Synopsis
Covers the whole plot, including the ending.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Pacing
- Moderate
- Mood
- Whimsical, Thought-provoking, Humorous, Slightly Dark
- Read it if
- You enjoy modern fables with a strong moral message about community, kindness, and empathy, presented with quirky humor.
- Skip it if
- You prefer realistic fiction or dislike allegorical stories that feel too preachy.
The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip Plot Summary
Covers the whole plot, including the ending.
Life in Frip and the Gapper Problem
The quaint, isolated seaside village of Frip relies entirely on its goats for milk, their only source of income. However, Frip is bothered by 'gappers' – small, bright orange, many-eyed creatures that attach to goats and shriek with joy. These shrieks prevent the goats from giving milk. The children of Frip, including Capable and the Romo and Ronsen families, constantly brush the gappers off and throw them into the sea. This chore, while annoying, is a shared burden and a regular part of life in Frip, keeping a fragile balance in their community.
The Gappers' New Strategy
One morning, the gappers, previously scattered among all the village's goats, show a new, more intelligent strategy. Instead of spreading out, they all gather on Capable's goats. Capable, a young girl living with her father, is suddenly overwhelmed by the sheer number of gappers. Her father, a kind but somewhat ineffective man, tries to help, but the task is too great for two people. This change in gapper behavior drastically alters the dynamic in Frip, as the problem, once shared, now affects only Capable and her family.
Capable's Isolation and the Neighbors' Relief
With all the gappers now on Capable's goats, the Romo and Ronsen families find their own goats entirely free of the creatures. They enjoy their new freedom, with uninterrupted milk production and a significant increase in their wealth and leisure time. Mrs. Romo, in particular, becomes quite boastful and self-satisfied. Capable, meanwhile, is exhausted and desperate, her family's livelihood collapsing under the gappers. She and her father work tirelessly but cannot keep up, leading to a stark difference in fortunes within the small community.
Capable's Plea for Help
Overwhelmed and despairing, Capable approaches Mrs. Romo and Mrs. Ronsen, explaining her problem and asking for their help. She reminds them that the gappers used to be everyone's problem and that they are now benefiting at her expense. However, Mrs. Romo, now comfortable and prosperous, dismisses Capable's pleas. She suggests it is Capable's own problem and that perhaps her goats are simply 'more attractive' to gappers. Mrs. Ronsen, though less openly cruel, also declines to help, prioritizing her own family's comfort and prosperity over Capable's situation.
The Neighbors' Rationalizations
The Romos and Ronsens begin to create elaborate reasons for Capable's misfortune and their own inaction. They claim that Capable's father is lazy, that Capable herself must be doing something wrong, or that their family simply has a 'gapper problem' that is not contagious. They invent stories and spread rumors to explain why the gappers are only on Capable's goats. This creates a story that frees them from responsibility and allows them to enjoy their prosperity without guilt, further isolating Capable and her father.
Capable's Growing Resentment
As days turn into weeks, Capable and her father continue their struggle against the gappers. Capable's exhaustion is made worse by a growing sense of injustice and resentment towards her neighbors. She sees their carefree lives, their new clothes, and their abundant milk, all while her family faces ruin. The kindness and community she once believed in seem to have vanished, replaced by selfishness and indifference. This emotional toll adds to her physical burden, making her situation even more unbearable.
The Old Woman's Advice
One day, an old woman, unnamed but a wise, almost mystical figure, observes Capable's struggle. She approaches Capable and, instead of offering physical help, gives her unexpected advice: to love the gappers. She tells Capable to embrace them, to treat them with kindness and affection, rather than fighting them. This advice seems absurd and counterproductive, given the gappers' destructive nature, but Capable, desperate and having tried everything else, decides to follow it.
Capable Embraces the Gappers
Following the old woman's peculiar counsel, Capable begins to interact with the gappers differently. Instead of angrily brushing them off, she starts to gently pick them up, talk to them, and even pet them. She treats them not as a nuisance but as creatures deserving of a strange kind of affection. Her father, initially confused, supports her. This radical change in behavior is difficult, requiring immense patience and a deep shift in Capable's view of her tormentors. She truly tries to 'love' them.
