Gimpel the Fool in His Short Story

Gimpel the Fool

In his short story "Gimpel the Fool," Isaac Beshevis Singer uses the character of Gimpel to demonstrate a spiritual awareness that stems from contentment, rather than intellect. In the story, Gimpel elucidates a Kabbalistic awareness of reality which guides him through life even when everyone around him is dishonest and ill-intentioned, and after nearly every instance of Gimpel dealing with a problem, he grants a small proverb or summation of the particular spiritual wisdom which carried him through the resolution or avoidance of that problem. Although Gimpel the Fool is not nearly as foolish as his neighbors believe, he does have overly simplified thought processes, but the story shows that rather than constraining Gimpel and his happiness through imbecilic mishaps or mistakes, instead Gimpel's simplified thought patterns endow him with a transcendent peace which allows Gimpel to carry on through the various minor injustices done to him. Furthermore, even though Gimpel is likely making detailed allusions to Kabbalistic notions in his narration, even without being well versed in Jewish mysticism the reader can explicate the broad parameters of Gimpel's beliefs, and see how they affect his development as a character.

The first instance of Gimpel's metaphysical awareness making itself known is right at the beginning, immediately after Gimpel has revealed the origin of his nickname. Gimpel, being "not really a slugger by nature," thinks to himself: "Let it pass" (Singer 4). Though brief, this is the first instance of Gimpel thinking a specific phrase or aphorism to himself as a way of moving past any slights or assaults. This pattern repeats itself throughout the story, and as Gimpel grows older, his considerations become more mature. For instance, when he sees two men bringing a crib to his wedding, he "realized I was going to be rooked. Take it another way though, what did I stand to lose? I reflected: I'll see what comes of it" (Singer 7). At this point in his life, Gimpel has moved beyond merely "letting it pass" to the point of seriously considering the motivations of the people around him, but he still sees no use in getting riled up about something he cannot change, and so decides to continue on with his wedding.

In the minds of his neighbors, his decision to marry Elka even though she is pregnant with someone else's child demonstrates Gimpel's foolishness, but in reality, his decision to marry Elka despite her pregnancy is informed by his awareness that the menial concerns of patriarchy only affect his own happiness to the extent that he lets them. Thus, Gimpel is able to build a strong relationship with his son even though they are not related by blood. This basic pattern is repeated throughout the story; Gimpel is ostensibly shown to be a fool by any one of his neighbors, but Gimpel's narration reveals that the opposite is true: Gimpel's simple, metaphysical awareness allows him to forego the trivial concerns regarding status and notoriety, and so while others label him a fool he is able to succeed at baking and being a father.

Gimpel's "foolishness" also allows him to be far more considerate than any other character in the story. When all the townspeople tried to trick him in his youth, he "believed them, and I hope at least that did them some good" (Singer 4). Because Gimpel is largely content with himself, he is perfectly able to continue playing the fool if it means the happiness of another person. In fact, much of his marriage with Elka can be seen in this way, and her appearance in Gimpel's dream following her death seems to confirm this, as she acknowledges her own unawareness at the fact of Gimpel's generosity and contentment.

Aside from Gimpel's own personal philosophy identified in his narration and reaction to certain events, the story contains a number of more concrete references to Jewish mysticism, such as the creatures of the golem and dybbuk. These details serve to place Gimpel's beliefs in a strictly Jewish context, because although Gimpel goes to the rabbis for advice and mediation, his own personal philosophy is not expounded at length in regards to its connections to Judaism in general. Thus, these brief references to Jewish folkloric and mystic beliefs serve to inform the reader about Gimpel's background more generally by placing his own aphorisms and justifications within the context of Jewish mysticism.