The Apprenticeship Of Duddy Kravitz

“The Apprenticeship Of Duddy Kravitz” is written by Mordecai Richler. He elaborates many wonderful and foretelling settings.

“Before him spread a still blue lake and on the other side a forest of pine trees.” (page 106) This setting describes Lac St. Pierre, a lake where Duddy wants to buy land around. When Duddy was young, about fifteen, his grandfather Shimka, told him that, “A man without land is nobody.” This statement etched itself as a vivid image in Duddy’s mind. Duddy listened to his grandfather and bye the age of eighteen he was making movies and selling pinball machines so he could buy all the land around the lake.

“At the time, however, most Jewish boys in Montreal who had been to high school had gone to F.F.H.S and, consequently, had studied out of “The World’s Progress” (revised) with John MacPherson.” At the beginning of the novel Duddy had attended Fletchers Field High School (F.F.H.S.). He was fifteen at the time and he was not that bright. Duddy lives in the Jewish ghetto of Montreal. Montreal is the main setting in this novel because this is where Duddy both produces and sells all his films. “Some six miles from Montreal, set

Towards the end of the book Duddy obviously had chosen the wrong kind of man to be. He had chosen to become a selfish, ruthless and inconsiderate man, but he was a very keen, intuitive, and visionary man. “The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz” is a book that searches for answers to all the questions of life through the eyes of a young man. Sometimes he finds the answers but sometimes he does not. Richler begins and ends the novel in the same way. A normal day for some, and a special day for others.

Duddy Kravitz lives on St. Urbain Street in the Jewish ghetto of Montreal. He is a small, narrow-chested man. He has bony red cheeks and has scratches all over his face. He has brown eyes and black hair. As Duddy ages he grows taller, and by the time he is eighteen he had a job, working as a waiter for his Uncle Benjy. During the novel Duddy sometimes becomes depresses and he drinks a lot and he would wear dirty shirts in and day out. Duddy meets a girl in Ste. Agathe named Yvette. Yvette has black hair and large black eyes. She is a very beautiful woman and Duddy sees something in her. When Duddy wants to make movies he meets a small man named Peter Friar. Friar films all the movies for Duddy. Friar is a small man with a huge head. He is about forty-five. Vigril also helps Duddy by bringing pinball machines over the boarder from the U.S. Virgil is a young man who has epilepsy and he has fits quit often.

Duddy now has to choose if he still wants to buy the land and Duddy, being as rotten as he is, forges Virgil’s signature onto a check to pay the last amount for the land. Duddy is abandoned by Yvette and Virgil, but not his family. Duddy takes Lennie, Max (his father) and his grandfather to show them his new land. Duddy asks his grandfather where he wants to have his land but his grandfather refuses. He tells Duddy that Yvette told him the whole story about how he had received the last payment for the land. Everyone else in his close family are not angry at Duddy.

I really loved this novel and I recommend it to everyone because it has a moral about life and how anyone, if they put their mind to it, can pursue their dreams with success. But unfortunately success can come with a price.

At the beginning of the novel it tells about Duddy’s carefree life and how his family tells him about life. From his father, telling many stories of ‘The Boy Wonder’, a boy who was poor then turned into a rich businessman, to his grandfather telling him “A man without land is nobody.” So Duddy’s ambition is to set out and find land, in many weird ways. Duddy is always being honest with everyone whether it pulls him towards trouble or gives him a little help on his journey. Duddy has an ultimate plan in life, but unlike most people he pursues his goal and he accomplishes it. Duddy meets many people on his journey for land, many of which are trying to help and also swindle Duddy.

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