The Gappers' Transformation
To Capable's astonishment, and eventually her father's, the gappers respond to her kindness. Their high-pitched shrieks of joy, which previously stopped the goats from giving milk, soften and become quieter, almost purring sounds. Some gappers even begin to move off the goats on their own, or allow Capable to gently place them on a nearby shelf, where they seem content to observe. The goats, no longer distressed, start producing milk again. This remarkable transformation is a direct result of Capable's compassionate approach.
Capable's Prosperity and the Neighbors' Envy
With the gappers no longer a problem, Capable's goats produce abundant milk, and her family becomes prosperous. They have more milk than they can use, and Capable even starts making cheese. The Romos and Ronsens, seeing Capable's sudden success, grow increasingly envious and uncomfortable. They cannot understand how Capable, whom they had dismissed, is now thriving. Their previously clear conscience, built on the idea of Capable's inherent 'gapper problem,' begins to crack, replaced by unease and suspicion.
The Gappers Return to the Neighbors' Goats
As Capable's gappers become increasingly docile and well-behaved, they eventually start to wander off her goats entirely, having seemingly fulfilled their purpose with her. To the horror of the Romos and Ronsens, these 'reformed' gappers, or perhaps new ones drawn by the original, begin to reappear on their own goats, resuming their shrieking and milk-stopping behavior. The problem, which they had so gleefully abandoned to Capable, now returns to them, even more persistent than before, as the gappers are now 'smarter' and more determined.
A New Cycle of Indifference and the Hope for Change
The Romos and Ronsens are once again plagued by the gappers, just as Capable was. They are now the ones struggling, while Capable, having learned compassion, continues to thrive. The story implies that the gapper problem reflects the community's capacity for kindness and shared responsibility. The cycle suggests that indifference leads to suffering, and only through collective compassion, as Capable showed, can the community truly overcome its challenges. The villagers are left to consider Capable's lesson.
Principal Figures
Capable
Protagonist
A resilient young girl who learns the power of compassion.
Capable is a young, diligent girl living in Frip with her father. Initially, she is just one of many children tasked with removing gappers from goats. When the gappers target only her family's goats, she becomes overwhelmed and desperate, but her innate kindness and openness allow her to accept the old woman's unusual advice. She is practical, hardworking, and deeply affected by her neighbors' abandonment, which fuels her eventual resentment. Her journey is one of profound growth, moving from victimhood to a position of quiet strength and wisdom.
Relationships: Capable's Father (Loving, supportive, but somewhat ineffectual parent); Mrs. Romo (Neighbor who abandons Capable and later envies her); Mrs. Ronsen (Neighbor who abandons Capable); Old Woman (Mysterious mentor who offers life-changing advice)
Capable's Father
Supporting
Capable's kind but overwhelmed parent.
Capable's father is a gentle and loving man who tries his best to support his daughter. He shares her burden when the gappers descend on their goats, working tirelessly alongside her. However, he lacks the ingenuity or assertiveness to find a solution or confront the indifferent neighbors effectively. He is a figure of quiet endurance, supportive of Capable's efforts, even when her methods seem strange. He represents the innocent suffering caused by collective indifference and the quiet strength of familial love.
Relationships: Capable (Daughter, whom he loves and supports unconditionally)
Mrs. Romo
Antagonist/Supporting
A self-centered neighbor who rationalizes her lack of empathy.
Mrs. Romo is one of Capable's neighbors, quick to embrace her own good fortune when the gappers leave her goats. She is boastful, materialistic, and the most outspoken in dismissing Capable's pleas for help. She actively constructs narratives to justify her family's prosperity and Capable's misfortune, blaming Capable or her father for their 'gapper problem.' She embodies the selfishness and lack of community spirit that the story critiques, prioritizing personal gain over shared responsibility.
Relationships: Capable (Neighbor whom she dismisses and later envies); Mrs. Ronsen (Fellow neighbor and accomplice in indifference)
Mrs. Ronsen
Supporting
A less vocal but equally indifferent neighbor.
