Torn between two worlds

I first read The Chosen in High School. I distinctly remember two thoughts I had about the book. The first is that I was pretty sure I was missing most of the subtleties in the conversations. The second was that I really liked Reuven and Danny. I really felt like I understood and related to them. I don't want to launch into a detailed analysis of Danny and Reuven, and why I relate to them so well, but I do want to focus on a facet of Danny that I understand better this time through the book: the way he is torn between two worlds.

The fact that Danny is torn between his duty to succeed his father and his desire to become a psychologist is not exactly a subtle plot point. Reuven's father says that “Reb Saunder's son is a terribly torn and lonely boy” (pg110). What is interesting, though, is how Danny deals with his dilemma. I don't want to give anything away, so I will simply say that Danny's decision is not made in a single, watershed moment. Instead, his decision is made in small steps; each one taking him a little closer to his final decision.

Although the boys' culture is very different than ours, which could make it very difficult to relate to them, the things they struggle with are things that you and I also struggle with. When I look back on my first half of college, I realize that much of it was filled with a sense of being torn. Not the extreme that Danny dealt with, but sometimes they were difficult. As you enter your college career, you will encounter this, as well. Some will be simpler, like deciding whether to study or watch a movie, and others will be more difficult, like picking a major. You may even have an experience like Danny's. Will you pursue the career your parents want for you, or will you pick what you want to do? These are not easy questions, either for you or for Danny, but they are what makes life what it is, and they are what makes The Chosen such a great book.