really good questions Skyra. I feel as if Danny will not grow up to be his father, as his way of thinking is just too different. I feel with or without Reuven, Danny will take his own path. I feel, though, that if Rueven has an effect on the path Danny chooses, he will help influence him to take his own route. Overall, I feel that Reuven and Danny's friendship opens their eyes to parts of the world they have never seen before. Through this friendship they learn important lessons such as tolerance and respect. To me, it is a very healthy and influential friendship.
DeleteI like your observation about showing kindness to others, Skyra. It's very easy to get wound up in our own stuff and forget about other people.
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ReplyDeleteAfter Reb Saunders, Reuven, and Danny finish studying the Talmud, Reb sends Danny to make some tea. While he is gone, Reb reveals to Reuven that he is aware of Danny’s secret reading. He then questions Reuven about what his son has been reading, and Reuven discloses some information to him. Later, when Reuven and Danny are walking home, Reuven tells Danny about the conversation he had with his father. Reuven is confused about why Reb didn’t confront Danny. Danny struggles to explain his childhood of silence, but Reuven simply cannot comprehend. When he gets home, he describes the situation to his father and questions him:
“‘But why can’t he talk to Danny about it?’
‘Reuven, he has already talked to Danny about it. He has talked to Danny through you.’
I stared at him.
He sighed softly.
‘It is never pleasant to be a buffer, Reuven,’ he told me quietly. And he would say nothing more about the strange silence between Reb Saunders and his son.” (161)
The secrecy of his father indicates this information is important, and not to be shared with just anyone. It almost seems as though the reason for Reb silence is extremely private, and David Malter unspoken understanding of that. A reason that a teenage boy might not understand completely. It also indicates that Reuven and the reader will be enlightened later on in the book, making it a notable passage.
While Reb Saunders is confronting Reuven, he says this:
“‘My son is my most precious possession. I have nothing in the world compared to my son, I must know what he is reading. And I cannot ask him.’” (158)
When I read this, I could feel the heartbreak in Reb Saunders voice, and it automatically stuck to me. Reb clearly has a deep, unwavering love for Danny. He means everything to him, yet there is something in the way that prevents him from showing this indescribable love. The desperation of Reb to connect with his son is immense. It’s easy to recognize how greatly Reb wants to just speak with him, but for some reason, he cannot, no matter how much he craves it. It absolutely breaks my heart. I really wonder, what is so important about silence to Reb Saunders that he would sacrifice having a healthy relationship with his child?
I too wonder about the silence between Reb and his son. They rarely speak and when they do it is mostly about Talmud. What happened that is so secret they cannot communicate with one another about everyday topics. It is visible that their continued silence pains them both. I am curious to see how this changes as the book continues.
DeleteI like your observations about Reb---I think some people just have a very hard time expressing any sort of emotion at all and the father/son relationship can be especially hard sometime.
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ReplyDelete“After a while I was singing loudly, swaying back and forth and clapping my hands, and once I saw Reb Saunders looking at me, and his lips curved into a shadow of a smile. I smiled at Danny and he smiled back at me, and we sat there for about half an hour, singing, swaying, and clapping, and I felt light and happy and completely at ease.” (129) I feel this quote is important to the text because, to me, it shows the first real time these two different branches of the Jewish community showing total acceptance and respect for one another. In this part of the story, Reb Saunders acknowledges Reuven as someone deserving his respect and this shifts the whole relationship between these two sections of the community. I wonder if this bond and acceptance will continue to grow throughout the story or if it will eventually fall apart?
ReplyDelete“And then Reb Saunders began to speak… I could see everyone at the tables lean forward, eyes staring, mouths slightly open, some of the older men cupping their hands behind their ears to catch his words.” (130) This quote was especially powerful to me because it showed how influential Reb Saunders is. This quote demonstrates the vast and devoted following he has. His followers do not even consider disagreeing with him and follow him blindly. I wonder if this power will be used significantly or abused in the future of the story?
I don't think Reb Saunders will ever intentionally abuse the power he has over his followers. He identifies so strongly with Hasidism, and he has completely internalized Hasidic ideas of who a leader should be–who he should be. I think he would die to protect the religion, and his followers, however, he may lead them wrong in his own ignorance. He refuses to learn about anything other than Hasidism, and as a result he believes it to be the truth. If his followers believe him blindly, Reb Saunders could lead them into trouble completely unintentionally.
DeleteIt seems to me that Reb Saunders' whole life is intertwined with his religion. He loves it as blindly as his followers love him. I strongly believe that there is no way Reb Saunders would ever abuse his power. He would rather die than do this. We can see this constantly throughout the story. Even his relationship with his son is centered entirely through religion. Danny has said often that they only speak while discussing Talmud. Reb believes so deeply in his religion that his main connection with his son is through it. It is very hard to believe that he would ever do anything that went against his beliefs, especially not abuse his power.
DeleteI am fascinated by Reb Saunders. He could be a legendary, biblical, historical figure, and we get to have a firsthand look at his flaws, his greatness, his relationships, and his struggles. I am very excited to see any major conflicts between Reb and any of the other characters, possibly with Danny about being a Rabbi. On the same note, the conversation on zionism was a great, intense dialogue.
DeleteGood question, Ally. I agree that folks can either use power for good or for bad. Unfortunately, some use it for the latter.
