I. L. Peretz: Bontshe the Silent
"Bontshe the Silent" by I.L Peretz revolves around Bontshe who remains unvoiced, both in life and death. Peretz uses Bontshe's story to further the theme of oppression in the Jewish society. The suffering Bontshe experienced a depiction of the life the poor Jewish people were subjected to by the elites. His story paints a picture of the widening gap between the poor and the rich. In any case, Bontshe hails from a poor background and as such, he represents the majority of the society who remain voiceless against the backdrop of policies that favor the rich.
Peretz uses symbolism to depict the extent of disparity between the rich and the poor. His approach takes shape through Bontshe's silence which indicates a balance between the history of the Jews and the Bible. The author seems to create a scenario to imply that being powerless on earth is not the end of the journey since heaven awaits those who are helpless to reward them. Despite Bontshe being silent on earth, he would secure a place in heaven. It is rather interesting how when Bontshe was given a chance to call for whatever he wished, he could not identify a worthy goal. Bontshe's silence is a small representation of the level of ignorance shown by part of the Jewish community. It is worth noting how Bontshe's silence persists throughout his life. The same can be said to be true of the rich taking away the freedom of the poor Jews in that society. The poor would have nowhere to run to until their death. The pain, miseries and the poverty Bontshe underwent all his life is an implication of the shadowy presence the poor adopt in the society. Bontshe has been so brainwashed to a level where, when he finds himself in court, he mistakes himself for someone else as he was not used to such a grand looking place.
The aspect of religion comes out in Bontshe's story as the Jewish people recognized faith as one of the most crucial elements in an individual's life. Faith is a pillar of hope and Peretz seems to give the poor in the Jewish society some strength in the sense that their suffering will provide them a beautiful place in heaven. The approach appears to connect intimately with the biblical story where people are supposed to discern earthly possessions to ascend to the kingdom of heaven. The aspect of faith gives people an incentive to soldier on despite their suffering and challenging encounters in life. The element of faith made it possible for Bontshe to carry on from a young age. Peretz is keen to depict the struggles the poor have to undergo all their life even when they are seeking things that may seem normal in life to many people.
It is ironic how the poor are denied everything including necessities in life, and in heaven, they are offered anything. Given the opportunity, one would expect for the poor to request the little that seems to be evident to everyone. For instance, it remains ridiculous for Bontshe to request bread and butter, and yet there was an infinite amount of other things that he could have requested. Bread and butter are what mattered to him at the moment to signify the extent of deprivation he had been facing all his life. If Bontshe could not afford food while on earth it's next to impossible for him to imagine getting anything better in heaven. The incident is true of any poor person since, given a chance, they would request the most basic things they have lacked all their life.
Shem and Japheth in the Train
The train genre as depicted in the "Shem and Japheth on the train" captures the aspect of advancement in technology. The Jews are seen scrambling for space in the train, and as the story advances, it becomes clear that it is the first time for most people to be on a train. The aspect of opposition that comes out in the story can be depicted to represent the contrast between the past and the new way of travel. Therefore, the train changes everything since it offers speed which in turn saves time. The past is plentiful in the Jewish minds as they are seen 'shtup'ing (shoving) for a place in the new system represented by the train. The author is eager to capture another form of modernity through portraying the train as a city and the coach as a family. The energy in the train represents how Jews are eager to join the journey. The journey, in this case, is symbolic in a sense that, the aspect of modernity goes hand-in-hand with technology.
The German way of doing things is different from that of the Jews as captured in the discussion between Shem and Japheth. However, they seem to share the idea from one another as Shem wishes to teach Japheth who is Jewish, his way of doing things. However, they promise one another not to covert. The inference is that Jews cannot afford to go the way of the 'Gentiles' as their religion dismisses them such an opportunity. However, they can borrow the good ideas and internalize the same for their benefit.
The train does not pose any threat to Jewish culture as it embraces modernity without changing the traditions of the people. It is imperative to acknowledge how religion plays out here since, just as it is captured in the Bible, Jews are a select nation, and as such, they should never merge with other cultures. In this case, the Jews are keen on keeping their identity despite the eminent interaction with the Germans. The train is captured metaphorically in the story "Shem and Japheth in the Train" as it can be taken to represent the Germans and their scientific approaches. In any case, embracing nationalism may harbor the aspect of civilization and as such the Jews had no reason to hold to their tradition. The journey in the train offers an opportunity for the Jews to interact with 'gentile' neighbors. In any case, the train represents all the good things that come with modernity in an environment that is free from nationalist racism and anti-Semitism.
Gimpel the Fool
The author of "Gimpel the Fool" is keen to highlight the theme of deception. The protagonist has been fooled into marrying the town whore and in the event, realizing he has been duped for months later in the marriage. There is some religious aspect of the story as the same can be realigned to the biblical story of Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit. However, putting the story in a political context, it sounds perfect to position Gimpel as representing the Jewish interaction with Germans during World War II. The Jews just like Gimpel can be seen as naïve before the Germans. However, it is imperative to acknowledge the fact that Gimpel can be seen to understand what is happening behind the scenes. For instance, he is aware that the child his wife brings forth is not his and he goes further to question it. The implication is that the Jews are not as naïve and they can notice any intervention in their way of doing things.
The Jewish religious culture may be seen from the angle in which other nations would want to depict those fools against the backdrop of civilization. Just like Gimpel is duped into marrying a whore, the Jews have been forced to interact with Germans who advance the Nazism theme, killing millions of Jews. The village was out to lead Gimpel the wrong direction just the same way the Germans engaged in genocide.
In the story, Gimpel struggles between his faith and the reality on hand. Gimpel's story is symbolic in the sense that he represents the struggles and griefs the Jews experienced during the unfolding of World War II. The Jews found themselves grasping in between the aspect of spirituality and the events in the real world. Just as Gimpel remained true to his faith, so was the case with Jews as they were supposed to stay faithful to the covenant as Gods chosen people.
The story "Gimpel the Fool" comes to a climax when he finds his unfaithful wife in bed with another man, only for her to manipulate him to go back. Similarly, this is true of the Holocaust as it reached a climax, Jews were notified to overlook the past as the Nazis retreated. The Nazis had already caused so much harm by killing millions of Jews that no amount of action would compensate the Jewish people for such a loss.
The author narrates "Gimpel the Fool" with no form of sarcasm as he uses an honest and simple tone to capture the event that Gimple finds himself in amidst a strong faith in Godly ways. This can be taken as a lesson to Jews that despite all the happenings in their nation they had to tear the line and respect God's will.
"Gimple the Fool" is the story of two parties with totally different beliefs, and schools of thought as they meet in the real world. Gimpel is more dedicated to divine faith as opposed to the entire village which views him as a fool, most probably because he does not attribute to the rest of the worlds current ideology of the time. The author captures such an element through the contrast between Gimple and the villagers. In any case, no one supports him, and everyone believes the best word to describe him is "fool." This can be taken symbolically in the sense that the Jews throughout the war remained disadvantaged with the Nazis. The Jews had no support from its neighbors, and they could only bank on heavenly powers as their source of strength and savior. Although the Jews could see all that was happening, they remained on the prey-end throughout the wartime.