How does The Chosen demonstrate that suffering, while in itself evil, can bring about much good?

The first suffering that can be referred to is that in the war. Danny's father, Reb Saunders along with many other Jewish families migrated from a war torn Russia to America. Many Jews died and had to endure the suffering. Although the war is horrific and many Jews would have died, a good point can be pulled out from all of this. As a result of the suffering Reb Saunders led his Hasidic people to the promised land of America where there is peace away from their homeland. So there is good after all.

Another case of suffering is seen at the start of the novel when Reuven and Danny confront each other at a softball game. A friendly game with the non-Hasidic Jews playing the Hasidic Jews. This is where Reuven is first injured by Danny who had hit a softball at his left eye. The impact caused his glasses to break and cut his eye. Reuven is rushed to the hospital where he undergoes surgery on his glass cut eye. It is here where Reuven goes through great pain and suffering. He endured much pain and worried that he would be partially blind for life. In the hospital he meets a young boy Billy, and an older man Mr.Savo. They both have impaired vision, but they teach Reuven to see properly and they change the way he views the world around him. Billy is an angel. He's self contained, not angry for being in the hospital and he hopes for the best to happen to him. On the other hand Reuven is raging with hate and anger because of the softball game. So Reuven is the exact opposite of Billy. How does suffering in this case bring good to Reuven? From suffering the pain in his eye and staying in the hospital meeting Billy and Mr.Savo, Reuven is able to have a clear view on things and his whole perspective of the world around him changed. Prior to the accident, Reuven was very selfish and his eyes were weak. He cannot see difference and cannot differentiate the Hasidic players.

"There were fifteen of them, and they were dressed alike in white shirts, dark pants, white sweaters, and small black skullcaps"

His glasses are partially to blame for how Reuven perceives what is around him. They are fairly symbolic in that they blur his vision. They blurred the way he should see things. In the hospital Reuven learns empathy from Billy and Mr.Savo. He begins to look beyond himself and outside the square. When he asks about the war, this shows that he is interested in something besides himself. When Reuven leaves the hospital he is in fact very much different and of course he has made best of friends with the person he would last suspect, Danny Saunders. So from all the suffering that Reuven underwent in the hospital. It was very well worth it and proved to be beneficial to him mentally.

"The world jumped into focus and everything looked suddenly bright and fresh and clean, as it does on an early morning with the sun on the trees, and there was newness everywhere, a feeling that I had been away a long time in a dark place and was now returning home to sunlight."

So The Chosen shows such a horrendous thing as suffering can bring much good in the end.