Duddy Kravitz
Duddy’s entire narrative revolves around a piece of advice he got from his grandfather when he was a kid and that by adulthood has transformed into an obsession: “A man without land is nobody.” His story is a trek from teenage bad boy to entrepreneurial invention and the pursuit, by any means necessary, of enough money to buy a lake not yet spoiled by development.
Simcha Kravitz
The grandfather. Duddy’s plan for the land purchase—aside from becoming somebody—is the best retirement plan possible. But the grandfather’s advice did not extend to the morality of avoiding being a nobody.
Yvette Durelle
Duddy’s girlfriend whom he meets while working as a waiter at summer resort. It is while at that resort that Duddy is led to discover the lake secreted away from the madding resort crowd. Duddy brings Yvette on board as a personal assistant, but their romance becomes tainted due to Yvette’s increasing disapproval of Duddy’s swindles.
Irwin Shubert
Shubert is a teenager who first crosses path with Duddy while working together at the resort. Shubert’s disapproval exceeds Yvette’s as he makes accusations that it is precisely Jewish businessmen like Duddy who keep anti-Semitism thriving. A rigged game of chance depletes Duddy of the money he made during the summer.
Jerry Dingleman
Known as the Boy Wonder for a shadowy past selling street car transfers that made good money fast. Montreal’s Jewish community looks down on him for betting at the track with money that he could instead be donating to Jewish charities. Although he grew rich, he also developed polio.
Virgil Roseboro
American epileptic whom Duddy meets on a trip to New York. Duddy becomes embroiled in Virgil’s pinball smuggling business. While the educated and erudite Virgil shows genuine loyalty and friendship to Duddy, Duddy eventually cheats Virgil out of money after he is seriously injured in an accident resulting from having a seizure while working for Duddy as a driver.
