Hong1

EuneeceHong
English10Hon.P6
Ms.Gardner
20October2015
TheChosen
Bluefarb,Sam."TheHead,theHeartandtheConflictofGenerationsinChaimPotok's
TheChosen
."
CLAJournal
14.4(June1971):402409.Rpt.in
Children'sLiterature
Review
.Ed.ScotPeacock.Vol.92.Detroit:Gale,2004.
LiteratureResourceCenter
.
Web.22
Oct.2015.

InBluefarbsarticle,hetalksabouttheboys,ReuvenandDanny,andhowtheyaretotal
opposites.Fromtheirdadstotheirdreams,everythingisopposite,yetcloselysimilar.
Usingthekeywordsinthetitle,TheHead,theHeart,Dannymustusehisheartto
becomewhathisfatherexpectshimtobe,arabbi,butlaterfollowshishead,studying
psychologyviseversa,Reuvenfollowshishead,hisloveformathematicsandlogic,but
laterfollowshishearttobecomearabbi.Bluefarbmentionsthelackofcommunication,
unliketheotherarticlesinwhichtheyusethetermsilence.Thismakesiteasierto
understandthedifferencesbetweentheboysrelationshipswiththeirfathers.Dannylacks
communicationwhileReuvenisconsumedinit.

Bluefarbpresentsmanyexamplesofsimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweentheboyswhich
emphasizesthedifferentwaysingrowingup.Hedoesntcriticizeoneortheotherand


Hong2
insteadaddscommentaryabouthoweachmethodwereeffectivetotheboys.Atfirst,Reb
Saunders'smethodseemsunfairandcruel,butBluefarbpointsouttheskillsandmorals
thatDannywasabletolearnthroughthatlackofcommunication.

Cohen,Aryeh."TheGodofaTalmudist."TikkunMar.Apr.2010:42.Literature
Resource
Center.Web.21Oct.2015.

Cohen'sessayexplainsasectionoftheTalmudofwhenMosesseesGodwiththeTorah:
an"inscrutable"myth,thatonlyAkira,asage,cancomprehendandteachfrom.Cohen
depictsMoseswithalowerstatusthanGodhimselfandAkirathroughMoses'sinability
tounderstandanythingthat'sgoingon,fromtheTorahtoAkira'smartyr.Cohensuggests
thatknowledgedefinesahierarchyandthatwithoutknowledge,theTorahisneeded.

Likeabookwithabeginning,middle,end,CohenstartswithAkirareceivingtheTorah,
AkirateachingtheTorah,andAkiradyingbecauseoftheTorah.Heusesantithesisto
emphasisthepowerofGodandhiscreations.Usinginadequatedictionsuchas"tittles"
and"jots"todescribetheTorahfromGod'sview,CohenpresentsGodassomeonewith
"inscrutable"knowledge.ThistextillustratesthegreatamountofrespectandaweCohen
hasforGodandtheTorahthroughhisstructureanddiction.Thismakesiteasierto
understandhowdeeplytheSaundersvaluedtheTalmudandtheimportantmessagesit
contains.AbookgivenfromGodsovaluablepeoplewerewillingtobemartyredforit.


Hong3

Karta,Neturei."JUDAISMVERSUSZIONISM."
JudaismversusZionism
.NetureiKarta
International,2003.Web.01Nov.2015.

KartatalksaboutthedifferencesbetweenJudaismandZionism.Judaismoriginallycame
first,thepeoplebelieveinGodandtheTorah.However,Zionismistheantithesisof
TorahJudaismandrejectstheideaofGodandhiscreations.WhileJudaismbelieves
thattheydeservepunishment,Zionistsbelievethereisawayoutandcontinuestosearch
fortheanswer.

Althoughthisarticleisbiased,WebattleagainstZionism,Kartatalksaboutthe
perspectiveoftheZionists,mentioningthattheydonotbelieveinGodortheTorah.This
appliesto
TheChosen
becausewhenDavidMalterhearsaboutthemillionsofJewsthat
haddiedintheconcentrationcamps,heisdevastated.HelosesfaithinGodandbeginsto
takeactiononhisown,asaZionist.YetunlikeRebSaunders,Daviddoesntforce
Reuventofollowhim,andallowshimtofollowhisheartanddreams.

Machann,Clinton."ChaimPotok:Overview."
ContemporaryNovelists
.SusanWindischBrown.
6thed.NewYork:St.JamesPress,1996.
LiteratureResourceCenter
.Web.1Nov.2015.


Hong4
MachanngivesasummaryandanalysisonPotoksbooks.Inchronologicalorderhe
startswith
TheChosen
andhegivesabriefsummaryforeachbook.Heendswitha
conclusionthattiesallhisbookswithanoverarchingtheme:culture.Healsomentions
thatPotokdoesntwriteforallaudiencesandfocusesmainlyonreligionandintellectuals
details,sometimesforgettingotherareas.

Heprovidesalearnedtoneandwhensummarizingthebooks,anobjectivetone.He
presentslogos,solidfacts.Thearticleisorganizedsothatthereadermayseetheother
topicscoveredbyPotok.Thearticlepinpointsthecultureineachbookwhichportrays
Potoksvaluetowardsit.

Nissenson,Hugh."TheSparkandtheShell."
NewYorkTimesBookReview
7(1967):45.Rpt.
in
ContemporaryLiteraryCriticism
.Ed.JeanC.StineandBridgetBroderick.Vol.26.
Detroit:Gale,1983.
LiteratureResourceCenter
.Web.29Oct.2015.

NissensonstartsbycriticizingChaimPotokswriting,callingitroughandunpolished
afteracknowledgingthatitisPotoksfirstbook.Hegoesontomentioningthemain
characters,ReuvenandDanny,andtheirbackgrounds.Hefocusesandgoesintodetail
aboutmainthemeofthebook:silence.


Hong5
Nissensongivesdefinitionsalongthewaywhichgivesmoreinformationaboutthe
Jewishculture.Heuseslogosbyinsertingdirectquotesfromthebooktobackuphis
maintheme,silence.Throughoutthearticle,headdshisowncommentsandrhetorical
questionswhichgiveshisarticleacolloquialtone.

Potok,Chaim."ChaimPotok."
LINQ:LiteratureinNorthQueensland
6.3(1978):6870.Rpt.in
Children'sLiteratureReview
.Ed.ScotPeacock.Vol.86.Detroit:Gale,2003.
Literature
ResourceCenter
.Web.23Oct.2015.

ElaineLindsay,theinterviewer,asksChaimPotokabouthisbook,
AsherLev
.Thereader
learnsabouthisthoughtsonwriting,art,andculture.Potokrevealsthathewrotethebook
basedonpersonalexperience.Thebooktalksaboutthewesterncivilizationeffectsand
conflictwithculture.

ThisinterviewgoesintodepthonPotoksviewandpersonalexperiencesbutitisnt
muchhelptounderstanding
TheChosen
becauseitwasaninterviewonPotoksother
book,
AsherLev
.Eventhoughitisadifferentbook,Potokonceagainexplainstheculture
oftheJews.HeisverylearnedintheJewishcultureandisveryfocusedonthedetails.
Althoughhementionsthathedoesnotintendtototeachorconveymessages,heis
stronglyopinionatedinhiswriting.


Hong6