Identify a particular image that stood out for you in Chapter 1. Describe in detail what you envision and why you think it struck you. End your post w/ a question. Also, reply to at least one student's post.
A particular image that stood out for me was Danny Saunders waiting for Reuven's pitch with that nasty grimace creeping up his lips. I guess it stood out to me so much because Reuven was describing it with such a sense of foreboding. He felt that something was coming, but he couldn't quite identify it, and it set him on edge. The ball that Danny hit then actually almost knocked Reuven out cold. I just felt so confused at how kids could be so hateful of one another without even knowing each other, but rather simply because of different religious preferences. "Standing on the filed and watching the boy at the plate swing at a high ball and miss, I felt myself suddenly very angry, and it was at that point that for me the game stopped being merely a game and became a war. The fun and excitement was out of it now" (p.28). Reuven felt the tensions rising between the teams early on, and he was going to try to defend himself and his team by playing as aggressively as he could. Later on, the whole yeshiva team was screaming, "Burn, you apikorsim!" (p. 29). How could kids our age come to hate others so much, screaming insults like that at an innocent baseball game?
This was the same image that stuck me. There was so much hate and anger towards Reuven’s team. I also found it interesting that the rabbi that was there with Danny’s team just sat there and watched. He even occasionally looked up and smiled as if these kids who showed such hate towards each other amused him. I find that very strange. These kids were so rude, hateful, and just horrible to each other. I can not imagine ever being that awful to other people, even in a tense sports game.
This was another image that stood out to me. I understand competition, but how could they be so hateful to people that don't have the same preferences as they do? The tension was pretty surreal. As I read this chapter I was in awe at how hateful they were being.
I also was shocked at how Reuven's team hardly acknowledged the hateful jeers the other team was screaming. If it were me, I would not have been able to play the game half as well as normally, because I would not be able to get the chanting out of my head. I could not understand why the umpire did not say anything, and why everyone seemed to ignore it. It was hard to comprehend, especially since they were both Jewish. Wars over religion are often the most bloody and horrible, and the Jews were being slaughtered in Europe. so why would innocent Jewish kids in New York City, who ultimately had the same goal, be talking about burning and killing each other?
Noah, good response. It was interested to me, too, how two groups of boys could hate each other so much, and then I concluded instead that they were really puppetting their parents here. I also was curious about this insult of apikorsim. So, I looked it up and according to me source, apikorsim means, "A Jew educated in Judaism who denies basic tenets of faith." So, it seems to me that the insult comes in saying that they aren't "real" Jews.
The image that stood out for me was when Reuven was pitching to Danny. After the first two pitches Danny stepped away from the plate and pulls his mouth open in a crazy grin. I saw this so clearly in my head, the tall lanky boy standing at home with a wild grin and his dark eyes focused on Reuven. I could tell that this grin was not happy but angry. I could see how Reuven felt the stare and became uncomfortable. Because of the stare I knew what was coming. I could feel Danny’s anger and I could hear the crack of the bat and saw the ball coming right for Reuven’s face. It was such a powerful image, and there was such violence in that grin. I think that an angry grin is even scarier than just an angry face. But I wonder what possessed Danny to grin his anger? It showed such evil.
Nilla, I agree with you. I felt almost apprehensive when I was reading the line where Danny was grinning so maliciously. However, I wonder if Danny was just grinning to daunt Reuven, causing him not to focus, or whether he was actually just such a great baseball player that he could easily hit Reuven in the head. Also, from your reply to my comment, I was surprised as well at the reaction of the rabbi when he was watching the boys scream at each other, sort of laughing internally out of appreciation for all the mayhem. I don't understand how someone, especially an adult, would stand for such behavior.
I agree that this is a very powerful image. I could easily picture the malevolent smile on Danny's face. I think the thing that disturbed me the most about this scene was the fact that Danny kept smiling this way. It was not as if he just smiled that way once and then went back to the game. Instead, he stood and smiled for a long time. "I took the ball out of my glove, held it in my right hand, and turned around for a moment to look out at the field and let the pain in my wrist subside. When I turned back I saw that Danny Saunders hadn't moved. He was holding his bat in his left hand, standing very still and staring at me. His eyes were dark, and his lips were parted in a crazy, idiot grin." (pg 29). Even after the umpire tells the boys to hurry it up, Danny was still standing in the same way. I also don't understand what made Danny and Reuven snap to have that much anger towards each other.