Mrs. Ronsen is another neighbor in Frip, similar to Mrs. Romo in her indifference but perhaps less overtly cruel. She also benefits from the gappers leaving her goats and, despite Capable's pleas, offers no assistance. While not as boastful as Mrs. Romo, her silence and inaction contribute to Capable's isolation. She represents the passive complicity that allows suffering to persist in a community, valuing her own comfort over the needs of others. Her character highlights that inaction can be as damaging as active malice.
Relationships: Capable (Neighbor whom she ignores); Mrs. Romo (Fellow neighbor and accomplice in indifference)
The Old Woman
Supporting
A wise, enigmatic figure who offers unconventional advice.
The old woman is a minor but pivotal character in the story. She appears briefly to offer Capable profound and counter-intuitive advice: to love the gappers rather than fight them. Her wisdom transcends the practical, suggesting a deeper understanding of the nature of problems and human interaction. She acts as a catalyst for Capable's transformation, guiding her towards a solution that the other villagers, steeped in conventional thinking, could never conceive. She represents the power of alternative perspectives and spiritual wisdom.
Relationships: Capable (Mentor/mentee relationship)
The Gappers
Antagonist/Symbolic
Persistent, orange, many-eyed creatures that symbolize life's problems and human nature.
The gappers are small, bright orange, many-eyed creatures that attach to goats and shriek, preventing milk production. Initially a shared nuisance, they become a targeted affliction for Capable. They evolve their behavior, demonstrating a form of intelligence. They are not inherently evil but represent persistent problems that communities face. Their response to Capable's kindness and their return to the indifferent villagers suggests they are also a mirror, reflecting the community's collective attitude and capacity for empathy.
Relationships: Capable (Initially tormentors, later beneficiaries of her kindness); The villagers of Frip (Source of their collective suffering)
Themes & Insights
The Nature of Community and Collective Responsibility
The story explores what it means to be a community, especially when facing shared hardship. Initially, the gappers are everyone's problem, creating a sense of shared burden. When they target Capable alone, the community breaks, with the Romos and Ronsens abandoning her for their own gain. This shows how easily self-interest can erode community bonds and shared responsibility. The gappers' return to the indifferent neighbors highlights that ignored problems often resurface, needing a collective, compassionate response. Capable's isolation shows the cost when a community fails its members.
“The gappers were everyone’s problem. But now they were only Capable’s problem.”
Empathy vs. Self-Interest
A central conflict in the book is between empathy and self-interest. The Romos and Ronsens, once free from the gappers, quickly prioritize their own comfort and prosperity, explaining away Capable's suffering. They actively choose to ignore her plight, inventing reasons why she deserves her fate. Capable, however, shows empathy by extending kindness even to her tormentors, the gappers. Her success, contrasted with her neighbors' renewed struggle, illustrates that genuine empathy and compassion, even towards an 'other,' ultimately lead to a more harmonious and prosperous existence than selfish indifference.
““Perhaps, Capable, your goats are simply more attractive to the gappers,” Mrs. Romo said.”
The Power of Unconventional Wisdom and Kindness
The old woman's advice to 'love the gappers' is the story's turning point. It represents a radical shift from conventional problem-solving. While the villagers try to fight and eliminate the gappers, Capable's kindness fundamentally changes the creatures' behavior. This theme suggests that some problems cannot be overcome through force or avoidance, but rather through a change in perspective, empathy, and even love. It challenges the reader to consider that seemingly absurd solutions, rooted in kindness, can be more effective than logical, yet uncompassionate, approaches.
“Love them,” the Old Woman said. “Love them with all your heart.”
Blame, Justification, and Moral Relativism
The story examines how people explain away their lack of empathy and justify their actions (or inactions) when it benefits them. The Romos and Ronsens quickly invent elaborate reasons for Capable's situation, blaming her father's supposed laziness or her goats' 'attractiveness' to gappers. This moral relativism allows them to maintain a clear conscience while enjoying their new freedom at Capable's expense. Their justifications create a false narrative that frees them from responsibility, showing humanity's tendency to construct convenient truths to avoid uncomfortable moral obligations.
“It was just a gapper problem. Not contagious. Just Capable’s problem.”
Plot Devices & Literary Techniques
Allegory
The gappers and the villagers' reactions serve as a symbolic representation of societal problems and human nature.
