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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What physical imperfection does Elka have?

2. What happens whenever Gimpel doesn't believe the pranksters?

3. Because of Gimpel's thieving, what happens to Elka?

4. What is Gimpel's defense against being called foolish?

5. After his parents, who does Gimpel go to live with?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the Spirit of Evil say about God and the afterlife?

2. What does Gimpel fear he will lose if he follows through with revenge?

3. What does Gimpel say about his situation and what others would do if they were he?

4. After the first childbirth, how does Gimpel feel about Elka and what does he do for her?

5. What occurs during Gimpel's wedding?

6. How does Gimpel feel about the pranks that are pulled on him?

7. While on her deathbed, what does Elka ask of Gimpel and why?

8. After righting his revenge plot, what does Gimpel do when he returns home?

9. What does Gimpel do to right his wrongful plot of revenge?

10. What does Gimpel rationalize about what he saw when he came home early from the bakery?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Singer uses foreshadowing in the very beginning when Gimpel states that he does not consider himself a fool. Discuss foreshadowing as a literary tool and Singer's use of it within the text.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and discuss the concepts of truth and persecution as they are used in conjunction within the text. What is true to Gimpel? To the townspeople? To God? Which one perseveres, and why? Does truth inspire perseverance? Does one person's truth lead to another person's persecution?

Essay Topic 3

Gimpel states that he is called a fool because he is easily deceived. Explore the theme of deception throughout the text, questioning who is being deceived.

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This section contains 675 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample