Religious Traditions In The Chosen: Theme Analysis

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Sofie Cuidon TC Theme Analysis Jan. 13, 2015 Religious Traditions In The Chosen The majority if the world has grown up with a type of religious tradition in their lives. Most people celebrate Christmas, some Hanukkah, some Easter, and some all. Through the ages, a religious tolerance as increased and grown, but it does not mean that all the holidays in which have been secularized are not still completely religious holidays. Although Santa now gets to meet little children in malls around Christmas does not mean that the holiday should evolve around him or even the concept of him. Nevertheless, religious tradition is still very current in today’s world; traditions such as: marriage, baptism, certain items of clothing, and…show more content…
In The Chosen people often accurately imagine Danny with a beard and earlocks. A Beard and earlocks contain value to men in Hasidism; it identifies them as a Jew and a Hasid. Nearing the very end of the novel, when Danny Saunders plans to attend a secular college, he shaves his beard and earlocks off in a way to become more normal looking: “I asked him how his father had reacted when he had seen him without the beard and earlocks. He smiled sadly. ‘He’s not happy about it. He said he almost doesn’t recognize me.’(Potok, 290)” This was a severe decision for Danny because it shows how he does not necessarily want the automatic affiliation with Hasidism. Danny tells his father he does not plan to walk away from his religion, just not dress the part. This shows that like appearance in many different occasions, Danny used the religious tradition mainly for identification with a specific people group. While not a Hasid, Reuven also submits to a certain rule of dress. At the beginning of the book, Reuven spends some time in the hospital after a baseball accident, where he meets a man named Tony Savo. During lunch at the hospital, Reuven wears his yamaka, which bewilders Mr. Savo (Potok, 43). Reuven explains that he wears the yamaka because of his religion. For both boys, Danny and Reuven, they stick to their religion’s rules of appearance because it is important to the Jewish culture and religion. The Chosen by Chaim Potok illustrates the religious tradition on what it looks like to follow the guideline of Jewish attire through most of one’s

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