Can I get somebody's opinion of my essay?

For this assignment, we were supposed to identify a pivotal moment in the moral development of a character from one of our summer reading novels, and explain how it relates to the overall meaning of the book as a whole.

I have my first draft prepared, and I'd just like to get an opinion on whether or not it looks like I've written this thing correctly. In the way I've interpreted the assignment, the first body paragraph was supposed to be about what the character is like before the pivotal moment, while the second is supposed to be about that moment itself; the final body was supposed to be about how the change affected the character's subsequent actions and how it relates to the meaning.

I'll appreciate any help on this one. Thank you.
*Some of the formatting might be a little off since I copied and pasted it here.

“The World Drinks our Blood”: Reuven’s Moral Development in The Chosen

No matter how unjust and undeserved suffering may seem, its nature is an inevitable evil that manifests itself in every stage of life. Chaim Potok explores this concept through Reuven Malter, one of the two protagonists in The Chosen. On account of a severe injury to Reuven’s eye, he becomes acquainted with Danny Saunders, heir to the Rabbinic position held by his father, Reb Saunders, in his Hasidic Jewish community. Shortly after the incident, Danny attempts to reconcile with a hospitalized Reuven, whose initial reluctance quickly progresses into acceptance. From that moment, the two establish a powerful bond in which they each serve as emotional vessels for the other as they struggle through their own personal instances of suffering. Reuven’s refreshed mentality when deciding to forgive Danny reshapes and improves his perception of the greater world, enabling him to more empathetically examine the rationale of suffering in not only Danny’s
life, but of all humankind.

Reuven’s initial inability to view Danny as an individual with ambitions and beliefs beyond Hasidism develops from his generalized and bitter predisposition towards the Hasidic Jewish community. The rift between Reuven and Danny is first illustrated minutes prior to the baseball game, where Reuven describes Danny as possessing an arrogant sense of righteousness, despite the two having not physically or verbally interacted prior (Potok 12). This reveals Reuven’s tendency to prematurely conclude the behaviors and motives of those with a Hasidic background based on his own preconceptions, instead of recognizing the thoughts and opinions specific to the individual. During the first conversation with his father after sustaining his injury, Reuven expresses intense disgust towards Danny, claiming his own physical misery as the primary motive behind Danny’s intentions (Potok 49). Reuven seizes this opportunity as confirmation for his ignorantly bitter perspective towards Hasidic Jews; additionally, this further emphasizes how Reuven refuses to view Danny as an independent human being rather than an umbrella representation of Hasidism. By the time Danny arrives at his bedside with an apologetic purpose, spiteful thoughts still roam through Reuven’s mind, and he responds to Danny’s attempt at making amends with a tirade of guilt-provoking insults aimed Danny’s Hasidic culture (Potok 61-62). This exemplifies how even in spite of Danny’s efforts to hold a civil conversation, Reuven’s inability to look past his own image of how a Hasidic Jew should act prevents him from recognizing Danny truly intellectual nature.

Upon Danny’s next visit, Reuven possesses a powerful willingness to forgive him; in doing so, Reuven allows his past perceptions of the world to undergo challenge and enhancement. After obliging Danny to explain the baseball incident through his eyes, Reuven identifies a stark contrast between Danny’s command of English, and the Yiddish-dominant speech of his preconceived expectation of a Hasidic Jew; he further describes the atmosphere when Danny speaks as being immersive enough to bring everything else “out of focus” (Potok 66-67). Unlike his previous confrontation with Danny, Reuven chooses to glance beneath the surface of the Hasidic exterior, and discovers tolerance in his improved perception of Danny. As the two continue their exchange, Danny discloses his ambition of pursuing psychology, to which Reuven reacts in silent astonishment (Potok 70). This new shard of information invites Reuven to further challenge his past-generalizations and perceptions, in that Danny’s intellectual desires transcend his religious affiliation. Towards the end of their conversation, Danny claims that Reuven had the option of avoiding contact with the ball that would cause his injury, to which Reuven eventually agrees (Potok 71). In spite of Reuven’s previous assumption in his conversation with his father that Danny’s intentions were truly evil, Danny challenges Reuven’s perspective, who alters it quickly; this further emphasizes how he has allowed Danny to open his mind.

Reuven’s broadened perception of the world on account of his forgiveness empower him to examine and question the reasoning behind the world’s physical suffering, and Danny’s struggles with his father. When Reuven learns that Billy Merrit, a patient Reuven befriended during his stay at the hospital, will spend eternity blind, he finds that he cannot remain calm and recounts Tony Savo, an additional patient at the hospital, repeating “Crazy word. Cockeyed” (Potok 173). This devastating situation exhibits Reuven’s inability to fathom how somebody as innocent and fragile as Billy could be condemned to suffer for life; Reuven’s decision to open his mind further forces him to empathize with Billy’s struggle. He possesses similar feelings of intense frustration when he is informed of both Franklin Roosevelt’s death, and the revelation of the concentration camps following German surrender, referring to the news in both cases as senseless (188-190). While Reuven is able to empathetically perceive the suffering in the world, he fails to understand suffering’s randomness; suffering’s omnipotent control; suffering’s lack of discrimination. Additionally, Danny’s suffering manifests in the form of his intellectual ambition versus his father’s expectation, and the silent barrier that marks their relationship; Reuven is initially resentful of the lack of interaction between Danny and his father, and views it as “unimaginable” (Potok 235). Reuven cannot fathom why Reb Saunders elects to put his own son through this kind of treatment, seeing it only as an agonizing experience. Reb Saunders describes his reasoning for Danny’s treatment as a method of teaching him compassion and empathy for others, in fear that Danny would forsake them in exchange for following a purely intellectual life; Danny later explains that he may utilize this method when raising his own children (Potok 285). Through Reb Saunders’ explanation and ability to retain an open viewpoint on the world, Reuven accepts that not all suffering is senseless; while it is certainly devastating, it is a necessary evil for shaping the morality of an individual.

Reuven’s forgiveness of Danny enhances his perceptions of the world, which enables him to further question the justification for the suffering in both Danny’s life, and that of greater humankind. From his broadened perspective, Reuven’s empathy for the suffering of others grows significantly. While he struggles to grasp and appropriately handle the morality behind suffering initially, through Danny, he comes to realize that struggling in life is inevitable. Though at first glance, suffering seems as only senseless misery, it is essential for shaping the integrity of all.