The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
Duddy's obsession with land lies within his grandfather, Simcha.
When Duddy was small, he spoke those unforgettable words to him,
"A man without land is nobody."
When it seemed as if nobody cared or respected him, Simcha did.
Duddy did not receive the same kind of love from his father or
uncle as Lennie did. When Duddy comes back from work at, he
asks, "Why [Max] didn't answer any of [his] letters?" He replies
he wasn't "one for letters."
"But Duddy remembered that when Lennie had worked as a camp
counsellor one summer his father had written every week. He had
driven out to visit him twice."(pp. 104 & 105)
Duddy did not have the same kind of affection and devotion Lennie
and Max shared. The same situation came from his uncle, Benjy.
At first sight, Benjy described him as having a "thin crafty
face, the quick black eyes and the restlessness_the grain so
shrewd and knowing, all made a bad impression on Uncle Benjy."
(p. 61) Benjy supported Lennie, giving him money for his
education. With the exception of Simcha, he had no other
parental support which is the reason why Simcha words had such a
great effect on him.
Duddy gains what he had wanted in its acquisition, respect.
Everyone except Simcha, Mr. MacPherson, and Uncle Benjy thought
he was going to be a nobody. He wanted so much to prove them
wrong and he has. We may say he has gained self assurance,
restating the fact he was a somebody important. Since his days
at Fletcher's Field High School, he ran a gang based on respect,
not friendship. Things do not change when he becomes an adult.
Virgil is just one of the people Duddy uses to get money for his
land. He feels no grief for hurting his so called friends
because he has never experienced true friendship. His purchasing
of land would push him into higher step in society. What he
gains is nothing compared to what he loses.
Duddy has lost his innocence. No longer is he the pure and na‹ve
Duddy's grandfather acted as a prominent father figure to him during his early childhood, when his father could not always be there for him, and as a result of always having him around while Duddy was so young and impressionable, he had a lot of influence on Duddy's developing mind.
The two pieces of art that I have chosen to compare reside in Toronto’s ‘Art Gallery of Ontario’. While the two pieces are very different in terms of artistic medium and period, the painting, “The Academy”, by Kent Monkman, makes direct reference to Auguste Rodin’s sculpture “Adam”. The sculpture is a giant bronze cast from 1881 inspired by Michealangelo’s “Creation of Adam” Ceiling Fresco in the Sistine Chapel. “The Academy” by Canadian painter, Kent Monkman was commissioned by the AGO in 2008. The piece was created as a visual commentary on the “injustices and oppression Aboriginal people have suffered” (Filgiano) However different they may appear to be, Kent Monkman ‘borrows’ the theme of Rodin’s “Adam” sculpture to create an analogy between Adam’s banishment from paradise and the Aboriginal’s loss of paradise through colonization.
Duddy was not born into money, his father, Max, was a taxi driver, and pulled in a low income. Max’s brother, Benjy had money and always played favourites with Duddy’s brother, Lennie by giving him money and opportunities. Duddy always had to struggle for his money, and in one his many struggles he borrows his father’s taxi cab, which is his only source of income, but does not return it for three days. He was delivering pin ball machines that he had sold. When he returns he finds his father is furious at him just taking off with the cab without permission. “They found Max at Eddy’s, and he was furious, ‘who do you think you are?,’ he said ‘that you can run off with my car for three days? Just like that.’” (Richler, 213). Duddy has a way of burning bridges with the people that he most needs, he only thinks of himself, and has no consideration for the feelings of others, even those who does not want to hurt the most. Duddy’s grandfather, also known as the Zeyda, is Duddy’s mentor and the only person Duddy really looks up to, and the one he does not want to hurt, but ends up hurting him the worst. “‘Yvette came to see me.’…. ’she told me what you did,’ Simcha said, ‘And I don’t want a farm here.’ …. ‘I can see what you have planned for me, Duddel. You’ll be good to me. You’d give me everything I wanted.
why Lennie and George Travel together and is not very understanding. Although you never find
Lennie is broken and incomplete in many ways. He has a mental disability which differentiates him from the others. He depends on George for everything and cannot do things on his own even though he is a grown man.
The physical symbiosis of George and Lennie is beneficial to Lennie but detrimental to George. Although George used to hurt Lennie, Lennie now needs George to bail him out of trouble. Lennie also profits because he needs a person to tell him what to do. “He can’t think of nothing to do himself, but he sure can take orders” (39). Lennie is “a hell of a good worker”(22) and able to “put up a four-hundred pound bale” (22) but is likely to get himself in trouble without George’s protective influence. George likes Lennie but would be better off without him because “you (Lennie) can’t keep a job and you lose me ever’ job I get” (11). Lennie hinders George while George helps Lennie.
