Gimpel the Fool

In a 1986 interview captured for American Masters on PBS, Isaac Bashevis Singer said, “In literature, if there is no love, there is no real story.” Is “Gimpel the Fool” as a love story? Why or why not? Choose one of the characters and discuss how love underscore their motivation, character, and actions.

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.