Author Techniques and the responders reaction to the theme of outsider in "The Chosen" by Chain Potok, "The Plodder" by Michael Leunig and "An Absolutely Ordinary Rainbow" by Les Murray

Essay by onesikgypoHigh School, 11th gradeA, August 2006

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The outsider can have various meanings and consequences, depending on the context in which it is presented. The novel The Chosen written by Chaim Potok, the cartoon strip The Plodder by Michael Leunig and the poem An Absolutely Ordinary Rainbow by Les Murray produce various insights into the statement.

The Chosen represents various types of the outsider, and effectively shapes my perception of what the outsider is.

The first instance of the outsider represents the view that the outsider status can be forced upon a group of people because of their religion, and as a result of the outsider status may be treated negatively, and can result in death. The chosen represents through its major protagonist Reuven, the impact of the holocaust on American Jews, post World War II. Jews who dies in the holocaust were the victims of an outsider status. The news of the physical and metal heartache of the holocaust on the non American Jews had had a ripple effect on all Jews in America.

The ripple effect can be seen both through Reuven's, Reuvens Father and Reb Seunders. Through the internal monologue that Reuven has the responder is able to gain an insight into the mental effects it has had on the Jews, thus showing the ripple effect. This can be seen through the line "My mind couldn't hold on to it, to the death of six million people." However as with the mental aspect of the ripple effect that occurred, a physical deterioration was experienced by the American Jews. Through descriptive language the responder receives insight into these effects - in relation to Reb Seunders, as represented by the narrative perspective of Reuven as he looks at Reb Seunders "His face was lined with suffering". The word suffering is a strong emotive word...