The late nineteenth century Irish novelist, Bram Stoker is most famous for creating Dracula, one of the most popular and well-known vampire stories ever written. Dracula is a gothic, “horror novel about a vampire named Count Dracula who is looking to move from his native country of Transylvania to England” (Shmoop Editorial Team). Unbeknownst of Dracula’s plans, Jonathan Harker, a young English lawyer, traveled to Castle Dracula to help the count with his plans and talk to him about all his options. At first Jonathan was surprised by the Count’s knowledge, politeness, and overall hospitality. However, the longer Jonathan remained in the castle the more uneasy and suspicious he became as he began to realize just how strange and different Dracula was. As the story unfolded, Jonathan realized he is not just a guest, but a prisoner as well. The horror in the novel not only focuses on the “vampiric nature” (Soyokaze), but also on the fear and threat of female sexual expression and aggression in such a conservative Victorian society.
In society, the significance of social status and role is observable with both genders. This includes the acceptable behaviors and responsibilities for both men and women within one’s culture. It is a constant struggle to follow these established guidelines in order to preserve a good reputation and not possess a low social status. In Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula, the different characters each represent a different stand in the transformation from “True Woman” to the “New Woman” that surfaced in the late nineteenth century. This new idea made women more independent, with their lives no longer revolving around their husbands, and most importantly created a big change in social expectations. The characters Lucy, Mina, and the three brides of Dracula play a part in revealing Stoker’s belief that social status is changed for the worse with this change in women’s roles.
Dracula accentuates the lust for sexuality through the main characters by contrasting it with the fears of the feminine sexuality during the Victorian period. In Victorian society, according to Dr.William Acton, a doctor during the Victorian period argued that a woman was either labelled as innocent and pure, or a wife and mother. If a woman was unable to fit in these precincts, consequently as a result she would be disdained and unfit for society and be classified as a whore (Acton, 180). The categorizing of woman is projected through the “uses the characters of Lucy and Mina as examples of the Victorian ideal of a proper woman, and the “weird sisters” as an example of women who are as bold as to ignore cultural boundaries of sexuality and societal constraints” according to Andrew Crockett from the UC Santa Barbara department of English (Andrew Cro...
The tradition of history is the tradition of spreading knowledge and learning from the past. This tradition of history can be spread through many different methods. In this excerpt, Nader says that his knowledge of history began with the stories that his parents told him at a very young age. These stories gave Nader a look into the actions of people from the past and provided him many benefits. Nader says that the exposure to such stories “is crucial for understanding the present and shaping the future” (p.51). In this quote, Nader is essentially saying that a strong knowledge of the past can enable people to better understand their current state of events, and allow them to take action for their future. Nader shows that the knowledge of the
‘Why do I take I take this course’ is an educational book guide written by Robert Schoenberg. In today’s society, different practices and quick returns exist. These practices do not add additional requirements to coursework as students start their university careers. According to warner (2009) in his article, a comparative analysis on general education is essential in providing students with basic requirements and right qualifications for graduation. Therefore, giving help to students
In the novel, Duggan, Montayj depicts the consequences of lacking a proper education. Through the use of a character named Jackie, Montayj enables the reader to learn about the reality of poverty through her experiences and actions.
Dracula’s peculiar actions begin when Johnathan Harker takes a Journey to help Dracula with some business. When Harker was getting
The Viennese School is the reason for some of today's most popular classical music. This school of composers started during the Classical Period, 1740-1825.
Some people find happiness in buying electronics, clothes, and toys. It’s true, materialistic things can bring an abundance of happiness to an individual. However, investing in life makes people happier, and makes their life more significant. According to Robin F. Brancato, in the book Money, “The real happiness comes from social relationships, enjoyable work, fulfillment, a sense of meaning in life.” For example, Nora is a woman who has money, and she’s always trying to buy dresses and shoes to make herself happy. However, she just needs to do something significant with her life (qtd.in Wiseman). In fact, according Williams, “It’s not a name brand that will lead to happiness. It’s a person ability to make their lifestyle what they always fantasized and imagined it to be.” In other words, happiness does not come from being able to buy expensive things; it comes from being able to use money to make one’s life better. In fact, according to Rachel Berl, “a certain amount of wealth relieves financial stress and its associated hardship. But the absence of such worries brings about happiness.” For instance, using money and investing in real estate and life insurance. Doing this, one can live happily knowing their kids can live comfortable when they are grown. The point is, investing life makes people happy and brings happiness to the