It is often Gimpel ‘s following the instructions of faith which lead him to believe things which at face value are really false. The rabbis assure Gimpel that to believe is the most of import thing. For illustration, when the citizens tell him the Messiah has come and his parents have ascended from the grave, the rabbi says to Gimpel, “ It is written, better to be a sap all your yearss than for one hr to be evil. ” When Elka gives birth shortly after the nuptials, the headmaster tells Gimpel that “ the really same thing had happened to Adam and Eve. ” Gimpel leaves Frampol, go oning to accept everything as true, even when making so causes him hurting. The longer he lives the more he learns to believe, until even the people environing him can see that he is in fact a shrew adult male.
Singer faintly challenges the usual associations of “ sap ” from the really beginning of his narrative. Gimpel, the chief character, realizes that he has been deceived when he ab initio believes the villagers ‘ statement that “ the rabbi ‘s married woman has been brought to childbed, ” but he continues to accept their narratives even when they become highly incredible. He accepts them because this is the lone manner he can accomplish peace and quiet. Otherwise, they shout at him and upset the repose of his life, and do so until it seems that he believes what they are stating. This state of affairs is considered ironical because Gimpel does non truly believe what the people tell him, yet the villagers think he does. Consequently, it is the villagers who are the existent saps because they do non see that is Gimpel who is gulling them, non the other manner around. In fact, Gimpel serves to expose the stupidity of the villagers through the fact that they are foolish for passing so much clip in doing up, lucubrating, and working together on such pathetic narratives, all to flim-flam one adult male they consider a sap.
Ultimately, it is clear that Singer is seeking to propose that Gimpel is non the sap he appears to be. Rather, he is a wise adult male with a good bosom who realistically accepts the universe as it is. When the villagers compel him to get married an unfaithful adult female, Elka, he goes along with it because he realizes that harmoniousness and an easier life is in front of him if he accepts. In add-on, Gimpel finally comes to love Elka and the kids that she gives birth to. He and Elka do non make severely, financially, from their matrimony. He sees that the small town can afford to pay for its merriment. They demand and receive an offering of 50 guldens and a aggregation ; Gimpel possesses practical wisdom.
There are, nevertheless, more characteristics to his wisdom which has its foundation in goodness. It is emphasized that Gimpel is a sort and generous person, non a barbarous 1. What is surprising is that he remains this manner, although he is cognizant of being fooled, cognizant of people ‘s bad purposes, and besides cognizant of his ain bodily strength. His goodness seems to be a quality that is of course and profoundly rooted within him every bit good as his wisdom. His wisdom is seen when he philosophizes on his nearing matrimony to Elka “ you ca n’t go through through life unharmed, nor expect to. ” After she has given birth to a kid, evidently non his ain, four months after their matrimony, he thinks, “ shoulders are from God and loads excessively. ” This conceivably shows Gimpel ‘s credence of God ‘s will.
In the terminal, Elka appears to him in a dream stating that her treachery does non intend that everything in the universe is false, and that she had deceived herself. As a consequence, Gimpel realizes one time and for all that religion is the most of import thing. He goes through a transmutation, giving away his secular ownerships and go forthing Frampol to state narratives to kids. What he comes to grok is that “ there were truly no prevarications. Whatever does n’t go on is dreamed at dark, ” or it happens to person else, or “ in a century hence if non following twelvemonth. ”
Overall, it is clear that Gimpel is a wise adult male ; he looked and acted like a sap because of his artlessness. He showed that his folly was intelligence, and due to his good bosom he ne’er allow anyone endure except himself. Gimpel could hold given in to the twit but he ignored them and recognized life as it was. Furthermore, his ability to defy evil enticement shows his belief in God every bit good as his virtuous bosom. Forgiving everyone for what they did to him was a wise thing to make. In the terminal, the existent saps were the people of the small town, non Gimpel.
