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Lynn Wang
ENG 3UI
Mr. Kemp
July/22/2010
Throughout human history, people have shared a common obsession – ownership. Human
beings have murdered, died and yet still pursued ownership of money and people. A person without
property is regarded with contempt; hence one tries desperately to make a fortune as to avoid ridicule.
For all these years, making a fortune seems to be our ultimate goal; yet we have seemingly forgotten
the other element – morality. In the Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Mordecai Richler shows the
unworthiness of losing integrity in the pursuit of fortune, thereby disapproving society's acceptance and
This world, to some degree is fair. This means an immoral deed, which is accompanied with
loss of integrity, is only returned with evil consequences. Towards the end of the novel, Uncle Benjy
writes Duddy a profound letter about life, “...Every year of my life I have looked back on the man I was
the year before – the things I did and said – and I was ashamed...” (p 280). We can imagine uncle
Benjy's dilemma as a reflection of Duddy's future. Here, Uncle Benjy assumes the role of a typical
businessman whose morality comes back to haunt him of the bad deeds he had done to yield a profit. In
this way, Richler shows that the individual may seem fine on the surface, but the underlying guilt will
emerge sooner or later that will cause the doer to regret his or her immoral decisions. On the other
hand, one can notice Duddy Kravitz's gradual isolation from his closest community members by
examining Duddy's state at the beginning and the ending. In part I, Duddy had many friends, together
they conducted mischief but they were happy souls. However the tide turns in the end of the book after
Duddy sells his uncle's precious library and cheats on Virgil, a crippled epileptic to collect money in
order to buy the final piece of land. Kravitz has completely forgotten his moral identities and in turn,
leading to the loss of support from many of the closest people to him, including his grandfather. Duddy,
with land at hand was disappointed with everyone's reactions. He desperately remarks, “...I'm all
alone...” (p 315). In this sense, Richler demonstrates that one's moral breakdown can leave one to a
world of loneliness and full of regret, both of which are examples of evil consequences.
Furthermore, an individual without moral constraint is inhuman; he or she is a fiend. From
stealing hockey sticks or known as the “...hockey stick sideline project...” (p 56) to hiring a blacklisted
producer for his Dudley Kane Enterprise, Duddy has never once considered whether the method in
which he tried to attain money was proper. When he tries to sell the pinball machines, which are
transported to Canada through illegal means as well, Duddy used “...lies, threats, pandering, cajoling,
insult and ultimate appeal to avarice to sell the pinball machines. Sell them he did...” (p 210). This
again shows Duddy's ignorance of the immoral ways for which he uses to achieve his goal. To him,
selling the pinball machines is the most important. Here the phrase “sell them he did” emphasizes
Duddy's focus on the act of selling. It almost sounds extra, which helps Richler to achieve his irony.
Moreover, Yvette plays the role of the angel in Duddy's mind and her position seems like a constant
reminder for his moral consciousness. When he tricks Virgil into clearing his debt with a truck that
costs nothing, Yvette steps into the picture, “I've seen you do a lot of dishonest things in your life, but
never in my life have I thought you'd ever cheat a boy like Virgil...” (216). In a sense, she forces Duddy
to return the money to Virgil; by doing so, she saved him from moral destruction. Yet notice that when
he relentlessly searched for money to buy the final piece of land and eventually decided to lay his black
hands on Virgil, an individual who clearly depends on his money to survive; he avoided Yvette's
presence. This can symbolize Duddy's will to free himself from moral constraints in the face of money.
“... How much have you got, Virgie... and where did you get it...” (305). His tone almost sounds like a
ruthless money craving devil that is ready to rob poor Virgil of every single penny he has. This
premonition comes true when Duddy went further, “... he forged the signature by holding a cheque and
a letter Virgil had signed...” (307). At this stage, Duddy Kravitz has completely shed his moral values
Lastly, it is the sociological belief of materialism that directs people on the wrong path. We can
notice the word “apprenticeship” by examining the name of the novel. Through his apprenticeship,
Duddy learns the importance of money and how it alone can seemingly bring him respect. Here, society
is his master, teaching him the mightiness of money while diminishing the power of morality. People
knew from the beginning that Jerry Dingleman's money did not come from a pleasant source; yet he
seemed to be praised by society, as Max put it, “...'a twenty-nine year old boy from St Urbain
Street...Then one day, back into town he comes. He [Jerry Dingleman]'s driving a car a block long...By
this time, he owns his own stable already'...” (p 26). To the St. Urbain Streeters, Jerry Dingleman is
their role model and gives Duddy the negative idea that money can be obtained through any way. He
then chases after the “promise land” as his grandfather had told him to and uses despicable methods to
attain the principle required to buy the land. By the end of the novel, we can notice that his father is
already turning his “success” into another St. Urbain Street myth. In this way, Duddy Kravitz is a
typical individual who is greatly influenced by society's theory of materialism and eventually
contributes to it. Richler illustrates a process; that under capitalism, money undoubtedly plays a major
role; obsessed with what money can bring, people tries to seize all opportunities to make money
without worrying about the moral implications. Those who succeed under the system make known their
stories which attract more people to be willing to sacrifice their priceless integrities for these small
pieces of paper. Richler portrays this ongoing theory of materialism in society which seems like a black
hole that sucks in more and more people at an accelerated pace; he fears that if Duddy Kravitz can turn
himself into a new Boy Wonder in such a short time; how long would it take for a new Duddy Kravitz
to emerge and what would happen when each individual on earth becomes Duddy Kravitz?
By showing that the loss of integrity can lead to evil consequences and destruction in humanity
and society's promotion of money only strengthens people's will to abandon their integrities in the face
of money. Richler shows that society should not encourage people to throw their moral values behind
their backs in the pursuit of fortune. After all, a man without land may be nothing, but a man without
Richler, Mordecai. The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1989.
Print.