History Literature / TheApprenticeshipOfDuddyKravitz

A ComingOfAgeStory, the novel follows the title character as he tries to climb the social ladder in 1930s and '40s UsefulNotes/{{Montreal}}, hoping to one day become a big shot like neighbourhood "golden boy" Jerry Dingleman and measure up to his big brother Lennie in their family's eyes. Along the way, the book explores themes of Jewish identity, social class, antisemitism, wealth, corruption, and alienation.

** After initially dismissing and then trying to thwart Duddy's attempt to buy all the land around the lake, Jerry Dingleman approaches him offering financing for building the resort. Duddy ridicules him and kicks him off his land.

* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: In-universe, one of Duddy's moneymaking schemes is producing bar mitzvah movies with avant garde director Peter Friar. The results are a comedic highlight of the book and movie.

* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules / ScrewThisImOutOfHere: Yvette deserts Duddy after Virgil's accident, which she (justifiably) blames Duddy for, but they eventually reconcile. Happens again for good after Duddy [[spoiler:forges Virgil's name on a cheque]].

** More so with Lennie's college classmate Sandra, a golden-haired cheerleader who gets pregnant by her football player boyfriend, then manipulates Lennie, who is in love with her, to obtain an abortion (very illegal at the time).

** More so with Lennie's college classmate Sandra, a golden-haired cheerleader who gets pregnant by her football player boyfriend, then manipulates Lennie, who is in love with her, to obtain an abortion.

''The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'' is a 1959 novel by Creator/MordecaiRichler. A ComingOfAgeStory, the novel follows the titular character as he tries to climb the social ladder in 1930s/1940s Montreal, hoping to one day become a big shot like the neighbourhood "golden boy" Jerry Dingleman and measure up to his big brother Lennie in their family's eyes. Along the way, the book explores themes of Jewish identity, antisemitism, wealth, corruption, and alienation.

* EveryoneHasStandards: When they hear that Irwin Shubert conned Duddy into running a rigged crap game and losing his earnings for the summer, the other waiters force him to pay Duddy back. Unknown to them, the guests at the resort do the same thing. (Duddy, naturally, chooses not to fill anyone in.)

Richler's fourth novel, and perhaps his best-known, ''Kravitz'' was adapted as a feature film in 1974, directed by Ted Kotcheff and starring Creator/RichardDreyfuss, Creator/RandyQuaid, and Creator/JackWarden. The story was also adapted as a stage musical by David Spencer and Music/AlanMenken.

Richler's fourth novel, and perhaps his best-known, ''Kravitz'' was adapted as a feature film in 1974, starring Creator/RichardDreyfuss and Creator/RandyQuaid. The story was also adapted as a stage musical by David Spencer and Music/AlanMenken.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Yvette worries that Virgil will have a seizure while driving for Duddy's business. Guess how that ends.

* ScrewThisImOutOfHere: Yvette deserts Duddy after Virgil's accident, which she (justifiably) blames Duddy for, but they eventually reconcile. Happens again for good after Duddy [[spoiler:forges Virgil's name on a cheque]].
* SelfMadeMan: Thoroughly [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstructed]] through Duddy, who cheats and schemes to make his fortune, and through St Urbain Street "golden boy" Jerry Dingleman, who made his fortune [[spoiler:through gambling and drug dealing]].

* VictimBlaming: On his way to cash the [[spoiler:fraudulent]] cheque from Virgil's account, Duddy angrily asks them why they hadn't come home an hour earlier, before he could think about [[spoiler:forging Virgil's signature]].

* GreedyJew: Played horrendously straight. Duddy starts scheming to make money in high school, selling [[PoorMansPorn Tijuana Bibles]] to classmates. As he gets older, he goes to even farther reaches, such as producing avant garde bar mitzvah films and [[spoiler:forging Virgil's signature on a cheque in order to put a down payment on land for a resort he wants to build]].

* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: One of Duddy's moneymaking schemes is producing bar mitzvah movies with avant garde director Peter Friar. The results are a comedic highlight of the book and movie.

* ExoticBackdropSetting: Yvette is the only Francophone character in a story set in Montreal and rural Quebec, and none of the other characters are shown to be bilingual. Justified given that the bulk of the characters are from Montreal's Jewish community, which was prominently Anglophone.

* SelfMadeMan: Thoroughly deconstructed through Duddy, who cheats and schemes to make his fortune, and through St Urbain Street "golden boy" Jerry Dingleman, who made his fortune [[spoiler:through gambling and drug dealing]].

* ThePolyanna: Virgil, who stays positive and continues writing poetry, [[spoiler: even after he's paralyzed]].

* Foreshadowing: Yvette worries that Virgil will have a seizure while driving for Duddy's business. Guess how that ends.

* RejectedApology: Benjy tries to make amends to Duddy on his deathbed for his preferential treatment of Lennie; Duddy is [[CallingTheOldManOut less than impressed]].

* EveryoneHasStandards: When they hear that Irwin Shubert conned Duddy into running a rigged crap game and losing his earnings for the summer, the other waiters force him to pay Duddy back. Unknown to them, the guests at the resort do the same thing.

* AnachronismStew: The film's setting is somewhat ambiguous. By most measures, it takes place in the same 1930s/1940s setting as the book, but the appearance of a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Red_Ensign#/media/File:Flag_of_Canada_(1957%E2%80%931965).svg post-1957 Canadian Red Ensign flag]] and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilensky's Wilensky's lunch counter in its post-1952 location]] suggest a late 1950s setting.

* AlterKocker: Appears frequently among the older characters in the film, such as Duddy's grandfather.