Both Nilla and Noah brought up how it seemed strange to them that the Rabbi was their coach. I think that this was most-likely purposeful. Being part of a religion, it is hard to truly know all the rules or lessons (in this case from the Torah). Rather than learning all of these things, people often just count on their leaders or elders, such as Rabbis or family members, to outline good behavior. I think this also connects to the reason the team was able to play like such “murders”. As Davey mentions “Reb Saunders ordered them to never lose because it would shame their yeshiva or something...” (p. 13). What is the difference between a hero and a murderer? To many people its just the point of view they see it from. In this case the team was playing hard for their yeshiva, their parents, their rabbi, their religion, their pride. Their competitiveness that eventually would lead to violence (purposeful or not) was not bad to them as it was all for a good/respectable cause. Adding onto that “apikorsim” is something they had heard their parents saying, something their Rabbi let them say, maybe even said himself. If their elders and Rabbi’s, people they looked up to, did it then it gave them the impression that it was okay to do, maybe even good, holy, and allowed by G-d.
Interesting that you and Noah both selected this image. I think what I found equally interesting about this was the fact that it's usually the pitcher who is throwing a ball at the batter who has the power---if a pitch gets away from the pitcher, it's really the batter who can be in danger. In this case, it's the batter (Danny) who seems to have the power.
One of the many images that stood out to me was when Danny Saunders went up to bat for the second time. "The second one started to come in shoulder-high, and before it was two thirds of the way to the plate, I was already standing on second base. My glove was going up as the bat cracked against the ball, and I saw the ball move in a straight line directly over Schwartzie's head, high over his head, moving so fast he hadn't even had time to regain his balance from the pitch before it was pass him. I saw Dov Shlomowitz heading toward me and Danny Saunders racing to first and I heard the yeshiva team shouting and Sidney Goldberg screaming, and jumped, pushing myself upward off the ground with all the strength I had in my legs and stretching my glove hand till I thought it would pull out of my shoulder. The ball hit the pocket of my glove with an impact that numbed my hand and went through me like an electric shock, and I felt the force pull me backward and throw me off balance, and I came down hard on my left hip and elbow. I saw Dov Schlomowitz whirl and start back to first, and I pushed myself up into a sitting position an threw the ball awkwardly to Sidney Goldberg, who caught it and whipped it to first. I heard the umpire scream 'Out!'..." (pg 25-26). I chose this specific part because it really drew me into the game. I felt like I was Reuven experiencing the moment and feeling the instinct of raising my glove. I also felt that this moment was a huge changing point in the game. At this point, Reuven already knew of Danny's intentions, but it was the first point in which he "fought back". From that point on, the game became the war that Reuven's coach, Mr. Galanter, described it to be. How could two boys cause an innocent baseball game to morph into a war just because a difference in their religion?
I totally agree with you Abby, this image really stood out for me too. This was definitely a turning point in the game, even though Reuven knew of Danny's intentions I think this is where he realizes just how nasty the other team is going to be. "Standing on the field and watching the boy at the plate swing at a high ball and miss, I felt myself suddenly very angry, and it was at that point that for me the game stopped being merely a game and became a war" (pg 24). After this part Reuven talks about turning all his anger onto Danny making it easier to hate him. I think Reuven hatred helps fuel his ability to catch the ball, getting Danny out.
When I began to read the first paragraph of the chapter, I expected for the author to jump right into a story about the friendship of Reuven and Danny. Instead, it was a chapter about how a fun game of ball turned into a war zone. One particular image that stood out for me was how Davey Cantor kept repeating, "They're murderers." (pg. 7). At first Reuven just laughed it off, but as the game went on he realized what he had meant. I believe a major contribution to their win was how they played mind games. How Danny had that smirk upon his face as Reuven pitched to him. Also, how they practiced so badly, do you think that was just an act? Do you think that Mr. Galanter's war references is related to how violent the game got?
