Gimpel the Fool

Read the New York Times article by Adam Cohen “On Singer’s 100^th Anniversary, the Debate Still Rages Over a Famous Fool.” (December 26, 2004). What opinions are presented about whether or not Gimpel is a fool? Do you agree with any of them? Support your response with evidence from the text.

Isaac Bashevis Singer, who spoke humorously and ironically, once replied to the question of whether he believed in free will by saying, “Of course we believe in free will. We have no choice” (Kanfer, Stefan. “Isaac Singer’s Promised City.” City Journal, Summer 1997. ) Explain how “Gimpel the Fool” exemplifies the irony in Singer’s statement, how Gimpel represents humanity’s struggle to retain and act upon free will in a world where we are forced to believe our free will is sacrosanct.

Describe how you would characterize Elka. Is she a victim of the patriarchal dominance of a closed, backward society, or is she a liberated woman? Use external sources and evidence from the text to support your response.

Gimpel’s apprentice questions Gimpel’s instructions to bury the freshly baked contaminated bread, but he supports them. Examine the relationship between Gimpel and his apprentice. What purpose does the apprentice serve in the story? What outcome might his presence foreshadow?

Choose a folk tale from a culture or a language you have studied or inherited. Compare “Gimpel the Fool” and the story you have in mind. To what conclusions do the two stories draw their readers or listeners? Why do you think Singer chose to tell Gimpel’s story as a folk tale? What is his ultimate purpose?

Refer to biographical works about Singer, such as Isaac Bashevis Singer: A Life (1997) by Janet Hadda, and discuss the extent to which “Gimpel the Fool” draws from people and events in Singer’s own life.

How does “Gimpel the Fool” portray Jewish religious celebrations and customs? Choose several examples and discuss how they enrich the story.

The story’s conceit is that Gimpel is recounting his life in hindsight: If this is the case, who is the intended audience for Gimpel’s story? Is he addressing a specific person, a general audience? Support your argument with evidence from the text.