The riveting first chapter of

depicts a violent confrontation between two groups of young men from opposed cultures in a diverse Brooklyn neighborhood. One side believes that they alone have God’s ear and that their rivals are sinners and hypocrites who will “burn in hell” (28). The other side is enraged by the fanatic self-righteousness of their antagonists. Bitter acrimony drives both factions, and the participant who narrates the confrontation suffers a dangerous eye injury deliberately inflicted by an enemy. After the clash, that enemy speaks of having “really wanted to kill” (67) the injured boy.

From this description, one might guess that Potok’s chapter is about a gang war, tribal feud or street fight of the type that begins a work like Shakespeare’s Romeo

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Citation: Chura, Patrick. "The Chosen". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 20 June 2017 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=35888, accessed 23 November 2024.]