Journal 1: Free write in response to Tolstoy’s sentence
beginning section II: “Ivan
Ilych’s
life had been most simple and most ordinary and therefore most
terrible”.
Journal 2: Think of a situation from a
dream you have had that seemed incredibly real at the time but could not
actually happen in real life. Write a
journal entry about your dream. What
happened in the dream? What details made
it seem real? What feelings did you have
while dreaming? Afterward?
Journal 3: Discuss the principles that
govern the life of Purun Bhagat. What three principles govern your life?
Journal 4: Discuss associations that
come to your mind about money ahd what people will do
to get it.
Journal 5: Have you ever thought you wouldn’t
like someone only to find out later that the person was different from what you
had expected? Think about someone who
surprised you once you got to know him/her better. How did you form your first impression? What happened to prove that your first
impression was false?
Journal 6: Briefly write about a
friend, teammate, or other peer with whom you have become friends. What qualities to you look for in a friend?
Journal 7: “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 outcome.”
~Reuven Malter
The Chosen
To Reuven, this was a momentous occasion in his life. What is the most important thing that has ever happened to you? Why would you classify this event as important?
Journal 8: Just as Mr. Malter keeps Danny’s confidence about his library reading,
you may sometime be asked to keep information private. Receiving someone’s confidence is a great
responsibility. Sometimes revealing the
information confided can hurt someone.
Develop a list of guidelines for keeping confidences.
Journal 9: The blank page can be both exciting and terrifying. It can awaken one's desire to impress while, simultaneously, causing one's heart to pound with the fear of rejection. How do you approach a writing situation? What, if anything, intrigues you? What, if anything, causes anxiety? How could you become a better writer?
Journal 10: Reuven's initial antipathy toward Danny is strong. However, after speaking with his father, Reuven decides to forgive Danny. Why?
Journal 11: Mr. malter reminds Reuven that
the Talmud urges people to find a teacher and choose a friend. List some reasons that teachers and friends
are valuable assets.
Journal 12: Danny and Reuven are
unable to visit as often as they’d like, but their relationship is still quite
strong. Think of a relationship that you
have experienced when, even though you do not see this person often, your
relationship is still in tact. How might
one account for this type of bond?
Journal 13: Danny’s
father tried to instill discipline and self-reliance in Danny’s character. Although most parents do not teach their
children through silence, most parents attempt to instill these same character
traits in their own children. Briefly
discuss things your parents do to try and teach you about discipline and
self-reliance.
Journal 14: How
have your feelings for Rev. Saunders changed by the end of the book?
Journal 15: Bravery and Loyalty were two of the values that permeated the Anglo-Saxon way of life. Briefly discuss three valuse that are important in our society.