Yeah, I agree with what you said about the way the chapter was formatted. I expected it to go straight into their friendship but I really liked how instead it went into what REALLY happened.
I thought it would go straight into their friendship too. I sort of wanted it to, but it was interesting how it did not. I usually get impatient with a lot of background information, but It was interesting for the most part and more realistic. I liked seeing how they met and their first impressions of each other.
After reading the first chapter of The Chosen, the image that stuck in my head the most was the other team first entering the field. As Reuven called them, "a silent black-and-white mass" (pg. 14). In contrast to the home team, they were uniform and ferocious, though Reuven refused to admit it. It was clear as soon as their Rabbi/coach started talking to Mr. Galanter in such a derogatory manner that Mr. Galanter "stared gloomily out at the field, looking a little deflated" (pg. 16). It was surprising to see Mr. Galanter, with all of his war references and battle lingo, be taken over without a real fight. It is hard to say whether or not the other team would have won if they had not had such a hatred for Reuven's team because they were "apikorsim". Would the other team have been able to win the softball game had they not crushed the home team mentally before the game even started? Did they even care about the game, or did they have the drive to win simply because they could say they "killed the apikorsim"?
I also really enjoyed the descriptions of each team’s attire, and players, especially when it individually described them at bat. I also thought it was interesting how the author, Chaim Potok, chose to explain Davey’s comment on page 25: “‘Dov Shlomowitz’ Davey Cantor said. ‘Like his name, that’s what he is,’ he added in Hebrew. ‘Dov’ is the Hebrew word for bear.” Also I agree with what you have to say about the other team 'psyching them out' but also I think the other team's mean-ness may have added to Reuven's teams drive to win. On page 32 right before he pitches Reuven thinks "Here's a present from an apikoros..." I think part or the reason they played so well was because they had something "real" to fight for, their religious honor.
Good question, Raph. It did feel to me that their drive to win was driven less by the desire to win at sports, and more by the desire to win a cultural/religious war.
Throughout chapter one there was never a time I was lost or could not see perfectly in my mind a “movie” of the action. The image that stood out for me most though, was the suspense right before Danny Saunders hit the ball. The in-depth descriptions of each pitch made me feel if I was there at the game, as if I was in the book. The mixture of Reuven’s thoughts as well as details about the movement of people on the sidelines made me feel as if I could see the action not only from the sidelines, but also out of Reuven’s eyes. As I raced through the lines on pages 32 and 33 my foot started to tap in anxiety, and when he finally caught the ball I let out a breath of relief, briefly, until a few seconds later when I realized the damage the catch had caused. Even after this though the imagery was deep with lines like “ I looked over at first, but without my glasses Danny Saunders was only a blur. I imagined I could see him still grinning (24).” I wonder if the author will continue to write in this style while Reuven is without his glasses and with an injured eye (from what Reuven see’s rather than what may truly be there)?
That is a really good point about seeing without his glasses, it would be very interesting if the author continued to write like that. I also agree with you about the powerful imagery of Danny Saunders. When he came up to bat and Reuven was pitching I felt like I was the one standing in front of him, about to get hit in the face. The authors combination of Reuven's feelings and the details of the situation really brought it alive for me.
Emma, I like your reference to the "movie" of the action. I'm glad that the rest of you were also able to see the action of the scene. I was able to see that as well, but I was thinking that it was only because I happen to like baseball.
An image that really stood out for me was when Reuvens team was walking onto the field in the third inning. "We scored only one run that inning, and we walked onto the field for the first half of the third inning with a sense of doom...Mr. Galanter was standing alongside third base, wiping his forehead. The rabbi was sitting quietly, reading his book. I took off my glasses and rubbed the tops of my ears. I felt a sudden momentary sense of unreality, as if the play yard, with its black asphalt floor and its white base lines, were my entire world now, as if all the previous years of my life had led me somehow to this one ball game, and all the future years of my life would depend upon its outcomes. I stood there for a moment, holding the glasses in my hand and feeling frightened. Then I took a deep breath, and the feeling passed" (pg 25). I was really able to picture this in my mind, seeing everyone walk across the field in the heat with a sense of dread. I also understood how Reuven was so focused he had a passing feeling that everything in his life depended on the game. Another part of the book that struck me was the religious intolerance. I've never thought about different sects of the same religion disliking each other so much, but here it is apparent that it played a crucial role in the way the game played out. Is religion the major reason that Danny and Reuven hate each other? Have we become more tolerant from the time of the book or is it something that we aren't aware of because of where we live?
