What is a theme in Neil Simon's play "Fools"?

2 ANSWERS

1. amomipais82
   

   Hi,
   The story starts with Leon Tolchiensky, an ambitious young schoolteacher, arriving in the village of Kulyenchikov. Upon arrival, Leon encounters a rather 'unintelligent' shepherd by the name of "Something Something Snetsky, the sheep loser." After a confusing and tedious conversation with Snetsky, Leon goes off to find the home of his new employer, Doctor Zubrinsky.
   
   Leon meets with Doctor Zubrinsky and his wife, Lenya, after struggling with the locals (Mishkin the postman, Slovitch the butcher, and Yenchna the vendor). He is introduced to the Zubrinsky's daughter, Sophia, and is immediately lovestruck. Alas, she proves to be just as unintelligent as the rest of them, if not more so.
   
   He discovers that the town's idiocy is no accident, that it is a 200-year curse of stupidity cast on them by Vladimir Yousekevich after his son killed himself because the young Sophia Zubrinsky refused his hand. If Leon can't educate her within 24 hours of his arrival in Kulyenchikov, he, too, will fall victim to the curse. And the curse can only be broken if he can educate Sophia . . . or if she marries a Yousekevich.
   
   As well as idiocy, the people of Kulyenchikov are also incapable of loving. Still, even without love, the last of the Yousekevich line, Count Gregor, proposes to Sophia twice a day. With more motivation than ever, Leon strives to educate Sophia. Try as he might, 9 o'clock rolls around, as announced by the magistrate, and all seems to be lost.
   
   But Leon, being the smart young man that he is, fools everyone into believing the curse has befallen him. Count Gregor adopts him as a son, and Leon and Sophia are set to be wed. At the last minute, Count Gregor admits that the adoption papers are actually divorce papers and the wedding is nearly called off until he 'kindly' offers to marry Sophia.
   
   With yet another trick up his sleeve, Leon asks the postman for his urgent letter and announces that his uncle has died and left all his debts to him. He says that that changing their surname couldn't help them escape the debt, and when asked what the surname was, he says "Yousekevich." So Leon and Sophia are wed, and the curse of Kulyenchikov is broken.

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2. Guest6712
   

   The theme is that you are only as foolish as you are willing to believe you are.

   Report (1) (0)  |   12 years, 9 month(s) ago