The Chosen Theme of The Home

The idea of home is constantly in flux in The Chosen, and home is what all the characters are seeking. By "home," we mean a safe and harmonious place where they can grow around understanding people. World War II shows them that this is not easy to come by, and that, in the case of Israel as the Jewish homeland, home can be extremely controversial. The conflict over the Jewish homeland negatively impacts the characters’ personal lives, but politics are eventually pushed aside in favor of family harmony.

1. How does the eye ward factor in to the idea of home in the novel?
2. When David is in the hospital, and Reuven and Danny are forbidden to talk to each other, Reuven lives alone. Does he learn anything interesting during this time about home and family?
3. Why does David Malter support a Jewish homeland in Israel? Why does Reb Saunders oppose it? How are their positions complicated when Israel becomes a state?

The Reb makes his house more of a home when he begins sharing life with Danny through non-Talmudic conversation.