fathers and sons

“Fathers and Sons” could of have easily been the title for Chaim Potok’s novel The Chosen. In his first book, The Chosen, Potok portrays two different father and son relationships where the tradition becomes the source of conflict for his central characters, as they each seek their identities in the contemporary, secular society1. From one father and son relationship to the other each has its own set of problems and has their own way …

…by head and heart9. The Saunders seemed to have an excess of head in their relationship10. The Malters have heart and head; they are in balance. Throughout The Chosen, Potok portrays two different relationships between father and son and how each one effects the outcome of their offspring. From Reuven becoming a rabbi to Danny becoming a psychologist or “tzaddik for the world,” the presence of their relationship with their father played an enormous role.