I like your observation about being surprised that people of the same religion disliked each other so much. I was also struck by this and it reminded me about the different sects of Judaism. It also got me to thinking, though, that there are certainly different sects of the other two major world religions of Islam and Christianity.
The particular image that struck me was on the first couple of pages when he was describing everyone going to their own synagogues. It reminded me of when I used to go to my grandparent's house on holidays and go to their synagogue. There are a lot of synagogues in their town and we would have to park so far away because everyone would be flocking to their synagogue. So many people would be in the road and it was so unorganized. On the first page he talks about how strong peoples loyalties are to their synagogues and that reminded me of how close-nit the Jewish community is. If you've been a part of it for your whole life everyone is welcoming, but when you come in to a new synagogue they can be unwelcoming. I wonder why this is true for so many places that are supposedly known for welcoming people in? I wonder if the author is going to talk more about the religion aspect as the book continues?
Good question, Emily. The writer certainly seems to be setting it up such that he can explain why these two different boys and their teams see the world (or at least each other) so differently. I'm looking forward to learning more about this, too.
One part of the first chapter I found interesting was on page 33 when Danny is up at bat again and hits the ball strait at Reuven. I think it is really interesting how malicious Danny is. These boys are so competitive, shouting insults and having teammates knock over the opposing team. I have never understood why people get so worked up over sports. I understand being competitive, but actually hurting people to win a game? Why do people care that much?
A particular image that stood out for me was Danny Saunders waiting for Reuven's pitch with that nasty grimace creeping up his lips. I guess it stood out to me so much because Reuven was describing it with such a sense of foreboding. He felt that something was coming, but he couldn't quite identify it, and it set him on edge. The ball that Danny hit then actually almost knocked Reuven out cold. I just felt so confused at how kids could be so hateful of one another without even knowing each other, but rather simply because of different religious preferences. "Standing on the filed and watching the boy at the plate swing at a high ball and miss, I felt myself suddenly very angry, and it was at that point that for me the game stopped being merely a game and became a war. The fun and excitement was out of it now" (p.28). Reuven felt the tensions rising between the teams early on, and he was going to try to defend himself and his team by playing as aggressively as he could. Later on, the whole yeshiva team was screaming, "Burn, you apikorsim!" (p. 29). How could kids our age come to hate others so much, screaming insults like that at an innocent baseball game?
ReplyDeleteThis was the same image that stuck me. There was so much hate and anger towards Reuven’s team. I also found it interesting that the rabbi that was there with Danny’s team just sat there and watched. He even occasionally looked up and smiled as if these kids who showed such hate towards each other amused him. I find that very strange. These kids were so rude, hateful, and just horrible to each other. I can not imagine ever being that awful to other people, even in a tense sports game.
DeleteThis was another image that stood out to me. I understand competition, but how could they be so hateful to people that don't have the same preferences as they do? The tension was pretty surreal. As I read this chapter I was in awe at how hateful they were being.
DeleteI also was shocked at how Reuven's team hardly acknowledged the hateful jeers the other team was screaming. If it were me, I would not have been able to play the game half as well as normally, because I would not be able to get the chanting out of my head. I could not understand why the umpire did not say anything, and why everyone seemed to ignore it. It was hard to comprehend, especially since they were both Jewish. Wars over religion are often the most bloody and horrible, and the Jews were being slaughtered in Europe. so why would innocent Jewish kids in New York City, who ultimately had the same goal, be talking about burning and killing each other?
