Theme Of Guilt In Fifth Business

1195 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The effects of guilt on the mind

Guilt Prevails in Fifth Business
As a shadow, guilt can follow a person during their entire life. The novel Fifth Business portrays how guilt can linger on in an individual and persist for many years, severely impacting their lives. Dunstan’s guilt originates from a single incident caused by Percy Boyd Staunton, which consequently impacts Mary Dempster, and her son, Paul Dempster. Dunstan allows his guilt for Mary Dempster to burden and control his life. Moreover, Dunstan goes on a quest to end his guilt with the help of Liesl. Throughout Robertson Davies’ Fifth Business, Dunstan’s guilt begins from a single incident that subsequently escalates into a lifelong struggle.

Dunstan’s guilt originates in his childhood on account of a traumatizing encounter. The guilt Dunstan continuously endures is with him throughout his life, starting with the snowball incident caused by the vindictive Percy. Percy Boyd Staunton, acting foolish, throws a snowball intended for Dunstan; however, Dunstan ducks, and it hits pregnant Mary Dempster. As a result, Mrs. Dempster develops mental health problems and she is forced to …show more content…

Liesl is a significantly motivating character, that aids Dunstan to cope with and accept his guilt. Liesl reveals to Dunstan that by living a life of guilt, he loses a part of his life, “But you – there is a whole great piece of your life that is unlived, denied, set aside” (216). Liesl provides insight to Dunstan about the results of his constant guilt; it robbed him of his happiness. From this point on, Dunstan understands that he should live for himself, instead of living for others. Furthermore, after meeting Liesl, Dunstan is able to live a fulfilling life since he understands the purpose of his life. Therefore, Dunstan’s guilt makes him live in devotion to Mrs. Dempster, and he eventually learns that he must live a life for himself without the nature of

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Mary Dempster

    719 Words  | 2 Pages

    Furthermore, there are several occurrences of the harm against women in regards to Mrs. Dempster. She undergoes a stark change in personality after being hit with the snowball, described by the denizens of Deptford as having “gone simple”. One of Mary Dempster’s most shocking acts after the fact is when she is found having sex with a tramp (later revealed to have been done in order to restore his faith). Her husband, Amasa, decides that Mary is too much of a burden to him and ties her to chair, making her unable to leave her home. Despite this, the young Dunny does not think of Mary as a burden, in fact referring to her as his “greatest friend”. He keeps her up to date on the goings-on in Deptford, he prides her on her fearlessness. He knows

    Read More

  • Dimmesdale's versus Danforth's Sins in Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter

    633 Words  | 2 Pages

    Danforth and Dimmesdale contrast in the way of their sins of commission and omission. Although Dimmesdale does not openly admit his sins until the end of the story, they feed on his conscience, causing him to engage in self-torturing practices. He confuses the destruction and weakening of himself for penance for his sin. Aided by Hester?s angered husband, Dimmesdale weakens himself so much, that he uses the last of his strength in his confession and he dies in Hester?s arms. Danforth suspects he is sending innocent people to their deaths, but through the love of his office, he does not stop his corrupt practices nor attempt to right his wrongs.

    Read More

  • The Study of Guild in Fifth Business by Robertson Davies

    794 Words  | 2 Pages

    Guilt can take on many forms. It is a powerful force to overcome, and a majority of people collapse because of it. In “Fifth Business”, by Robertson Davies, guilt is the intended study that is portrayed throughout the novel and impacts a number of lives. Davies demonstrates this by having one character feeling guilt and tries to confront it, a second character ignoring it and a third who tries to run away from it. Davies introduces the reader with Dunstan Ramsay and Percy Boyd Staunton who are parallels in competition with each other. Percy throws a snowball containing a small rock at Ramsay. Who jumps aside, causing it to miss him and strike Mary Dempster, which then we are met with the premature birth of Paul Dempster. In this novel the study of guilt is shown through experiences of the characters as Dunny felt guilty for the premature birth of Paul, Boy appearing not as to be affected by the incident but later on feels guilt for the death of Leola, and Paul Dempster feeling guilt for his mother, Mary, which later made him run away from home. Guilt essentially is what drives the characters of Fifth Business and in the end determines the final conclusion. Lastly, although Boy and Dunstan are parallels of each other Davies uses their awkward relationship to create a major element in Fifth Business which is what makes it an interesting story. Thus, the story revolves around the idea of competition and guilt.

