LITERATURE
eryonegetsbusypersuadinghimintomarryingElka.Thecon－flictbetweentheIdandtheSuperegoisalwaysthereandbe－comesprominentindifficultsituation.Gimpel’sSuperegoiscompetingwithhisIdwhenElkaisinfactnochastemaiden,butthetownspeopletellshimsheisvirginpureandalltrytodeceiveGimpelintomarryingher.Atfirst,Gimpelopposestheirplanbecauseofthe“pleasureprinciple”andexpresseshisstrongdisapprovalbysaying“I’llnevermarrythatwhore”.However,whenheseestheyhavemadeuptheirmindstomakehimtheirbuttandhecannotescapethem,hehastoactonthe“realityprinciple”andpaysavisittoElkaonlytofindshehasafiercetongueandbehavesveryrudely.WhenElkaisdeclaredtobeawidowanddivorced,Gimpelfeelsitisablackmomentforhimbuthedoesn’trunawayfromthewed－dingceremony.Itistrueforallhumanbeingsthattheegoisjustpartlyconscious,butthedifferenceisGimpel’segocanwellcontroltheinstinctiveneedsprovidedbyhisIdandtoler－atesuchanawfulwoman.Afterhecompletelyrealizesthathehasbeencheated,hesays,“Takeitanotherwaythough,whatdidIstandtoloose?”Thesearenotwordsofafool,buttheyarewordsofaverytolerantandwisecharacter.Itjustmakesthereadersthinkhismentalprocessisveryclearandsound.AlthoughGimpelfacestrickseveryday,thisonehasalifelongeffectontherestofhislife.
Aftermarriage,ElkacontinuestocheatonGimpel.HewantstosleepwithElkafromhissexualinstinct,butshere－fuseswithanexcuseofmonthlybleeding.Hehastobelieveherandhisegoactson“realityprinciple”.What’smore,on－lyseventeenweeksafterthewedding,Elkagivesbirthtoaboy.Everyonelaughsathim,andGimpelknowsshehasborneabastardandElkaisusinghim.WhenthewholeHouseofPrayerringswithlaughter,Gimpel’sfaceisflaming.Innormalcondition,hewillgetveryangryfromhisinstinctivereaction,buttherealityisthathehasnothingtodobutbere－sponsibleforthecircumcisionhonorsandrituals.Gimpel’sEgohascarriedonasuccessfulnegotiationbetweenhisIdandSuperego.Afterthecircumcision,GimpelkeepssilentandEl－kaaskswhy.ItseemsthatGimpelissilent,butactuallytheIdandtheSuperegoareingreatconflictandtheEgoistryingtonegotiate.TheEgoisconsideringtherealworldandoper－atingviathe“realityprinciple”.Heexpresseshisdoubtstraitfowardly,butsoonheispersuadedintothinkingtheboyispremature.Elkaishiswifeandtheboyisborn,sohecan－notescapefromresponsibility.Thatistosaythe“realityprin－ciple”getstheupperhandoverthe“pleasureprinciple”.Anyhow,helovesthechildmadlyandworkslikeanoxtopayfortheexpenses.HeevenlovesElkaalltheharder.Hesays,“Iadoredhereveryword.Shegavemebloodywoundsthough.”“Iwouldtakeoutscrapsofmeat,achunkofpud－ding,achickenlegorhead,apieceoftripe,whateverIcouldnipquickly.Sheateandbecamefatandhandsome.”(Singer,page82)Althoughhestrivestorealizethe“perfectionprinci－ple”bymakingconcessionsandlovingheralltheharder,Elkastilltreatshimpoorly.“Ihadtosleepawayfromhomeallduringtheweek,atthebakery.OnFridaynightswhenIgot
YangChunquan/AGreatSaintAppearingSlowWitted
homeshealwaysmadeanexcuseofsomesort.Eithershehadheartburn,orastitchintheside,orhiccups,orheadaches.Youknowwhatwomen’sexcusesare.Ihadabittertimeofit.”(Singer,page83)ThebittertimeisalsothetimeinwhichGimpel’sIdandSupergocompetewitheachotherandtheEgonegotiatesbetweenthemtokeepagoodbalancebetweenthethreepartsofpersonality.YetagainthereadersfindthatGim－ple’sEgobeatshisIdandhegoesonactingonthe“perfec－tionpriciple”.Hethinksthat“anothermaninmyplacewouldhavetakenFrenchleaveanddisappeared”(Singer,page83),butGimpelisthetypethatbearsitandsaysnothing.Fromalltheseexamples,thereaderswillseeGimpel’sEgosuccessfullycontrolshisIdandthentheSuperego’s“perfec－tionprinciple”isrealized.TheSuperegoisthemostcivilizedpartofpersonalityandequalskind-heartednessandself-poss－esion.Intheend,Gimpelsayssuchphilosophicalwords---“ShouldersarefromtheGod,andburdenstoo.”(Singer,page84)Gimpelrealizesthathumanbeingscometotheworldonlytohavetheirfeelofsuffering.Therefore,humanbeingsneedtofindsomespiritualsupporttogainagoodmoodandanin－nercalmness.ItisjustforthispointthatGimpelfirmlybe－lievesinJewishreligion.Nomatterhowhardafooltries,hecannotproducesuchgoodandphilosophicalwords.
Let’shaveananalysisofanotherexampleofhis“foolish－ness”toseethatheisequalledbynooneinkindness.OnenightGimpelhasnothingtodobutgohome,buthehappenstocatchElkahavinganaffairathome.Ashesays,“anotherinmyplacewouldhavemadeanuproar,andenoughnoisetorousethewholetown,buthethoughtoccurredtomethatImightwakethechild.Alittlethinglikethat---whyfrightenalittleswallowlikethat,Ithought.”(Singer,page84)ThisisagooddescriptionofGimpel’smentalprocessinwhichtheEgoonceagainmanagestorepresstheinstinctivereactionpro－videdbytheId.OnceagainthereadersfindthatGimpelreal－izestheSuperego’s“perfectionprinciple”andalsohowkind-heartedheis.“AccordingtoFreud,allinstinctscanbetracedbacktotheexistenceoftheErosandtheDestructiveInstincts(ordeathinstinct).WithinErosisthecontrastbetweenthein－stinctsofself-preservationandpreservationofthespecies.Itsgoalistobindthegapbetween"ego-love"and"object-love".Thesecondinstinct,thedestructiveinstinct,triestode－stroytheconnectionsmadebyEros.”(http://www.77cn.com.cn/1/7/68/2024/frameset.html)ThusthedestuctiveinstinctoftheIddriveshimtotelltherabbiofthewholethingtogetsomeadviceforself-preservation,andtherabbisays“youmustdivorceheratonce”.“TheverdicthegavewasthatImusn’tevencrossherthreshold---neveragain,aslongasIlive.”Notlongafter,alongingtakeshim,forElkaandforthechildren.Hethenbelievesthatnoonecanlivewithouterrorsandeventhinksthat“probablythatladwhowaswithherledheronandgaveherpresentsandwhatnot,andwomenareof－tenlongonhairandshortonsense,andsohegotaroundher.”(Singer,page84)OnceagaintheSuperegobeatstheIdandGimpelthinksifthatisso,heisdoingheraninjustice.Tomakealongstoryshort,helivedtherestofhislifebeliev－
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