DeleteDanny said something on page 157 that seemed important to the book. Reuven and Danny were talking about the origins of Yiddish, and Reuven was surprised that Yiddish descended from a German language, and Danny replies, “‘My father doesn’t, either. At least, I don’t think he does. He thinks Yiddish is almost holy. But it’s really from middle German’” (157). This is important because it seems to be how he approaches every facet of his religion, not only the language he associates with it. He sees all his religious rules and practices as holy, and absolute–he accepts all these ancient Hasidic responsibilities and expectations as true and complete, though I think he knows that this is unreasonable. He is smart, but he doesn’t want to let his followers down with uncertainty, and he doesn’t want to lose hope himself. One of the big ways that Reuven’s father is different than Danny’s is that Danny’s father believes that the messiah will arrive after the disaster to save them. Reuven’s father doesn’t think that the messiah is coming–he tells Reuven and Danny that the Jews need to save themselves. I think Danny’s father is afraid learn about subjects outside of Hasidism because he worries that they keep him from practicing his religion with complete certainty. Will this eventually lead him to take action and try to stop Danny from learning too, or will he continue to accept that he and his son will always have vastly different minds and lives?
ReplyDeleteA passage that felt important to me came right after Reuven-and everyone else-learned about President Roosevelt’s death. It was a description of the atmosphere in the trolley Reuven was riding home in: “I found a seat next to a middle aged lady who sat staring straight ahead, weeping silently… No one in the trolley was talking… there was only silence inside. I saw one man put his hands over his eyes and just sit there like that for a while” (186). This felt important to me because even though I didn’t mourn for President Roosevelt specifically, I felt like I could see exactly what it felt and looked like after the news broke. It was the kind of news that you receive, don’t understand for a moment, and then figure out and feel the ground drop out from under you. Everybody spends the next few days in a shared state of bewildered dread. It is hard for us, reading the book, to understand what it feels like to be Jewish at that time, and living through World War II, but we can, to some degree, understand what it is like to receive and process that kind of unexpected, horrible news.
“He looked at me, smiling broadly, his teeth showing white through the beard, and I almost thought I saw his eyes mist over.” (140). This quote is very important to the text. Danny brought Reuven to meet his father because he told Reb Saunders about his new friend. Reuven Malter son of David Malter. Reb Saunders had to approve of his son’s new friend. After Reuven corrected part of what Reb had said it was clear to the reader that he had been accepted. This part was crucial if Danny and Reuven wanted to continue being friends. They both need each other. Danny needs someone to confide in. And Reuven needs someone to be a good friend too and to help teach him to keep an open mind. Reuven being accepted by Reb Saunders and his sect is crucial for the plot.
ReplyDelete“And Danny’s father was forever silent, withdrawn, his dark eyes turned inward, brooding, as if witnessing a sea of suffering he alone could see.” (193). This quote was very important to me. In the beginning of the book, I thought that Reb Saunders was a mean man who ignored his son. However, as the book progressed I began to see how truly conflicted he is. One moment he is tyrannic and the next he is smiling and happy. It is easy to see that Reb Saunders has had a hard life and only wants the best for his son. He is a very wise man. He knows that the friendship his son has with Reuven is special. He knows that his son is quite brilliant and that sometimes Danny needs someone to talk to. I feel sad for Reb. He is always helping other people with their problems but no one helps him.
How will Reb Saunders continue to change over the course of this book?
Posted for Owen (Still not able to post)
ReplyDelete“ ‘It occurred to me recently that if I didn’t take my father’s place I wouldn’t be breaking the dynasty after all. My brother could take over’ (190).” This quote I believe is extremely important to Danny as well as the entire book. Since Danny first visited Reuven in the hospital, the two have grappled with the issue of Danny’s future as leader of his people. It seems he has found a solution to the problem he has with this of not wanting to become a Rabbi. Though Danny’s brother is sick and will likely remain ill indefinitely, he could be a good tzaddik. Will this plan be successful?
“America destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki with atomic bombs, and the war with Japan was over (191).” To me this sentence embodies how the characters in The Chosen seem to pay no attention to the Pacific Theatre and only to the war on their side of the country. I connected to this quote because as a person who visited those cities, I am astonished that this is basically the only mention of the War in the Pacific. How can Reuven and the rest of the book’s characters neglect such an important part of WWII history?
Good question---I wonder how much of the war in the Pacific was covered. In other words, I wonder if the media coverage was European Theater focused.
DeleteOn page 135, during the service at the synagogue, Reb Saunders has just finished speaking, and he asks Danny if he has something to say:
ReplyDelete“Nu, what is it?”
“It is written in the name of Rabbi Yaakov, not Rabbi Meir,” Danny sid quietly, in Yiddish.
A whisper of approval came from the crowd. I glanced around quickly. Everyone sat staring at Danny.
Reb Saunders almost smiled.
Although it has already been explained to Reuven by his father, this is when the father son dynamic is put on full display. This is critical to the text. It is a fascinating scene, the academic battle that proceeds between Reb and Danny. It shows how utterly unbelievable they both are as scholars. It shows how talented and dedicated they are. This scene opens up a new dimension in the book: The scholarly pursuits of Danny Saunders. Over the next few chapters, some of the most dramatic scenes are played out via this idea. For example, When Reb asks Reuven about what Danny is reading in the library.
On page 101, David Malter begins his lecture to his son on Jewish history:
He asked me if I had the patience to sit and listen quietly, and I nodded. He sat back in his chair and began to speak.
I feel a person connection to this chapter. It surprised me at first. The chapter is a history lesson, and one I have little personal connection with. The part of the chapter I connect with, however, is this: My father is not necessarily an academic, but he reads like a beast. When I used to go to bed, when he would tuck me in, he always read to me. He loved reading European histories, and things like that. This chapter made me think of those times.
One question I have is: What will become of Reuven and Danny’s sister? I am begging for a little rendezvous.
I love the personal connection you make her Alden. Well done.
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