#185 Gimpel The Fool- Isaac Bashevis Singer
“I am Gimpel the fool. I don’t think myself a fool. On the
contrary. But that’s what folks call me. They gave me the name while I was
still in school. I had seven names in all: imbecile, donkey, flax-head, dope,
glump, ninny, and fool. The last name stuck.”
Gimpel, the willing fool. What does a man do that knows he’s
being ridiculed but has no allies? He seems to have no anger about it, no
malice, and even if a dubious one, has gained an identity by playing the fool.
“I believed them, and I hope at least that did them some
good.”
He is a creature of God, a pure form testing the will and
characters of those around him. Nearly all fail, including the Rabbi’s own
daughter. Only his children—though not actually his own—are spared the need
desire to mock Gimpel. He carries his lot with grace.
“But I’m the type that bears it and says nothing. What’s one
to do? Shoulders are from God, and burdens too.”
This is a nice piece, a parable of sorts. It’s well crafted
and characters well defined.
Notable Passage: “It is written better to be a fool all your
days than for one hour to be evil.”
No comments:
Post a Comment