Aristotle once said, “What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.” In the novel The Chosen, by Chaim Potok, this quote is significant in respect to the novel, which was even paraphrased by a major character, Reuven’s father. Despite the multitude of themes presented in this work, perhaps the most prevalent theme is the importance of friendship. The film adaptation of this novel was intermediate in regaurds to the novel. The elements of the main story were preserved, though there were some deficiencies that affect the interpretation of the importance of friendship.
Friendship is a predominant theme in this novel. The significance of friendship is brought to light in pages 74-75, when Reuven’s father mentions the importance of having a friend, rewording Aristotle’s famous quote about how “true friends are like two bodies with one soul.” On page 81, Danny states that he has “never told anyone before” about the library visits, and how he “always kept wondering who I would tell it to one day.” This is significant because it shows that Danny trusts Reuven not to tell anyone about his secret even though they have not interacted with each other as often as one might think friends normally do. Danny and Reuven are very honest with each other. On pages 256-287 Reb Saunders says that he is very happy that Reuven and his father were sent to him and Danny from the Master of the Universe. He wanted Danny to have a friend with a soul like Reuven, and he also says that his mind didn’t need to be the best but his soul has felt despair and compassion. This is significant because even Reb Saunders knew the importance of having a friend that can teach someone compassion and important knowledge.
In the film