The Rise of David Levinsky is an inspirational story about a man who goes from rags to riches through the American dream, but also reveals the costs at which one obtains such financial success. Is the journey to riches worth the loss of a religious devotion and love?
David Levinsky’s life in Antomir, before America, was full of hardships and deprivation. His father’s death left David and his mother alone to fend for themselves in a poverty stricken community. Their lives consisted of obtaining the basic essentials to survive, and more importantly (in David’s case) to be a devout Jew. David’s values and lifestyle were based entirely on the Jewish culture and his childhood ultimately revolved around the religious readings in the Talmud. America however seemed to relinquish David of most of his Jewish ethics almost immediately with the aid of his love for Matilda. The Jewish identity David had once possessed was left behind in the Antomir the day he set foot in America. The only moments at which David would reconcile even a piece of his Jewish identity was on the anniversary of his mother’s death each year.
In addition to loss of his religious identity, David had also missed his chance for love. Yes, there were a few cases where David had fallen in love, but was brutally crushed and heart broken in the end. Devoting a great deal of time to his growing business had taken away opportunities for David to search for a wife. Constantly on the road, searching for shops to purchase his cloaks consumed a great deal of time. Also the loss of religious identity had an affect on his love life as well. If David had stuck to his religious roots a little more closely he might have had a better chance of finding a nice Jewish wife, instead of building a business empire. Unfortunately, David ends up a very lonely old man with no one to love but his wealth.
The American dream will bring great fortune to those who strive to attain it. The successfulness of David Levinsky proves the American dream is alive and well, but one must be aware of the sacrifices one must make in order to fulfill such a dream. America steals an immigrant’s identity, and replaces it with the drive for financial gain. Honestly, if David could relive his experience in America, I believe that he would have made different choices in his life in order to find love and hold on to the religious ties that was instilled upon himself in Antomir.
