45 pages • 1 hour read
Mordecai RichlerThe Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1959A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Land
Duddy adopts the dream of his immigrant grandfather, Simcha: land ownership. The land he wishes to own becomes the driving force of his ambitions. He envisions himself as more widely respected, especially by more affluent society members, once he is in full possession of the lakeside land. In fact, the first thing he does when officially made owner is to kick old adversaries such as Dingleman and Linda off for trespassing. Duddy longs to be a king, and with the tract of land, he can truly have his own fiefdom.
Film
Duddy joins a film club on a lark, envisioning that discussing film is something more affluent people do. It is surprising then that his business becomes filmmaking, given his limited experiences and interest. Movie making is just something he can use to turn a profit. The films that Friar, his partner in this endeavor, produces for him are artistic and strange, and Duddy doesn’t even understand the product that he’s selling. Duddy’s lack of appreciation for art and filmmaking and tremendous success in the industry illustrate his shrewd business sense and his true lack of culture.
Gambling
Being duped in a Russian roulette game rigged by Irwin, Duddy’s rival during his summer spent working at a hotel, proves to be a turning point in Duddy’s life. He loses all his summer earnings in a single spin of the wheel. Though he is humiliated and angry, Duddy becomes something of a chronic gambler after this. Each of his business ventures involve taking some serious chances—either being on the wrong side of the law, making promises he may not be able to deliver on, or connecting with unsavory individuals. Duddy’s gambles generally come out to his benefit, but he never learns that gambles involving money are safer than gambles involving love and relationships.
Cars
In a novel about social mobility, cars function as an important symbol. At his most reduced professional state, Duddy is forced to follow in his father’s footsteps and drive a taxi to earn money. At times while driving his father’s cab, Duddy encounters passengers who he’d like to think of as social equals, such as the college boy waiters he worked with over the summer. However, Duddy is always willing to do whatever it takes to get ahead, so if the humiliation of working as a taxi driver is necessary, he will do it. To that same end, because he is willing to do whatever is needed to make or save a buck, Duddy makes risky decisions involving cars. He gives his friend and employee, Virgil, the job of delivering films, traveling long routes overnight and alone, despite Virgil’s epilepsy. This decision results in Virgil’s injury and the dissolution of Duddy’s relationship with his girlfriend, Yvette.
