Dunstan Ramsay In Fifth Business

Over the course of a lifetime, a person develops a completely new body several times. This is because, approximately every two years, enough of the body’s cells have regenerated that one is practically a new person. However, it is not this change that makes a person develop into who they are. The experiences one goes through, and the interactions with people around him/her is what makes a person evolve. One must look beyond himself/herself and find meaning in relationships with others in order to truly develop as a person. Davies demonstrates this through his character Dunstan Ramsay, whose personality is constantly evolving due to the events he experiences and the people he meets throughout his life. In Fifth Business, Dunstan Ramsay

First of all, Dunstan’s interactions with Liesl help him accept his true identity and his role in the archetypes of life. Liesl tells Dunstan, “But you cannot make a plot work without another man, and he is usually a baritone, and he is called in the profession Fifth Business, because he is the odd man out, the person who has no opposite of the other sex… Are you Fifth Business? You had better find out” (Davies 227). Dunstan is confused about where he fits in throughout his life, and is unsure about his meaning in the world. Through speaking with Liesl, he learns about his role as Fifth Business and the hidden parts of his soul, such as his inner violent and sexual urges. This realisation helps Dunstan to finally begin to acknowledge his subconscious, and start to work past it. It is due to his exchange with Liesl that Dunstan goes to confront Boy about throwing the snowball, and through this he finally starts to break the Fifth Business mould. Additionally, while Liesl helped Dunstan to become more self-aware, Dunstan’s travels to study saints shape his personality. Dunstan’s interest in saints develops Dunstan’s character though inspiring and encouraging him to find joy and interest in his life. When reflecting on his first trip to Antwerp, Dunstan says, “It was thus my interest in medieval and renaissance art- especially religious art- came about. The little Madonna was a bee in my bonnet; I wanted to see her again, and quite unreasonably… I kept hoping to find her. The result was that I saw a great many Madonnas of every period and material and quickly came to know a fair amount about them” (Davies 123). Dunstan’s travels help to keep him occupied and provide a distraction from his difficulties. Dunstan has many troubles and disappointments in his life, and has difficulty finding