“Gimpel the Fool” is a frame story, beginning and ending in the narrator’s present day with the bulk of the story being told in the past tense. Gimpel narrates the story the first person, which positions him as a reliable narrator. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that he is a much more complex individual than the townspeople of Frampol realize and that, rather than being a fool, he has a nuanced, insightful philosophy on life.

One of the main binaries explored in the story is Reason Versus Emotion. Gimpel is motivated not by reason but by his deep religious beliefs, by his abiding optimism, and by his innate desire to be happy. He lives by his own understanding of Faith, Honor, and Integrity, regardless of how others judge his actions or whether they understand him. Gimpel’s dedication to his own values, including The Power of Forgiveness, is so strong that he suffers humiliation throughout most of his life rather than act in a way that seems less foolish to those around him or engage in their mean-spirited behavior.