Mordecai Richler`s Solomon Gursky Was Here
Solomon Gursky Was Here is an epic novel spanning nearly a
century and a half, from the mid 1800’s to 1980’s. It is the
story of the obsession of Moses Berger, a Rhodes scholar turned
alcoholic, with Solomon Gursky, the charismatic son of a poor
immigrant. Solomon, with his brother Bernard and Morrie, built
the massive liquor empire of McTavish industries. Moses is
attempting to write a biography of Solomon, which becomes his
life’s work. Through his investigations the complex story of five
generations of Gurskys is revealed. The eldest is Ephraim,
Solomon’scriminal, perpetually scheming grandfather. Ephraim, is
constantly associated with the raven, he escaped imprisonment in
England in the mid 1800’s by forging documents, also allowing him
to join a crew searching for the Northwest passage, called the
Franklin Epedition. The expedition turned into a total disaster,
Ephraim, the sole survivor.The youngest Gursky appearing in
this story is Isaac, Solomon’s grandson. This complex tale
unravels, as Moses recalls, all of the events in his life which
pertain to it. Ever present in this Canadian cultural satire is
the theme of filial relationships and the exploration of Solomon
and his re-incarnation as Sir Hyman Kaplansky, in conjunction with
his family and their exploits. Every character in this novel is
in some way corrupt or failure. Moses is an alcoholic who did not
live up to his potential; Bernard is a greedy self-centered
bastard;
Solomon is a cheat, when it comes to gambling, women and anything
else you can think of.Richler, through this exaggeration of
corruption and failure, is satirizing the idea that Canada is a
second rate nation. One character, in conversation with Moses,
once said:
“Canada is not so much a country as a holding tank filled with the
disgruntled progeny of defeated peoples. The French-Canadians
consumed by self-pity; the descendants of Scots who fled the Duke
of Chamberlain; Irish the famine; and Jews the black hundreds.
Then there are the peasants from the Ukraine, Poland , Italy and
Greece, convenient to grow wheat and dig out ore and swing the
hammers and run the restaurants, but otherwise to be kept in their
place . Most of us are still huddled tight to the border,
looking into the candy store window, scared by the Americans on
one side and the bush on the other.”(P.’s398-399)
This says, in no uncertain terms, that Canada is compromised of
people not worthy of other countries. The satirical nature of
this statement is alluded to by harsh words, such as “holding
tank” and “scared”. Also by impersonal words, such as “progeny”.
Most Canadians do not, as this says, envy the Americans and think
of America as a “candy store”.Richler is attacking some typical
stereotypes of Canada and Canadians by exemplifying them.
Moses, who is Richler’s voice in the novel, exhibits many
autobiographical characteristics: English speaking resident of
Montreal, raised on Jean Mance street. He has a strong religious
backround (Jewish), smokes a cigars, writes professionally and
lived in London, England for a period. Moses and his father L.B.
do not get along well. L.B., a failed poet, is resentful of his
son’s literary talent. This leads to leads to L.B. treating his
son with contempt. On one occasion, Moses, home from school at
Balliol, tells LB that he submitted a short story, which LB said
“showed promise”(p.129), to “the New Yorker. L.B. belittled Moses
for his attempt which he suspected to fail and demanded that he be
given the mail upon it’s arrival, to open it in private. When the
package from “the New Yorker” arrived, L.B. opened and read it in
private, then later invited Moses into the room. L.B. proceeded
to tell Moses that he also had been rejected by “editors who print
crap, so long as it is written by their friends, but who couldn’t
tell Pushkin from Ogden Nash.”(P. 132). Moses later learned that
the magazine had accepted his story and had sent it back
requesting a few small revisions. He, supposedly, ha d written
back saying “‘the New Yorker’ regularly prints crap so long as it
is written by their friends, they couldn’t tell Pushkin from Ogden
Nash, and he was withdrawing his story.” (P. 309). This filial
relationship is typical of all others in this novel. All are full
of anomosity and dislike. Many times they escalate of cruelty as
seen in this instance. Solomon Gursky led a prolific life
consisting of gambling, traveling, bootlegging, military
service(WWI) and many women. Through his teenage gambling
exploits, the first in a chain of hotels, which would lay the
foundation for the Gursky empire, was acquired in a high stakes
poker match, in which he risked the deed to his fathers store. A
character in the novel once said that “without Solomon that
bastard would have ended up like he started. Sweeping up in a
warehouse.”(P.253). This was stated in reference to Bernard who
had been left as the sole man in charge of then Gursky empire,
after the apparent death of Solomon in an airplane crash.
Evidence exists, though, which shows that Solomon is actually
alive. For example, soon after the death of Bernard, “a raven
skewered and harpooned” (P.257) was found on his grave. Upon
further examination. The harpoon was declared to “clearly be an
Eskimo artifact” (P.158). Also caved into the harpoon was a gimle
(a Hebrew symbol). This evidence points to Solomon because he, as
his grandfather was, is continually associated with the raven.
Solomon as a child was hand-picked by his grandfather Ephraim, as
the chosen one of the three brothers and was taken to the arctic
to learn the Inuit way of life. Solomon’s ability to make and use
this Inuit harpoon, strengthens his association with the
desecration of his brother’s grave. Moses discovers Solomon’s
most used alias after his apparent death as Sir Hyman Kaplansky.
Sir Hyman is a rich well-traveled Jewish Englishman, who is
intelligent and witty. He is a good piano player, an aviation
buff and a good impressionist. He is always carrying a malacca
cain and is associated with the raven. He shares all these
characteristics and mannerisms with Solomon. Moses, while at
school in England, meets Sir Hyman, who becomes a father figure to
him. Sir Hyman was responsible for Moses looking towards the
Franklin Expedition and the arctic for information about Ephraim
and the Gursky beginnings in Canada. After being constantly fed a
wealth of information pertaining to the Gursky’s. Moses realizes
who Sir Hyman really is. Moses finds a portrait of a lady with
“one eye brown, one eye blue.” (P.498). This lady, Moses knew,
was Solomon’s one true love. Sir Hyman confirmed this fact to
Moses when asked. The next day he was reported to have drowned.
Moses was given a package which contained Solomon’s journals and a
letter from Sir Hyman which stated that Moses would receive $30
000 a year. Sir Hyman’s clue and money donation shows that he
wants Moses to learn more about his life and of the Gursky
family. On occasion Solomon, who did not actually drown, contacts
Moses with small clues as to his whereabouts. Moses, constantly
trying to track him down, seems to be, being led on a wild goose
chase. Solomon enjoys Moses’ obsession and encourages it,
although no matter what he will always stay one step ahead of
Moses, not allowing him to learn everything.
Richler, through his complex tale of Moses Berger and his
obsession with Solomon Gursky, is able to paint a picture of
Canadian culture. The Gursky family and their diverse interests,
life-styles and undertakings allows Richlers readers to grasp many
parts of Canada in many different time frames. This in turn
allows him to satirize the stereotypes of Canada, its people and
their culture. Adding to idea of corruption, which enhances this
satire, are the filial relationships occurring in this novel.
The fact that all these relationships are unsuccessful and non-
cordial, enhances the idea that all Canadians roots are in some
way corrupt or failures. Richler, shows how these traits are
passed through generation after generation.There can be no
doubt that Solomon, one of the most corrupt characters in the
book, becomes Sir Hyman after his staged death. Richler has
tiedhis complex story of Solomon Gursky, his family and their
exploits together with his cultural messages