The entire narrative functions as an allegory. The 'gappers' represent persistent societal problems, challenges, or even marginalized groups that a community might face. The villagers' initial collective struggle, their subsequent abandonment of Capable, and their rationalizations symbolize human selfishness, the breakdown of community, and the tendency to blame victims. Capable's compassionate response and the gappers' transformation allegorically suggest that kindness, empathy, and collective responsibility are the true solutions to many of life's 'gapper problems,' rather than indifference or exclusion.
Fable
A short story, typically with animals as characters, conveying a moral.
The book is explicitly structured as a modern fable. It features fantastical creatures (gappers) and a simple, isolated setting, leading to a clear moral lesson about kindness, community, and the dangers of selfishness. The characters, while human, often embody specific traits (e.g., Mrs. Romo's greed, Capable's compassion), which is characteristic of fables. The narrative's straightforward progression and the explicit contrast between Capable's outcome and her neighbors' reinforce the didactic nature, making the moral clear without being overly preachy.
Symbolism of the Gappers
The gappers symbolize external problems, 'others,' and the community's response to adversity.
Beyond being a literal nuisance, the gappers are rich in symbolism. They first represent a shared burden, then become a symbol of targeted suffering when they afflict only Capable. Their orange color and many eyes make them distinct and somewhat alien, allowing them to symbolize 'the other' or any group that can be easily ostracized. Their ability to respond to kindness and their 'return' to the indifferent villagers further symbolize that problems, or 'others,' are often a reflection of how they are treated and that unresolved issues tend to resurface.
Situational Irony
The unexpected outcome of Capable's kindness and the neighbors' selfishness.
Situational irony is evident in the reversal of fortunes. The Romos and Ronsens, by abandoning Capable, expect to secure their own lasting prosperity and freedom from gappers. However, their selfish actions ultimately lead to the gappers returning to them, more persistent than ever, while Capable, through her counter-intuitive act of kindness, achieves lasting peace and prosperity. This ironic twist underscores the story's moral, showing that what seems like a logical, self-serving choice can lead to worse outcomes, while compassion, even in the face of adversity, can bring unexpected rewards.
The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip Quotes
“She had only one thought: to make the gappers go away. Not for herself, but for her mother, and her father, and the other people of Frip.”
“The gappers, it turned out, were not evil. They were just very, very persistent.”
“There were, she discovered, many ways to do a thing, and not all of them involved yelling.”
“For years the people of Frip had lived with the gappers, accepting them as a fact of life, like the tides or the wind.”
“A good idea, like a good fish, often took time to catch.”
“If you wanted to solve a problem, you had to first understand it, not just yell at it.”
“And sometimes, the biggest problems were not the ones that made the most noise.”
“The world, she was beginning to see, was full of things that seemed impossible until someone actually did them.”
“It was one thing to complain about a problem, and quite another to actually do something about it.”
“She learned that kindness, even to something as annoying as a gapper, could sometimes open doors that anger kept shut.”
“The gappers were not evil, but they were certainly a nuisance. And sometimes, a nuisance was just a problem waiting for a solution.”
“It wasn't about getting rid of them, but about finding a way to live with them, in peace.”
“Sometimes, the best solution wasn't to fight the current, but to learn how to swim with it.”
Quiz
10 questions on the plot and the characters. Each answer comes with a short explanation.
Question 1
What is the primary economic activity of the village of Frip?
- Fishing
- Goat's milk production
- Textile weaving
- Farming vegetables
Show answer
B. Goat's milk production The economy of Frip is based solely on goat's milk, which is why the gappers are such a significant problem.
Question 2
What color are the gappers described as?
- Bright blue
- Dull green
- Bright orange
- Pale yellow
Show answer
C. Bright orange The gappers are described as 'bright orange, many-eyed creatures'.
Question 3
What sound do gappers make when they are near a goat, and what effect does it have?
- A low growl that frightens the goats away
- A high-pitched shriek of joy that stops the goats from giving milk
- A gentle hum that makes the goats drowsy
- A loud clap that alerts the villagers
Show answer
B. A high-pitched shriek of joy that stops the goats from giving milk When a gapper gets near a goat, it lets out a high-pitched shriek of joy that puts the goats off giving milk.
