Themes in The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
Anti-Semitism
Anti-semitism can be defined as, `suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage.` In The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Duddy is automatically put in a more challenging situation, simply because of his family`s background. Add on that he`s growing up in a relatively poor area, and learning his lessons on the streets, and Duddy is facing life from a completely different perspective than many others his age. Duddy learns to earn his success, making it so that religion does not even matter. He grabs life by the horns, and goes after his dreams without a care in the world about how others judge him.
Greed
This could fairly be called Duddy`s main problem. He wants everything he can get his hands on, and is willing to go all-out to see money filling his pockets. Duddy could not get enough out of life; he always wants more than what he has, regardless of how much he currently possesses. Greed is typically applied to situations where there is a passionate desire for fortune and wealth. Duddy desires both of those. Greed practically runs his life, as he is always pursuing cash. Until his hands are full of coins, Duddy keeps on pushing, and he will not stop that pursuit until he is completely satisfied.
Materialism
The idea of materialism revolves around the only thing existing being matter. In other words, the world runs on material possessions. Duddy`s world most certainly spins thanks to dollars, cents, and what they buy. He seeks to gather as many items as he can to form a collection of valuable assets. One of the novel`s most famous quotes, `A man without land is nothing,` runs around the idea of materialism. Duddy believes that the more land one owns, the more powerful they will be.
Morality
Morals are not too much of a concern to Duddy Kravitz. He prefers to run by his own rules; playing his own game is more his style. He does not really care about what the rest of the world thinks, it does not matter to to him that others believe he is an uncaring person. Morality is all about defining the difference between right and wrong. His lack of moral principles were a leading cause in his failure. They led to his demise, and really cut down his influence on others. With all his drive and passion, Duddy could have achieved so much more. In the end, his non-existent morals brought him down.
Anti-semitism can be defined as, `suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage.` In The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Duddy is automatically put in a more challenging situation, simply because of his family`s background. Add on that he`s growing up in a relatively poor area, and learning his lessons on the streets, and Duddy is facing life from a completely different perspective than many others his age. Duddy learns to earn his success, making it so that religion does not even matter. He grabs life by the horns, and goes after his dreams without a care in the world about how others judge him.
Greed
This could fairly be called Duddy`s main problem. He wants everything he can get his hands on, and is willing to go all-out to see money filling his pockets. Duddy could not get enough out of life; he always wants more than what he has, regardless of how much he currently possesses. Greed is typically applied to situations where there is a passionate desire for fortune and wealth. Duddy desires both of those. Greed practically runs his life, as he is always pursuing cash. Until his hands are full of coins, Duddy keeps on pushing, and he will not stop that pursuit until he is completely satisfied.
Materialism
The idea of materialism revolves around the only thing existing being matter. In other words, the world runs on material possessions. Duddy`s world most certainly spins thanks to dollars, cents, and what they buy. He seeks to gather as many items as he can to form a collection of valuable assets. One of the novel`s most famous quotes, `A man without land is nothing,` runs around the idea of materialism. Duddy believes that the more land one owns, the more powerful they will be.
Morality
Morals are not too much of a concern to Duddy Kravitz. He prefers to run by his own rules; playing his own game is more his style. He does not really care about what the rest of the world thinks, it does not matter to to him that others believe he is an uncaring person. Morality is all about defining the difference between right and wrong. His lack of moral principles were a leading cause in his failure. They led to his demise, and really cut down his influence on others. With all his drive and passion, Duddy could have achieved so much more. In the end, his non-existent morals brought him down.