The Apprentiship of Duddy Kravitz
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Personality
Each person has a distinct, identifiable personality. These personalities are the basis of who we are and how we live our lives. Growing up, these personalities are formed through associations and manipulations of the personalities of others. This is clearly evident in Mordecai Richlers The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz. In this novel, we follow Duddy Kravitzs life from early adolescence to adulthood. Throughout the novel, signs are given as to the development of Duddys good and bad personalities. Even at the early stages, Duddys uncle Benjy was the only one who could identify them and knew what the end result was going to be. Despite all this, we watch these personalities grow to the point where they are beginning to overpower each other and eventually, only one will remain.
As a young student, Duddy began his life by making friends and increasing his status. This can been seen when he demonstrates himself as a person who opposes authority. This gives him the look of a bold, daring individual; someone who should be looked up to and respected. Duddys charisma also came from made up stories that were used to spark other peoples interests in Duddy. This is evident when he refers to his brother “Bradley”; “Hes going to take me to South America. Were going to get a yacht. I mean all he has to do once hes out is dig up that buried money and –“. Duddy tells these stories as if they were real just as the way his father Max does at the local coffee shop on St. Urbain Street. Max on the other hand, tells stories of the infamous “Boy Wonder” Jerry Dingleman who is a local legend amongst the people living on St. Urbain Street. Despite these stories not being real, Duddy uses them to help him manipulate others into believing what he wants them too. This becomes an invaluable asset as Duddy leaves school and begins to set out on his own.
Aside from Max being a major influence on Duddy, Simcha Kravitz, Duddys grandfather was another major influence on him. Unlike Max or Duddy, Simcha was genuinely respected. He did not have to create elaborate stories to captivate and intrigue the minds of his listeners in order to gain their respect. He acted properly in the community and was eventually known as “a man of singular honesty and some wisdom”. Despite Duddys bad habits and scheming ways, Simchas good-natured ways are a part of Duddys conscience. For this reason, Duddy becomes infatuated with Simchas saying “a man without land is nobody”. To Duddy this is the right thing to do regardless of the cost. Duddys conscience becomes torn apart into two radically opposite ends; on the good end, Duddy believes it is good to own land, and on the bad side, Duddy believes that nothing can restrict him from doing so. From this he can become as ruthless as he wants so that he can fulfill the good side of his conscience.
Simcha Kravitz also had a profound effect on another individual, his son, Benjy Kravitz. In many ways Benjy and Duddy are alike. Both started out on ambitious dreams and used those dreams to build their reality. For Duddy, his dreams were concrete, while Benjys were open to whatever his path takes him to. For this reason, Benjy opposes Duddy. He sees the drive and spirit that Duddy has and compares it to his own and realizes that Duddys logic is flawed. “Id look at you and remember my own days as a hungry salesman in the mountains and how I struggled for my first little factory. Id look at you and see a busy, conniving little yid.” Benjy realizes that Duddy has the potential to become successful as he has but wonders at what cost Duddy will be willing to accept.