Gimpel :: Essays Papers

Gimpel In the short stories ‘Gimpel the Fool† and â€Å"Death of a Traveling Salesman† we meet two characters that are vastly different and yet very similar. One is Gimpel, a naà ¯ve Jew living in Russia that is the joke of the town, Frampol. The other is R.J. Bowman, a traveling salesman, who is judgmental and rather suspicious about most things. Bowman in the story is very sick and has had a car accident where he needs to retrieve his car from a ditch and receives help from a couple that lives in the area. The two are very similar in that they both change in personality, Bowman becomes less cynical and suspicious by being helped, while Gimpel becomes much less naà ¯ve by being neglected and mistreated. Gimpel is portrayed by Singer as a role model, while is sharp contrast Welty depicts Bowman as the opposite, who realizes his inequities too late. In the Gimpel story, Singer presents the main character in a fashion that the reader is very sympathetic for him. The stereo typical â€Å"nerd†, an outcast that is rejected society. Gimpel is troubled by the hecklers that antagonize him and often seeks help. â€Å"I went to the rabbi to get some advice. He said, â€Å"It is written, better to be a fool all your days than for one hour be evil.† (Singer 197) The rabbis are the only ones in the story who don’t deceive Gimpel. Gimpel is forced into a marriage to with Elka a sinful woman, with a nasty mouth. â€Å"They were afraid to start anything with Elka. Her mouth would open as if it were on a hinge, and she had a fierce tongue.† (Singer 197) Gimpel is quite aware of her notoriety. â€Å"I cried, â€Å"you’re wasting your time. I’ll never marry that whore.† Gimpel sees marriage as an escape in being the town’s joke so he weds Elka. He loves Elka though she neglects him and cheats on him his love stands. This is a possible allusion to the book of Hosea. His character is also evident in the fact that he loves children that he knows are not his. Though he is treated bad he is still thankful for his family, showing his humbleness. â€Å"†¦I am a man, the husband of a fine wife, the father of promising children.