Thursday, March 5, 2009
THE CHOSEN - Ch. 5 – Reuven
This is a very short chapter that is, on the surface, mostly about Reuven leaving the hospital and going home. Your job is to talk about those things that are "beneath the surface" in this chapter. In other words, Potok wrote this chapter for a reason (or reasons), what do you think it is (or they are)?
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11 comments:
the way i saw it was that reuven started noticing the smaller details of his everyday life ALOT more than he would have before. I think this is because he had that sort of...awakening..? By that i mean..he didn't realize how fortunate he really was the entire time; it took a big incident for him to realize it. In this chapter, reuven is describing everything in his home with much detail; details he would have never noticed before. If it wasn't for that accident, his descriptions would not have been so...vivid.
I think that Elena has the right idea. I think that after Reuven had the accident He had sort of a "new beginning", if you will. Once he got out of the "sensory deprived" hospital(because come on, that is what it was!), he started noticing all of the things he wouldn't normally notice...I actually think that his glasses were sort of a bridge to those new vivid sensations.
So yeah if that isn't what you meant with the "beneath the surface" stuff...well, oh well, I tried...^_^
omg i'm just letting everyone know i'm super sleepy! sheesh. so back on topic about Reuven... So i think the reason for this chapter is to help the reader realize how greatful Reuven is now, not only for Danny but the material things in his life. He goes on and describes smells and sights into detail as if he had lost his eye. Its like if this was the last time he was going to see them; he wanted to remember everything in detail to always have in his head. Idk. thats just what i think.
I have to agree with Elena on her discription, I think that Potok really did want to emphasize on this chapter because he wanted to show how Reuven felt after his accident. Before his accident he probably would not have even noticed all the little stuff that surrounded his life. After the accident his doctor was not sure if he would be able to see out of his eye again. I'm pretty sure that before his baseball game, he was not expecting to be in the hospital for five days, hardly being able to move, not being able to be out with his friends, and worst of all not being able to see out of his right eye. I'm sure that Reuven is a very grateful person for all that he has in his life, but i'm sure he never really stopped to think and look at the great house that he lived in and how wonderful his family is. I think this is the main reason why Potok decided to write this chapter.
well Elena definitely has the right idea in my mind. To me, beneath the surface in this chapter is definitely Reuven realizing what he has in his life. I think that because he has missed so much from being in the hospital and meeting the people that he did, he became more aware of everything around him but most importantly his life. Because he had the Experience that he had, he became more aware and is now able to notice his own life. I'm gonna say that before this accident, he just went through living life but now since his accident, he is going to live life to the fullest and realize every thing in more detail.
Wow, ok at first I was a little confused by the question but after reading some comments I understand it.
Anyways...I agree with what everyone has said so far. Reuven even says in the story that he didn't know how fortunate he was until his eye incident. Pg. 54 first page of ch. 4. (I had to go find it!)
"'I wish I was outside now,' I said. 'I envy them being able to walk around like that. They don't know how lucky they are.'
'No one knows he is fortunate until he becomes unfortunate,' my father said quietly."
It kinda foreshadows his epiphany. In chapter 5 when Reuven comes home after being a bit deprived of the comfort's of home and of course sight, he begins to notice the mundane details around his apartment that he's lived in all his life. He is more grateful for his sight and his life in general. He's learned of Danny's situation with his dad and his destiny. Mr. Savo has no eye and is kinda not all there mentally. Billy is the faithful little boy who is wanting the gift of sight back. This realization has put things into a better perspective for Reuven.
so yeah i pretty much agree with everyone else. him going through his home slowly and noticing all the little details is something that he would probably have never done if he hadn't had the accident. im not sure if this is the underlying meaning but whatever. it goes back to what his father said earlier in the book, people dont notice how fortunate they are until they are unfortunate. being cooped up in the hospital, reuven couldn't do any of the things that he normally would, he just kinda had to lay there until his eye healed more. i think this opened his eyes a little bit about how fragile everything is. thats why he's going through his apartment noticing everything, hes going through and cherishing how fortunate he really is and everything that he has.
This chapter was used to show on how the accident has helped Reuven appreciated what he has in his life. Especially after being held like a hostage all locked up in a hospital for days. Its very interesting on how he has his little awakening. I like on how he is starting to realize how lucky he is for what he has since many people wish to have what he has because there are many unfortunate people in this world. He starts to describe everything around him in so much detail like he wants to remember everything in case something were to happen. I think with this going on means that he going to start living a whole new life.
On this chapter, i liked it because, Reuven started realizing the different things that he never noticed before. Before the accident he would never really notice the little things. Now he sort of appreciates things, and realizes that he was very fortunate this whole time. Like Elena said, If it wasn't for the accident, he would of never seen that. He starts seeing things more clearly, and before he never really paid any attention to anything. I think that is what Potok was trying to do. Make us understand that Reuven was now seeing things more clearly.
oh GAWD, Potok is such an amazing describer and just puts me in Reuven's shoes. I think the reason Potok wrote this chapter was so we can understand that now Reuven had been in the hospital for five days and when he returned home everything was magical. He says that it feels like everything is pulsing (or something like that) and he is putting you right in his home. Potok does a great job at describing this chapter and now i know what Reuven's house looks like because that's what i was wondering since we started the book!---on to chapter 6!!!
...yay
Yeah, yeah, I'm late again. No excuses besides a lack of hearing. but that's still not a good excuse. Any hows, chapter 5, I agree with Katherine and Elena. He is noticing all the small things he misssed like focus and simply a pair of glasses. He goes into deep detail of everything. He doesn't just say, the sky was blue, he goes into saying that everything was bright fresh and clean, and it was like how an early morning with the sun on the trees. He emphasizes detail. He's been so deprived, he's been in the hospital and been seeing the same things day in and day out. He's finally free from the chains of the hospital. The fact that he could hear the leaves moving over his head shows that he never noticed these things before. After being released from his some how prison he's realizing all the things he never noticed before. He notices all the color around him, he goes into detail of everything and tells about everything around him. He realizes kind of how he was kind of in the dark before this incident. I think this was written to emphasize that. This chapter has the most detail our of them ALL so far. He's coming to a realization that he's been in the dark and not appreciative of what he's been given and what he has and all that is around him and his home, something that he sees normally, with both eyes, daily.
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