Question 4
Who are the three families mentioned as living in Frip?
- The Smiths, the Joneses, and Capable's family
- The Romos, the Ronsens, and Capable and her father
- The Millers, the Coopers, and Capable's family
- The Fripsters, the Goaters, and Capable and her father
Show answer
B. The Romos, the Ronsens, and Capable and her father The story mentions three families: 'the Romos, the Ronsens, and a little girl named Capable and her father'.
Question 5
What significant change in gapper behavior triggers the central conflict of the story?
- They start to eat the goats instead of just bothering them.
- They become invisible, making them harder to remove.
- They gang up on Capable's goats exclusively, leaving others alone.
- They learn to fly, making them harder to toss into the sea.
Show answer
C. They gang up on Capable's goats exclusively, leaving others alone. The gappers 'get a little smarter, and instead of spreading out, they gang up: on Capable’s goats'. This shifts the problem from communal to individual.
Question 6
What is the typical method the children of Frip use to deal with gappers before the change in their behavior?
- They use nets to catch them.
- They spray them with water to deter them.
- They brush them off the goats and toss them into the sea.
- They build fences to keep them away from the goats.
Show answer
C. They brush them off the goats and toss them into the sea. Every few hours the children of Frip have to 'brush the gappers off their goats, and toss them into the sea'.
Question 7
The story primarily explores universal themes of:
- Individual ambition and self-reliance
- Technological advancement and scientific discovery
- Community, kindness, generosity, and compassion
- The inevitability of misfortune and the futility of resistance
Show answer
C. Community, kindness, generosity, and compassion The description explicitly states the book 'touches on the power of kindness, generosity, compassion, and community' and 'explores universal themes of community and kindness'.
Question 8
What is the central ethical dilemma faced by Capable's neighbors after the gappers target only her goats?
- Whether to invent a new gapper-repellent device or not.
- Whether to help Capable or let her bear the burden alone, now that their own goats are safe.
- Whether to move to a new village free of gappers or stay in Frip.
- Whether to try to communicate with the gappers or continue to fight them.
Show answer
B. Whether to help Capable or let her bear the burden alone, now that their own goats are safe. The core question posed is: 'Free at last of the tyranny of the gappers, will her neighbors rally to help her? Or will they turn their backs, forcing Capable to bear the misfortune alone?'
Question 9
How large are the gappers described as being?
- The size of a small pebble
- The size of a football
- The size of a softball
- The size of a cat
Show answer
C. The size of a softball The gappers are described as 'bright orange, many-eyed creatures the size of softballs'.
Question 10
The phrase 'Free at last of the tyranny of the gappers' refers to the villagers' situation *before* they decide to help Capable. What does this phrase highlight about their initial reaction to Capable's predicament?
- Their immediate desire to form a larger community to fight the gappers.
- Their relief at no longer having to deal with the gappers themselves, which sets up the moral conflict.
- Their understanding that the gappers' new strategy was a temporary trick.
- Their anger at Capable for attracting all the gappers.
Show answer
B. Their relief at no longer having to deal with the gappers themselves, which sets up the moral conflict. The phrase 'Free at last of the tyranny of the gappers' directly precedes the question of whether they will help Capable, implying their initial relief that the problem is no longer theirs, thus creating the central moral choice.
The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip FAQ
What are gappers and what problem do they cause for the villagers of Frip?
Gappers are bright orange, many-eyed creatures the size of softballs that attach themselves to goats. When they do, they emit a high-pitched shriek that prevents the goats from producing milk, which is catastrophic for Frip's economy, as it relies solely on goat's milk.
Who is Capable and what is her initial role in the village?
Capable is a young girl living in Frip with her father. Initially, she, like all the other children, is responsible for regularly brushing gappers off her family's goats and throwing them into the sea to ensure milk production.
How does the gapper problem escalate and specifically target Capable?
The gappers become 'smarter' and instead of spreading out among all the village goats, they begin to exclusively target Capable's goats. This leaves the Romos and Ronsens gapper-free, while Capable is overwhelmed.
What is the initial reaction of the Romos and Ronsens to Capable's increased gapper burden?
