In The Chosen, silence plays an important aspect in the lives of the characters. Reb Saunders forced his son Danny into silence and suffering by not talking to him about anything other than his studies. He says he does this because he feels that Danny is so bright that he may not understand the suffering of others. Reb Saunders believes that silence suffers by enforcing non-communication, however, silence is actually how Reuven, Danny, David Malter and Reb Saunders communicate with each other and the world around them. Reuven and Danny are friends when they enter Hirsch College. While in college, many students and faculty have different positions on Zionism. During this period, David Malter organizes a pro-Zionist rally at Madison Square Garden which proves to be a great success and pleases Reuven greatly. However, when Reuven returns to school, he finds that Danny is no longer allowed to be friends and talk to him due to the demonstration. Reuven is extremely upset and furious. He calls Reb Saunders a "fanatic" and cries over Danny. Danny and Reuven don't talk the entire semester and Reuven feels terrible about the situation. He thinks silence is “cancerous, [and] it was death” (221). By next semester, Reuven promises to forget Danny and his silence; but he can't, even if he's crazy. Later, Reuven and Danny begin to communicate in silence. David Malter told Reuven early in the novel that "two people who are true friends are like two bodies with one soul." (74) This shows the reader that Danny and Reuven still had to communicate with each other, even silently, because they were bonded by a "true" friendship."I saw Danny all the time at school, but the.... ..half sheet......I won't explain it, I don't understand..." Then his voice became harsh. “There are better ways to teach a child compassion.” David silently tells Reuven that he knows how to "raise a child in silence" because he doesn't directly answer Reuven's question. Instead, he says it in the form of a question addressed to Hasidism. The second piece of information he silently communicates to Reuven is his emotional state. Reuven finds that he is troubled and "despised" when he speaks of silence in Hasidism. He also tells Reuven what he thinks in silence. David Malter imposes silence on Reuven by not explaining how Reb Saunders raises his son. However, intentionally or not, he still relays the information to Reuven silently. By communicating with Reuven in silence, he sees how Reuven can communicate with his father. Communicating to his father in silence.