    Read More

  • Shadows in Fifth Business

    631 Words  | 2 Pages

    Incidences that occur in one's childhood tend to affect them possibly for the rest of the rest of their life.  This applies to the novel Fifth Business and the characters Dunstan Ramsey and Boy Staunton.  Throughout the lives of these characters Dunstan lives in the shadow of Boy due to feelings of guilt and responsibility as a result of one winter evening in the town of Deptford.

    Read More

  • Robertson Guilt In Robertson Davies's 'Fifth Business'

    1161 Words  | 3 Pages

    Guilt is a powerful emotion that can affect the path of a person’s life. Dunstan’s character in Robertson Davies’s “Fifth Business” experienced guilt at an early age and stayed with Dunstan throughout his life, and continually affected his relationships with Mrs.Dempster, Boy and Paul into an unhealthy one. Dunstan took the blame for the snow ball entirely without acknowledging boy was at fault. “I was contrite and guilty, for I knew that the snowball had been meant for me” (Davies, 11). From that point in his life, his guilt had the dynamo effect. He took blame for every tragedy that happened to the Dempster family since. Dunstan’s battled guilt ultimately controlled his action and relationships.

    Read More

  • Fifth Business Guilt Quotes

    592 Words  | 2 Pages

    Guilt is the inevitable consequence that comes along after committing a crime and is a feeling that can paralyze and tear one’s soul away. However, it is evident that an individual’s feelings of guilt are linked to what they believe is right or wrong. In Robertson Davies Fifth Business, guilt is a principal theme in the novel and its effects have a major toll on the lives and mental state of many characters. Throughout the novel, it is apparent that the values and morals instilled within childhood shape an individual’s personality, as exhibited by the different ways the characters within the novel respond when faced with feelings of guilt. The literary elements Davies utilizes in the passage, from pages fifteen to sixteen, introduce the theme of guilt and display the contrast in how

    Read More

  • Comparing Guilt In Macbeth And The Tell-Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe

    1534 Words  | 4 Pages

    Everybody alive has experienced the feeling of guilt, or at least will at some point. Usually, this feeling is quite healthy for our consciousness, helping us distinguish between what is right and wrong by our own moral principles and values. However, guilt holds quite a power to really disturb the mind. This theme of the relationship between guilt and sanity is common throughout literature, and patterns to how this is expressed through texts are very evident. Four texts which I will discuss this theme through is Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, and The Animals’ version of Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.

    Read More

  • The Book Thief Guilt Analysis

    677 Words  | 2 Pages

    Guilt is a prevalent theme throughout The Book Thief. Liesel endures guilt multiple times, when she steals laundry money from Rosa, gets Max sick, verbally attacks Ilsa Hermann, and experiences the guilt of surviving. All of these acts caused Liesel to experience some sort of guilt which later causes her to perform questionable tasks.

    Read More

  • The Assault by Harry Mulisch

    1203 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Harry Mulisch’s novel The Assault, the author not only informs society of the variance in perception of good and evil, but also provides evidence on how important it is for an innocent person experiencing guilt to come to terms with their personal past. First, Mulisch uses the characters Takes, Coster, and Ploeg to express the differences in perspective on the night of the assault. Then he uses Anton to express how one cannot hide from the past because of their guilt. Both of these lessons are important to Mulisch and worth sharing with his readers.

