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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 advice is given to Gimpel?

2. When people glare at the child, what does Gimpel do?

3. How does Gimpel begin to forget his sorrow?

4. Instead of raisins, what do the other children put in Gimpel's hand?

5. Where does Gimpel sleep during the week?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is the first person Gimpel dreams of after Elka's death, and what does this person say to do?

2. Describe the messenger that Gimpel uses to send his family supplies during his separation from his family.

3. Why doesn't Gimpel get angry in Chapter 2 when he returns home early from the bakery? What does Gimpel do instead?

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

5. Paraphrase the advice given to Gimpel by the rabbi.

6. How long is Gimpel with Elka and how is their life?

7. At the end of the story, what mementos does Gimpel awaken with after dreaming?

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

9. What does Gimpel feel and do for the baby?

10. What does Gimpel ask of Elka when he first visits her at her house?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The story of "Gimpel the Fool" is largely effective due to its use of first person narrative. Define first person narrative and discuss why it works particularly well with this story. Also, consider the use of first person narrative in Gimpel the Fool and how would the story be different if :

Part A) The first person narrative was not Gimpel's voice.

Part B) The story was written in the third person.

Essay Topic 2

Define the word "martyr" and discuss why or why not Gimpel fits this description.

Essay Topic 3

Gimpel displays a great deal of compassion throughout the story while evoking the same emotions from the reader. Explore and discuss Singer's use of compassion to relay the story. How does the first person narrative aid in this?

(see the answer keys)

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