DeleteNoah, good response. It was interested to me, too, how two groups of boys could hate each other so much, and then I concluded instead that they were really puppetting their parents here. I also was curious about this insult of apikorsim. So, I looked it up and according to me source, apikorsim means, "A Jew educated in Judaism who denies basic tenets of faith." So, it seems to me that the insult comes in saying that they aren't "real" Jews.
DeleteThe image that stood out for me was when Reuven was pitching to Danny. After the first two pitches Danny stepped away from the plate and pulls his mouth open in a crazy grin. I saw this so clearly in my head, the tall lanky boy standing at home with a wild grin and his dark eyes focused on Reuven. I could tell that this grin was not happy but angry. I could see how Reuven felt the stare and became uncomfortable. Because of the stare I knew what was coming. I could feel Danny’s anger and I could hear the crack of the bat and saw the ball coming right for Reuven’s face. It was such a powerful image, and there was such violence in that grin. I think that an angry grin is even scarier than just an angry face. But I wonder what possessed Danny to grin his anger? It showed such evil.
ReplyDeleteNilla, I agree with you. I felt almost apprehensive when I was reading the line where Danny was grinning so maliciously. However, I wonder if Danny was just grinning to daunt Reuven, causing him not to focus, or whether he was actually just such a great baseball player that he could easily hit Reuven in the head. Also, from your reply to my comment, I was surprised as well at the reaction of the rabbi when he was watching the boys scream at each other, sort of laughing internally out of appreciation for all the mayhem. I don't understand how someone, especially an adult, would stand for such behavior.
DeleteI agree that this is a very powerful image. I could easily picture the malevolent smile on Danny's face. I think the thing that disturbed me the most about this scene was the fact that Danny kept smiling this way. It was not as if he just smiled that way once and then went back to the game. Instead, he stood and smiled for a long time. "I took the ball out of my glove, held it in my right hand, and turned around for a moment to look out at the field and let the pain in my wrist subside. When I turned back I saw that Danny Saunders hadn't moved. He was holding his bat in his left hand, standing very still and staring at me. His eyes were dark, and his lips were parted in a crazy, idiot grin." (pg 29). Even after the umpire tells the boys to hurry it up, Danny was still standing in the same way. I also don't understand what made Danny and Reuven snap to have that much anger towards each other.
DeleteBoth Nilla and Noah brought up how it seemed strange to them that the Rabbi was their coach. I think that this was most-likely purposeful. Being part of a religion, it is hard to truly know all the rules or lessons (in this case from the Torah). Rather than learning all of these things, people often just count on their leaders or elders, such as Rabbis or family members, to outline good behavior. I think this also connects to the reason the team was able to play like such “murders”. As Davey mentions “Reb Saunders ordered them to never lose because it would shame their yeshiva or something...” (p. 13). What is the difference between a hero and a murderer? To many people its just the point of view they see it from. In this case the team was playing hard for their yeshiva, their parents, their rabbi, their religion, their pride. Their competitiveness that eventually would lead to violence (purposeful or not) was not bad to them as it was all for a good/respectable cause. Adding onto that “apikorsim” is something they had heard their parents saying, something their Rabbi let them say, maybe even said himself. If their elders and Rabbi’s, people they looked up to, did it then it gave them the impression that it was okay to do, maybe even good, holy, and allowed by G-d.
DeleteInteresting that you and Noah both selected this image. I think what I found equally interesting about this was the fact that it's usually the pitcher who is throwing a ball at the batter who has the power---if a pitch gets away from the pitcher, it's really the batter who can be in danger. In this case, it's the batter (Danny) who seems to have the power.
DeleteOne of the many images that stood out to me was when Danny Saunders went up to bat for the second time. "The second one started to come in shoulder-high, and before it was two thirds of the way to the plate, I was already standing on second base. My glove was going up as the bat cracked against the ball, and I saw the ball move in a straight line directly over Schwartzie's head, high over his head, moving so fast he hadn't even had time to regain his balance from the pitch before it was pass him. I saw Dov Shlomowitz heading toward me and Danny Saunders racing to first and I heard the yeshiva team shouting and Sidney Goldberg screaming, and jumped, pushing myself upward off the ground with all the strength I had in my legs and stretching my glove hand till I thought it would pull out of my shoulder. The ball hit the pocket of my glove with an impact that numbed my hand and went through me like an electric shock, and I felt the force pull me backward and throw me off balance, and I came down hard on my left hip and elbow. I saw Dov Schlomowitz whirl and start back to first, and I pushed myself up into a sitting position an threw the ball awkwardly to Sidney Goldberg, who caught it and whipped it to first. I heard the umpire scream 'Out!'..." (pg 25-26). I chose this specific part because it really drew me into the game. I felt like I was Reuven experiencing the moment and feeling the instinct of raising my glove. I also felt that this moment was a huge changing point in the game. At this point, Reuven already knew of Danny's intentions, but it was the first point in which he "fought back". From that point on, the game became the war that Reuven's coach, Mr. Galanter, described it to be. How could two boys cause an innocent baseball game to morph into a war just because a difference in their religion?
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you Abby, this image really stood out for me too. This was definitely a turning point in the game, even though Reuven knew of Danny's intentions I think this is where he realizes just how nasty the other team is going to be. "Standing on the field and watching the boy at the plate swing at a high ball and miss, I felt myself suddenly very angry, and it was at that point that for me the game stopped being merely a game and became a war" (pg 24). After this part Reuven talks about turning all his anger onto Danny making it easier to hate him. I think Reuven hatred helps fuel his ability to catch the ball, getting Danny out.
DeleteThis scene seems to be grabbing everyone's attention. See my comments on Nilla's and Noah's posts.
DeleteWhen I began to read the first paragraph of the chapter, I expected for the author to jump right into a story about the friendship of Reuven and Danny. Instead, it was a chapter about how a fun game of ball turned into a war zone. One particular image that stood out for me was how Davey Cantor kept repeating, "They're murderers." (pg. 7). At first Reuven just laughed it off, but as the game went on he realized what he had meant. I believe a major contribution to their win was how they played mind games. How Danny had that smirk upon his face as Reuven pitched to him. Also, how they practiced so badly, do you think that was just an act? Do you think that Mr. Galanter's war references is related to how violent the game got?
ReplyDeleteYeah, I agree with what you said about the way the chapter was formatted. I expected it to go straight into their friendship but I really liked how instead it went into what REALLY happened.
DeleteI thought it would go straight into their friendship too. I sort of wanted it to, but it was interesting how it did not. I usually get impatient with a lot of background information, but It was interesting for the most part and more realistic. I liked seeing how they met and their first impressions of each other.
DeleteAfter reading the first chapter of The Chosen, the image that stuck in my head the most was the other team first entering the field. As Reuven called them, "a silent black-and-white mass" (pg. 14). In contrast to the home team, they were uniform and ferocious, though Reuven refused to admit it. It was clear as soon as their Rabbi/coach started talking to Mr. Galanter in such a derogatory manner that Mr. Galanter "stared gloomily out at the field, looking a little deflated" (pg. 16). It was surprising to see Mr. Galanter, with all of his war references and battle lingo, be taken over without a real fight. It is hard to say whether or not the other team would have won if they had not had such a hatred for Reuven's team because they were "apikorsim". Would the other team have been able to win the softball game had they not crushed the home team mentally before the game even started? Did they even care about the game, or did they have the drive to win simply because they could say they "killed the apikorsim"?
ReplyDeleteI also really enjoyed the descriptions of each team’s attire, and players, especially when it individually described them at bat. I also thought it was interesting how the author, Chaim Potok, chose to explain Davey’s comment on page 25: “‘Dov Shlomowitz’ Davey Cantor said. ‘Like his name, that’s what he is,’ he added in Hebrew. ‘Dov’ is the Hebrew word for bear.” Also I agree with what you have to say about the other team 'psyching them out' but also I think the other team's mean-ness may have added to Reuven's teams drive to win. On page 32 right before he pitches Reuven thinks "Here's a present from an apikoros..." I think part or the reason they played so well was because they had something "real" to fight for, their religious honor.
DeleteGood question, Raph. It did feel to me that their drive to win was driven less by the desire to win at sports, and more by the desire to win a cultural/religious war.
