In The Chosen by Chaim Potok, Danny’s typical day consists of going to his father’s Hasidic Yeshiva, undergoing annual debates on various Jewish topics, and in between he sneaks off to the public library. Danny’s character exhibits intelligence, loneliness, and confliction between two worlds.

Danny’s confliction lies between pursuing his dreams or obeying his father’s will. He must choose between replacing his father’s position of rabbi for his closed in community or becoming a psychologist for the outside world. Danny believes that if he accepts the role of rabbi he will feel enclosed in the responsibility resulting in losing his own interests. The burden of others will suppress his independent thought. “Do know what it’s like to be trapped?