GIMPEL,_NAIVE_AND_KIND

GIMPEL, NAIVE AND KIND Gimpel, Kind and Naive “I don’t think of myself a fool. On the contrary. But that’s what folks call me.” Gimpel, the main character in “Gimpel the Fool” written by Isaac Bashevis Singer, narrates the story with precise honesty. Gimpel portrays a foolish man whom throughout his life, those who surround him, ridicule and deceive him. Information obtained by what he says and does, also by what others say about him, determine Gimpel’s character and personality. Gimpel is a static character of a story about a man wiser and kinder than those who deceive and mock him. The seven names given to Gimpel as a child by his classmates include: “Imbecile, donkey, flax-head, dope, glump, ninny, and fool.” In truth Gimpel contrary to fool, portrays just naivety and goodness. Gimpel’s goodness shows when his classmates, “Stuffed [his] hands with goat turds” instead “of the raisins they give when a woman’s lying in,” and he does nothing. Gimpel knows this whole time about the strength he has to slap someone “he’d see Cracow.” Instead he honors his philosophy by stating, “Let it pass.” The people of Frampol, the only town Gimpel’s ever known, ridicules and mocks him gimpel, throughout, gimpel’s, fool, elka, character, without, story, man, life, instead, god, about, world, shows, says, let, deceived, contrary, whole, truth, time, through, that’s, static, say, ridicule, rabbi, portrays, people, nothing, naivety, loves, knows, kind