Analysis of Gimple the Fool

Although Gimpel did not die a fool he lived his life primarily as a fool. Singer’s use of “Gimpel the Fool” demonstrated two lower levels of the human scale. The first is the coward’s ability to justify to himself the reasoning behind his behavior. The second is the crowd’s ability to pick out the weakling and exploit him for their own amusement. Gimpel proved he was a fool by all that he …

…townspeople shaped Gimpel into a fool. A lack of fortitude and individual thought created a simpleton. His wife and the town’s people took advantage of poor foolish Gimpel. While he might have gained wisdom towards the end of his life Gimpel lost the respect entitled to all human beings. Gimpel worked hard and acquired money and his own business but he could have gained more had he not chose to be the village jester.