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Literature Videos 289 videos

Utopias Becoming Dystopias
29768 Views

This video defines utopias and dystopias, and investigates how a utopia might become a dystopia. Can a seemingly perfect world actually be a dystop...

Shakespeare on Love
17379 Views

We may all be fools when it comes to love, but thankfully none of us will accidentally switch places with our twin brother and fall in love with ou...

1984
135160 Views

Well, if this book doesn't make you want to tape over your laptop camera, we don't know what will.

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The Chosen 2855 Views


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Description:

You are the chosen one...to watch this video, at least.

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:04

The Chosen, a la Shmoop. You have been chosen... to watch this video.

00:15

It probably comes as no surprise . . . . . . but there were a whole lot of people

00:18

who got to this planet before you did. They came up with languages . . .

00:22

. . . customs . . . . . . and traditions . . .

00:25

. . . that are still pretty popular today. In The Chosen, Danny Saunders wants to honor

00:31

his past . . . . . . and the traditions that he loves . . .

00:33

. . . without losing his dream of studying psychology.

00:40

But Danny's father wants him to become a rabbi and take over as head of his Hasidic dynasty.

00:47

Sounds great.

00:48

Danny's a stone cold genius. And while Rabbis are supposed to be the best and brightest,

00:53

there still remains one small problem: Danny doesn't want to be a rabbi.

00:58

Danny's dilemma makes us wonder . . .

01:01

. . . what is our real duty in life? What do we owe ourselves? And what do we owe others?

01:08

Should we put aside our own dreams for the greater good of our community?

01:12

Or should we follow our own path regardless of the consequences?

01:16

There's quite a bit about our lives that are chosen for us.

01:20

Our parents get us going in many ways -- they help mold our religious and political views,

01:24

encourage our good ideas, while discouraging our bad ones...

01:27

Or maybe it has nothing to do with choice. Maybe it's all just fate.

01:34

In that case, we should just accept the path that the universe has chosen for us . . .

01:37

. . . and stop whining. But what if our dreams are just too strong

01:43

to put on hold? Shouldn't we be able to pursue them without

01:48

worrying about letting our community down? After all, despite what some people say . . .

01:55

. . . we only get one life.

01:59

Danny didn't want to hurt his father, or dishonor his family or his religion...

02:02

. . . and he hoped his dad would come to be proud of him, even if he was being a bit of

02:07

a rebel...with or without a cause. So the big question here:

02:13

What should you do if your dreams conflict with those of the people who are counting

02:17

on you?

02:18

Should you just go with the flow and not make waves . . .

02:20

. . . or should you hunker down and take a stand?

02:26

Honoring the past doesn't mean we have to live in

02:28

it . . . . . . even if that's what some people want

02:31

to do.

02:32

So, can we find a way to serve our people and ourselves?

02:38

Shmoop amongst yourselves.

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