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Throughout human history, people have shared a common obsession ownership. Human beings have

murdered, died and yet still pursued ownership of money and people. A person without property is

regarded with contempt; hence one tries desperately to make a fortune as to avoid ridicule. For all these

years, making a fortune seems to be our ultimate goal; yet we have seemingly forgotten the otherelement morality. In theApparenticeshipApprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Mordecai Richler shows

the unworthiness of losing integrity in the pursuit of fortune, thereby disapproving society's acceptance

and modeling of those who obtains fortune through immoral means.This world, to some degree is fair. This means an immoral deed is only returned with evilconsequences. Towards the end of the novel, Uncle Benjy writes Duddy a profound letter about life,

...Every year of my life I have looked back on the man I was the year before the things I did and said

and I was ashamed... (p 280). We can imagine uncle Benjy's dilemma as a reflection of Duddy'sfuture. Here, Uncle Benjy assumes the role of a typical businessman whose morality comes back to

haunt him of the bad deeds he had done to yield a profit. In this way, Richler shows that the individual

may seem fine on the surface, but the underlying guilt will emerge sooner or later that will cause thedoer to regret his or her immoral decisions and Duddy Kravitz seems to be one of these individuals. On

the other hand, one can notice Duddy Kravitz's gradual isolation from his closest community members.

In part I, Duddy had many friends, together conducting mischievesmischiefand going against

MacPherson. Despite being poor, Duddy was a happy child with a dream. But they were happysoulsHowever the tide turns in the end of the book when Duddy cheats on a crippled epileptic by

stealing his money to buy the final piece of land. Here, Kravitz has completely forgotten his moral

identities and meanwhile, he loses the support from many of the closest people to him, including hisgrandfather. Duddy, with land at hand was disappointed with his grandfather'severyones reaction. He

desperately remarks, ...I'm all alone... (p315). In this sense, Richler demonstrates that one's moral

breakdown can leave one to a world of loneliness full of regret. Evil deeds will lead to evilconsequences.

Furthermore, an individual without moral constraint is a fiend. From stealing hockey sticks or known

as the ...hockey stick sideline project... (p 56) to hiring a blacklisted producer for his Dudley Kane

Enterprise (151), Duddy never considered whether the method in which he tried to attain money was

moral or even legitimate. When he tried to sell the pinball machines, which are transported to Canadathrough illegal means as well, Duddy used ...lies, threats, pandering, cajoling, insult and ultimate

appeal to avarice to sell the pinball machines. Sell them he did... (p 210). This again shows Duddy'signorance of the immoral ways for which he uses to achieve his goal. To him, selling the pinball

machines is the most important. Here the phrase sell them he did is meant to emphasize Duddy's

focus on the act of selling, the fact it almost sounds extra which helps Richler to achieve his irony.

Moreover, Yvette is like the good voice inside Duddy head and her position seems like a constantreminder for Duddy's moral conciousnessconsciousness. When he tricks Virgil into clearing his debt

with a truck, Yvette steps into the picture, I've seen you do a lot of dishonest things in your life, but

never in my life have I thought you'd ever cheat a boy like Virgil... (216). HerHerpressuring onDuddy worked, he had to return the money to Virgil. Yet notice that when he relentlessly searched for

money as to buy the final piece of land and eventually decided to lay his black hands on Virgil, anepileptic in wheelchair; he avoided Yvette'spresence,presence; this can symbolize Duddy's will to freehimself from moral constraints in the face of money. ... howHow much have you got, Virgie... and

where did you get it... (305). His tone almost sounds like a ruthless money craving devil whothat is

ready to rob poor Virgil of every single penny he has. This premonition comes true when Duddy went

further, ... he forged the signature by holding a cheque and a letter Virgil had signed...(307). At thisstage, Duddy Kravitz has completely shed his moral values and turned into a bloodless demon.

It is the belief of materialism of the main stream that directs some people on the wrong path. Society's

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promotion of money leads to people's will to trade in integrity for it. Examining the name of the novel,

one can notice the word apprenticeship We can notice the word apprenticeship by examining the

title of the novel. Duddy Kravitz's apprenticeship is unlike any other onees. Ts. Here, through his

apprenticeship, Duddy Kravitz learns the importance of money and how it alone can secure his status.His master being the societySociety is his master, teaching him the mightiness of money while

diminishing the power of morality. For a moment, near the end of part III, Duddy seems to have

regained his moral consciousness after setting Virgil on a wheelchair for life, ...'he's crippled for life,It's my fault'... (p 266). That is when Mr. Cohen, a true representation of materialism comes into the

picture:

...There's not one successful businessman I know, Duddy, who hasn't got something

locked in the closet... the swindling of a widow...funny business with a mortgage...It's

either that or you go under, so decide right now. You're going to drive a taxi all your

life or build a house like this... (p 266).

Here, his proud tone assures people to think that money is more important than morality and that to be

a successful businessman, you must be willing to give in your integrity. Mr. Cohen's is like one of thefiends that we have previously mentioned, yet his money also makes him one of the role models in

society. In this way, society's role modeling of fiends persuades people like Duddy that it is okay to

attain money through whichever methods. I can say that Mr. Cohen's words contribute to Duddy'simmoral actions in the end. When Duddy has finally got the land he had longed for, his father Max is

already turning his immoral deeds into a St. Urbain Street tale, even as a kidway back there

before he had begun to make his mark(318). Duddy has become the new role model, almost likeJerry Dingleman. In this way, Richler begins and ends in the same fashion. He shows that bad role

models in society can lead individuals off the wrongpath,path; the individual becomes successful and

contributes to society in turn dragging more individuals into the picture. Just imagine, Duddy Kravitz

has become the new Boy Wonder, how long would it take before a new Duddy Kravitz emerges.Richleris fearingfears that more and more people are going to start pursuing money and forget their

morality, what happens when the entire society is filled with fiends?

By showing that the loss of integrity can lead to evil consequences and destruction in humanity and

society's promotion of money only strengthens people's will to abandon their integrities in the face of

money. Richler shows that society should not encourage people to throw their moral values behind theirbacks in the pursuit of fortune. After all, a man without land may be nothing, but a man without

integrity is not even a man.