    Read More

  • Guilt and Shame in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    1108 Words  | 3 Pages

    Guilt and shame haunt all three of the main characters in The Scarlet Letter, but how they each handle their sin will change their lives forever. Hester Prynne’s guilt is publicly exploited. She has to live with her shame for the rest of her life by wearing a scarlet letter on the breast of her gown. Arthur Dimmesdale, on the other hand, is just as guilty of adultery as Hester, but he allows his guilt to remain a secret. Instead of telling the people of his vile sin, the Reverend allows it to eat away at his rotting soul. The shame of what he has done slowly kills him. The last sinner in this guilty trio is Rodger Chillingworth. This evil man not only hides his true identity as Hester’s husband, but also mentally torments Arthur Dimmesdale. The vile physician offers his ‘help’ to the sickly Reverend, but he gives the exact opposite. Chillingworth inflicts daily, mental tortures upon Arthur Dimmesdale for seven long years, and he enjoys it. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth are all connected by their sins and shame, but what they do in regards to those sins is what sets them apart from each other.

    Read More

  • Appearance vs. Reality in the Scarlet Letter

    656 Words  | 2 Pages

    Arthur Dimmesdale presented himself as an uncorrupted man by his social status. Inside he felt unworthy and corrupt form the sin he has committed. The town’s people looked up to Dimmesdale as a man who could commit no grand sin. “People say that the Reverend Master Dimmesdale, her godly pastor, takes it very seriously to heart that such a scandal should have come upon his congregation.” (48). Little did they know that the scandal that Dimmesdale took to hear was the fornication that happened between Dimmesdale and adulteress Hester Prynne. His sinful ways was affecting his health greatly. “Some declared, that, if Mr. Dimmesdale were really going to die, it was cause enough, that the world was not worthy to be any longer trodden by his feet.” (106). The town’s people respected him so much so that they figured it was the world that is corrupt and not Dimmesdale.

    Read More

  • Individualism In Fifth Business

    1382 Words  | 3 Pages

    did not tell anyone how Mrs. Dempster got hit by a snowball. Throughout his life, he continued to

    Read More

  • Gravel Pit In Fifth Business

    717 Words  | 2 Pages

    The citizens of Deptford are required to accept their shadow in order to fully develop their personalities, and the gravel pit and its importance can help them realize their role in the society. As Dunstan is one of the main characters, it is important to notice his development, and how the non acceptance of his shadow affects the story. After the gravel pit incident, Dunstans shadow becomes more visible than before because of the guilt he

    Read More

  • Dimmesdale's Guilt and Internal Struggle in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    1043 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Mr. Dimmesdale’s greatest fear is that the townspeople will find out about his sin of adultery with Hester Prynne. Mr. Dimmesdale fears that his soul could not take the shame of such a disclosure, as he is an important moral figure in society. However, in not confessing his sin to the public, he suffers through the guilt of his sin, a pain which is exacerbated by the tortures of Roger Chillingworth. Though he consistently chooses guilt over shame, Mr. Dimmesdale goes through a much more painful experience than Hester, who endured the public shame of the scarlet letter. Mr. Dimmesdale’s guilt is much more damaging to his soul than any shame that he might have endured.

    Read More

  • The Quest for Atonement in Ian McEwan's Atonement

    1526 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ian McEwan illustrates a profound theme that builds details throughout the novel Atonement, the use of guilt and the quest for atonement are used with in the novel to convey the central dynamic aspect in the novel. McEwan constructs the emotion of guilt that is explored through the main character, Briony Tallis. The transition of child and entering the adult world, focus on the behavior and motivation of the young narrator Briony. Briony writes passages that entail her attempt to wash away her guilt as well find forgiveness for her sins. In which Briony ruined the lives and the happiness of her sister, Cecilia, and her lover Robbie. The reality of the events, attempts to achieve forgiveness for her actions. She is unable to understand the consequences of the actions as a child but grows to develop the understanding of the consequence with age. McEwan exemplifies an emotional novel that alters reality as he amplifies the creative acts of literature. In this essay I will be arguing that, the power of guilt prevents people from moving on from obstacles that hold them in the past.

    Read More

More about Theme Of Guilt In Fifth Business

Open Document