Princess Diana In Chaim Potok's The Chosen

“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” (Princess Diana) Princess Diana who was the princess of England in the 1990s states that we should do good for others without expecting anything out of it. Random acts of kindness are the best ways to show others that we care. In doing something kind someone might recognize what has been done and could return the favor. In The Chosen by Chaim Potok one of the main characters David Malter explains to his son Reuven that “great men are always difficult to understand” in reference to Rabbi Reb Saunders because Reuven didn’t understand how Reb can be soft and gentle at one moment and angry the next. Princess Diana was not difficult to understand because she just wanted to do good for others with the wealth and high-class position she acquired. Princess Diana is a great person who is not very difficult to understand. She was born on July 1, 1961
in Sandringham, United Kingdom. Diana was educated at home until she was nine and then was sent to boarding school Riddlesworth Hall and then to the exclusive West Heath Girls’ School where she proved to be a poor student. She failed all her classes and dropped out at the age of 16. She first met Prince Charles when he was dating her older sister Lady Sarah. She had two sons, Prince Harry, Duke of Cambridge and Prince William. Diana unexpectedly died in a fatal car crash at the young age of 36 on August 31, 1997. In her lifetime however she helped to create many charities that helped children and teens such as Centrepoint. Centrepoint is an organization that helps homeless youth and teens by getting them off the streets. It provides temporary shelter and help in acquiring education and jobs. Diana also helped to create the Leprosy Mission since she had a lot of compassion for children who were afflicted and hurting. She became the patron of the mission and dedicated her time to providing medicine, treatment and other services to those who had diseases. Princess Diana also devoted her time to the Royal Marsden and the Great Ormond Street Hospitals for children where she visited young kids who had cancer or were battling diseases. She supported Palliative Care which is an approach to caring for people who are dying. She wanted people to die with dignity and wanted to support the families through the grieving process. Princess Diana was also one of the first high-profile people who was seen touching people who have AIDs. She wanted to change the world’s perception on the disease. She was actively involved in the National AIDs Trust that let to a worldwide revolution. Princess Diana is best known however for her work involving landmines. She had toured an Angolan minefield and she called to attention the fact that landmines kill 26,000 people a year, most who were children. She was able to influence the signing of the Ottawa Treaty which created an international ban on the use of anti-personnel landmines. Princess Diana was one of the few people that we hear of that just wanted to help make the world a better place and like she states, “I don’t go by the rule book...I lead from the heart, not the head” she informs us that she wanted to do these things not for her publicity, but to help others. Princess Diana is not very difficult to understand because of how kind-hearted she was.
As she was being educated growing up she was not a very strong student as she moved from school to school failing all of her courses. She may not have been seen as a bright student, but she was seen as having a heart that constantly was wanting to help people. Diana had compassion for those who were less fortunate than her and sought out many different ways that she could make other people’s lives more fulfilling. She did so by helping to create multiple charities and organizations that helped children and teens and older adults as well. Princess Diana always followed her heart instead of worrying about what other people may think of her decisions. She did things that other high-profile females may be afraid or disgusted to even think about doing. Princess Diana having a kind heart and a compassionate soul led to her not being difficult to understand since all she wanted to do was help those around
her. Princess Diana and Reb Saunders have many similarities and differences. Diana and Reb both care about the people who look up to them to make decisions that will affect their lives. They are role models to their communities and lead their people to getting the most out of their lives. Diana, however, is more kind than Reb. Diana creates charities and hospitals for many different people and don’t judge others for who they are. Reb believes that hasidics are the only types of people who are right especially Jews. He feels that other people are wrong in the way that they live their lives. Reb Saunders is difficult to understand because of the way he acts. He raises his son Danny without even speaking to him and when Reuven’s father does something that Reb does not like he forbids Danny from seeing Reuven even though Reuven didn’t do anything wrong. Reb is very strict and teaches in such a forceful and challenging way. He quizzes Danny in front of the entire synagogue over what he preached about and if Danny gets something wrong Reb is very ashamed and Danny ends up embarrassed. It is difficult to understand why Reb acts this way and why he raises his son through silence. Princess Diana is not difficult to understand because she cares about those who are different from her and that don’t live the same lifestyle as her. She wasn’t the brightest child growing up but her heart outdid her brain in a very benevolent way. Diana changed a lot of people’s lives through the many shelters and organizations she helped set up and was not ashamed of showing her compassion for others. The many great things that Princess Diana was able to accomplish in her short life span has led her to be many people’s hero today. “Everyone needs to be valued. Everyone has the potential to give something back” (Princess Diana). Diana teaches us that it doesn’t matter who someone is or where they came from, but that everyone is special and deserves to be treated like they are valued. Diana instructs us that great people are not difficult to understand because if we do something kind for others the thing that truly counts and can be considered great is the deed that has been done. How much money or what someone looks like does not define who a person is, but who they are on the inside. Princess Diana never let her overflowing well of affection run dry. She would always do something to help someone else no matter the cost. Reb Saunders is difficult to understand compared to Diana because of the lasting impression that she left on her country and the world. She taught us all that we don’t need to be a princess in order to treat someone else like royalty.