the chosen chaim potok

David Malter's instructions to his son suggest the role that Reuven will play in the novel. He will be the friend to Danny Saunders as a safeguard against the dilemmas that plague Danny. This role that Reuven plays as narrator and support for Danny Saunders is a more passive one than could be expected, but it nevertheless allows for character development for Reuven, who remarks that everything now looks different.

David suffers a heart attack during the novel.