“How
It Was Done In Odessa” is set in Odessa, Russia, and the plot follows a group
of Jewish gangsters. Benya Krik is known as “the King,” and I found his
character to be particularly interesting.
Krik
seems to be very level headed and confident. The narrator believes he is the
King primarily because he always knows what to do. Benya also seems to be
somewhat reserved; we are told he “says little, but what he says is tasty.” The
reader is able to get to know Benya Krik better after a man is carelessly killed
in one of his operations. A man named Joseph Muginstein is killed by one of
Krik’s drunken men. Not only was the shot an accident, but also the entire
operation occurred simply because of a careless mistake. When Benya Krik sent a
threatening letter to Tartakovsky, Tartakovsky’s reply was delivered to the
wrong address. Benya was offended that Tartakovsky did not reply so he and his
men went to rob his store. If this one letter had been received Muginstein
could have lived. The cost of this miscalculation was a human life. I believe
the author made this choice to show the reckless mentality of the Jewish mobs,
and to show the low value they had on life.
In
contradiction, Benya is extremely responsive to the family of Muginstein after
his death. This shows he could be compassionate when needed, although it seems
to be only for his own benefit. He tells Muginstein’s mother that she can have
his entire life, but also avoids blame by saying even God makes mistakes.
Similarly, he buys the best care for Muginstein when he is taken to the
hospital, but he slyly tells the doctor and nurse “it is in [his] best interest
. . . that the patient Joseph Muginstein should recover.” In these instances it is clear that Benya
doesn’t truly value human life, but rather has the ability to play on people’s
emotions in order to win their favor. The narrator believes this ability is one
that has allowed him so much success.
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