Very Young Age Duddy example essay topic

Duddy Kravitz was a young man of great determination, with passion and ambition. He followed his dreams. Duddy let nothing distract him from going full speed ahead. He was determined to obtain his deepest desire.

His motive flourished from his grandfather's prestigious words; "Man without land is nothing". pg 49 These words told by Duddy's only relative that believed in him stuck with him. Those great words drove him to attain a great amount of land surrounding Lac St. Pierre. Duddy was faced with many complications along the way that made this accomplishment quite impossible, he was a young Jewish boy who had little money and who lived in St. Urbain Street, Montreal. The young man managed to achieve the unachievable. His motive was pure.

Though all this would lead you to admire him, one cannot. The definition of "admire" is: to regard with pleasure, wonder, approval, have a high opinion of; esteem or respect. He did nothing but lie, cheat, steal, manipulate and felt nothing of remorse or repent for his ways. Duddy should be admonished for the path he chose to accomplish his goal and for his immoral characteristics. Duddy started off on the wrong foot even as a child. After his job with his uncle he decided that he would do things as he pleased, it was then that he began his cheating and theft.

At a very young age Duddy discovered ways in which he could con companies. He had made quite a lot of money from selling stolen hockey sticks, stamps and pornographic magazines. As he grew he did not change. He continued to follow in the foot steps of his father's hero- The Boy Wonder (Jerry Dingle man). Even though Duddy sees Jerry as a hero he attempts to black mail him later on in the book for money.

Though he does not achieve this, it demonstrates that he is willing to do absolutely anything at all to get the money needed to buy land, even do something to harm his idol. Duddy was very apt in manipulation. Of course he uses his talents in no just way, he employs it to cheat others. When Duddy opened his own company "Dudley Kane Enterprises" he would acknowledge his customer's weaknesses and use them at his profit. Duddy really had no idea on producing, his creation of the bar-mitzvah film of Bernie was a disaster". "Duddy didn't say a word all though the screening but afterwards he was sick to his stomach".

(Page 148)". Nevertheless he was capable in persuading Mr. Cohen that it was in fact a masterpiece and that he would be presenting in the Cannes Festival. He expressed all this in front of the Cohen family (he knew his family was his weakness, he would do what they desired) and was able to manipulate them in to buying a copy of the faulty film. Not only did Duddy mistreat customers but close friends too. This is apparent through Virgie and Yvette. Yvette who truly cared for him, becomes only a tool.

Duddy was a minor and was therefore not permitted by law to buy land. To add to this predicament he was a Jewish boy, which in that time was not always thought a good thing. It is thus Duddy gets Yvette to buy the land for him "The farmers would be wary of a young Jew, they might jack up prices or even refuse to sell, but another French-Canadian would not be suspect". Page 136 Not only does he use her to buy land but also sexually; "Yvette wanted to wait, but Duddy insisted, and they made love on the carpet". Duddy also takes advantage of his friend Virgil.

He takes advantage of the fact that Virgie has a disability- being an epileptic. Duddy offers him an employment driving a truck around, Duddy at this time owed Virgil some money. Duddy tells him the truck would cost 1000 dollars, the exact amount he owed. Duddy took advantage that Virgil was very innocent and did not see he was being taking advantage of. Instead Virgil thought himself lucky and was extremely grateful towards Duddy for his willingness to hire him, an epileptic.

Virgil of course accepts the job, therefore Duddy need not pay Virgil the money he owed. Nearing the end of the book we begin to think he will change and become a gentleman as Benjy suggests him to do, when he does the most despising action. Duddy steals Virgie's money "Duddy took a quick look at Virgil's bank balance, whistled, noted his account number and ripped out two cheques. He forged the signature by holding the cheque and a letter Virgil had signed up to the window and tracing slowly". (Page 364) Duddy's character itself is not a commendable one.

To admire someone, one needs to admire the person himself. We can clearly see through Mr Mac Pherson that Duddy is awful. During his stay at FF high school, he constantly tormented Mr Mac Pherson. He sang songs such as Catcher in the Rye in Mac Pherson's presence as he knew very well that he had a drinking problem. Actions such as those that Duddy used against Mr Mac Pherson drove him insane. Duddy was never sympathetic or understanding of poor Mr Mac Pherson's troubled life (his wife's illness and even her death, his unfulfilled goals, his alcohol abuse... ) but instead Duddy intentionally continues to torture Mr. MacPherson.

After breaking his belief of twenty years to never strap one of his students, he continues his pursuit to change his way of teaching. Mr. MacPherson increased his drinking habits, and his strapping for boys who were miss-behaving. He also began to socialize less and completely shut society out. We can also see Duddy's bad character through uncle Benjy. Benjy had asked for Duddy on his dying bed, but Duddy did not come. Not only did Duddy do thus, but his uncle had left Duddy his house and its belongings.

Though Duddy was not permitted to sell the house itself, he sunk so low as too sell all his uncle's precious belongings for the money, which he needed for land. We can see that Duddy does not deserve to be admired. He can not be respected or have approval for what he had done, even those who once loved and saw good in him despise and wish never again to lay eyes a pone him. Yvette and Virgil, move away and do not wish to have any relationship with him; "We don't want to see you again, Duddy. Ever, I mean". P 375 Simca, Duddy's grandfather refuses to live on his land.

"I can see what you have planned for me, Dud del. You " ll be good to me. You'd give me everything I wanted. And that would settle your conscience when you went out to swindle others". It is the fact that Duddy was prepared to do absolutely anything to get his land, the fact he does it in such disgraceful ways, immoral, dishonourable, unethical and how he manipulates his friends and relatives that renders him a horrible genre of a person. He became the "scheming little bastard" that Uncle Benjy had cautioned him against.

Though he might have been cunning and resourceful he does not deserve the privilege of being admired.