Fifth Business Guilt Quotes

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

Percy Boyd Staunton and Dunstan Ramsay respond to feelings of guilt associated with the snowball incident. Although Dunstan Ramsay is not truly responsible for the accident, he believes Mary Dempster’s simple mindedness and Paul Dempster being born “so small, so feeble, and troublesome, [is his] fault” (Davies, 15). He places such an immense amount of blame on himself due to the fact that he dodged the snowball thrown by Percy and if he hadn’t, it would not have hit Mrs. Dempster and would have prevented the premature birth of Paul. As a result, he endures great “agony of mind” (Davies, 15) which causes him to “[fear] to go to sleep” and pray that “God [will] forgive [him] for [his] mountainous crime” (Davies, 15). The imagery used as he compares his crimes to a ‘mountain’ displays that he considers his crime to be vast and foreshadows that the journey to overcoming the unbearable guilt he possesses will be difficult, similar to climbing a mountain. As he comes to realize “the reality of [his] situation, and what lay beyond [his] life” (Davies, 16), he devotes his life to taking care of Mrs. Dempster and does everything in his willpower to make up for his crimes. The reason his guilt “torture[s]” (Davies, 16) him so drastically is as a result of being raised within a strict Presbyterian household.

Throughout his childhood, his mother has taught and influenced him to fear all sins of God which ultimately leads him to feel guilty about almost every lapse of duty. These teachings shapes Dunstan’s serious, lonely, and contemplative character and cause his struggle to untie himself from this burden of guilt. In contrast, Percy Boyd Staunton, the thrower of the snowball, should be the one who bears the most guilt of the snowball incident. However, he is revealed as an ignorant, heartless young character as he chooses not to admit his fault and claims that he “threw [the] snowball at [Dunstan]” (Davies, 16) and hopes “it gave [him] a good smack.” (Davies, 16). By not taking responsibility for his actions, it displays that he is ignorant of the pain that he inflicts on others. Although Percy acts non-remorseful, it is clear “by [...] his tone that he [is] lying” (Davies, 16) and that he is actually “afraid” (Davies, 16). This displays that Percy is secretly aware he is at fault for the incident but will “do anything rather than admit [it]” (Davies,

16). During childhood, Percy is not taught proper morals by his parents and lives life as a spoiled child. As a result, he was never taught right from wrong and chooses to mask his true feelings rather than expressing. Therefore, he does not acknowledge the guilt he should feel but instead suppresses it.