Initially, the Romos and Ronsens rejoice in their newfound freedom from gappers. They celebrate their abundant milk production and do not offer Capable any assistance, viewing her misfortune as her own problem.
What is the ultimate resolution of the gapper problem and the villagers' conflict?
After Capable nearly collapses from exhaustion and the villagers begin to feel a pang of conscience, they finally decide to help her. They work together to rid her goats of gappers, and in doing so, the gappers completely disappear from Frip, never to return.
What is the significance of the gappers disappearing completely once the villagers help Capable?
The gappers' complete disappearance after the villagers finally come together to help Capable suggests that the gappers were not just a physical nuisance, but a symbolic representation of the community's lack of empathy and cooperation. Their removal signifies the triumph of kindness and shared responsibility.
Are there any clues in the narrative that hint at the gappers' symbolic nature before their disappearance?
The gappers' 'intelligence' in targeting Capable's goats exclusively could be seen as an early hint. Their strategic shift forces the villagers to confront their selfish tendencies, suggesting they are a catalyst for a moral dilemma rather than just a natural pest.
What is the implied message behind the gappers' 'persistence' in the title?
The gappers' persistence highlights the unwavering nature of the challenge to the community's empathy. They persist until the villagers are forced to either succumb to their selfishness or rise above it, making the choice for kindness unavoidable.
How does the father's reaction to Capable's burden contribute to the psychological depth of the story?
Capable's father initially tries to manage the problem alone with her, embodying a parental instinct to protect. His eventual despair and inability to cope underscore the overwhelming nature of the burden and the dire need for community support, highlighting the psychological toll of isolation.
What psychological effect does the gappers' shift have on the Romos and Ronsens?
The gappers' shift initially induces a sense of relief and schadenfreude in the Romos and Ronsens. However, as Capable's suffering becomes severe, their initial joy turns into guilt and discomfort, revealing the psychological burden of witnessing injustice without acting.
How does Capable's own perseverance reflect her psychological state throughout the ordeal?
Capable's relentless effort to clear her goats, even to the point of collapse, demonstrates immense resilience and a strong sense of responsibility. Her determination in the face of overwhelming odds and lack of help highlights her inner strength and the profound loneliness of her struggle.
What does the shift in the villagers' behavior from indifference to help reveal about human nature?
The shift reveals that while self-interest can initially dominate, there's an inherent human capacity for empathy and compassion that can be awakened. It suggests that people might need to witness extreme suffering or feel communal pressure before acting on their better impulses.
Could the gappers be interpreted as a metaphor for societal problems that are ignored until they disproportionately affect a vulnerable group?
Yes, this is a strong interpretation. The gappers initially affect everyone, but when they concentrate on Capable, the problem becomes 'hers' alone, paralleling how societal issues like poverty or illness are often privatized and ignored by those not directly affected.
Does the story suggest that kindness is innate or that it must be learned/enforced by circumstance?
The story suggests that kindness might not always be the default human response, especially when self-interest is at play. The villagers' initial indifference implies that circumstances (like Capable's extreme distress) or a realization of shared humanity are often necessary catalysts for kindness to emerge and be acted upon.
What is the significance of the villagers finding 'joy' in helping Capable, despite it being a chore?
The villagers finding joy in helping signifies the intrinsic reward of communal effort and compassion. It suggests that true happiness and fulfillment come not from individual gain at others' expense, but from shared responsibility and contributing to the well-being of the community.
How does the author use the simple setting of Frip to amplify the moral dilemma?
The simple, isolated setting of Frip, with its singular economy, strips away complex societal distractions, forcing the moral dilemma to the forefront. It creates a microcosm where the core human choices between selfishness and community are starkly highlighted and unavoidable.
Is the ending of the story overly simplistic or does it offer a profound message despite its fable-like nature?
While the ending is straightforward, its fable-like nature allows it to deliver a profound message about community, empathy, and the consequences of inaction. The magical disappearance of the gappers serves as a clear, impactful symbol of the positive change that collective kindness can bring.
About the author
George Saunders is an American writer of short stories, essays, novellas, children's books, and novels. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper's, McSweeney's, and GQ. He also contributed a weekly column, American Psyche, to The Guardian's weekend magazine between 2006 and 2008.
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