DeleteThroughout chapter one there was never a time I was lost or could not see perfectly in my mind a “movie” of the action. The image that stood out for me most though, was the suspense right before Danny Saunders hit the ball. The in-depth descriptions of each pitch made me feel if I was there at the game, as if I was in the book. The mixture of Reuven’s thoughts as well as details about the movement of people on the sidelines made me feel as if I could see the action not only from the sidelines, but also out of Reuven’s eyes. As I raced through the lines on pages 32 and 33 my foot started to tap in anxiety, and when he finally caught the ball I let out a breath of relief, briefly, until a few seconds later when I realized the damage the catch had caused. Even after this though the imagery was deep with lines like “ I looked over at first, but without my glasses Danny Saunders was only a blur. I imagined I could see him still grinning (24).” I wonder if the author will continue to write in this style while Reuven is without his glasses and with an injured eye (from what Reuven see’s rather than what may truly be there)?
ReplyDelete**sees
DeleteThat is a really good point about seeing without his glasses, it would be very interesting if the author continued to write like that. I also agree with you about the powerful imagery of Danny Saunders. When he came up to bat and Reuven was pitching I felt like I was the one standing in front of him, about to get hit in the face. The authors combination of Reuven's feelings and the details of the situation really brought it alive for me.
DeleteEmma, I like your reference to the "movie" of the action. I'm glad that the rest of you were also able to see the action of the scene. I was able to see that as well, but I was thinking that it was only because I happen to like baseball.
DeleteAn image that really stood out for me was when Reuvens team was walking onto the field in the third inning. "We scored only one run that inning, and we walked onto the field for the first half of the third inning with a sense of doom...Mr. Galanter was standing alongside third base, wiping his forehead. The rabbi was sitting quietly, reading his book. I took off my glasses and rubbed the tops of my ears. I felt a sudden momentary sense of unreality, as if the play yard, with its black asphalt floor and its white base lines, were my entire world now, as if all the previous years of my life had led me somehow to this one ball game, and all the future years of my life would depend upon its outcomes. I stood there for a moment, holding the glasses in my hand and feeling frightened. Then I took a deep breath, and the feeling passed" (pg 25). I was really able to picture this in my mind, seeing everyone walk across the field in the heat with a sense of dread. I also understood how Reuven was so focused he had a passing feeling that everything in his life depended on the game. Another part of the book that struck me was the religious intolerance. I've never thought about different sects of the same religion disliking each other so much, but here it is apparent that it played a crucial role in the way the game played out. Is religion the major reason that Danny and Reuven hate each other? Have we become more tolerant from the time of the book or is it something that we aren't aware of because of where we live?
ReplyDeleteI like your observation about being surprised that people of the same religion disliked each other so much. I was also struck by this and it reminded me about the different sects of Judaism. It also got me to thinking, though, that there are certainly different sects of the other two major world religions of Islam and Christianity.
DeleteThe particular image that struck me was on the first couple of pages when he was describing everyone going to their own synagogues. It reminded me of when I used to go to my grandparent's house on holidays and go to their synagogue. There are a lot of synagogues in their town and we would have to park so far away because everyone would be flocking to their synagogue. So many people would be in the road and it was so unorganized. On the first page he talks about how strong peoples loyalties are to their synagogues and that reminded me of how close-nit the Jewish community is. If you've been a part of it for your whole life everyone is welcoming, but when you come in to a new synagogue they can be unwelcoming. I wonder why this is true for so many places that are supposedly known for welcoming people in? I wonder if the author is going to talk more about the religion aspect as the book continues?
ReplyDeleteGood question, Emily. The writer certainly seems to be setting it up such that he can explain why these two different boys and their teams see the world (or at least each other) so differently. I'm looking forward to learning more about this, too.
DeleteOne part of the first chapter I found interesting was on page 33 when Danny is up at bat again and hits the ball strait at Reuven. I think it is really interesting how malicious Danny is. These boys are so competitive, shouting insults and having teammates knock over the opposing team. I have never understood why people get so worked up over sports. I understand being competitive, but actually hurting people to win a game? Why do people care that much?
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