Summary Of Fifth Business Reading Journal By Robertson Davies

Fifth Business Reading Journal

What is the point of view of the writer?

Robertson Davies is a Canadian author, who grew up only ten years after the book was set. He also lived in a small town, Orangeville, and so the point of view of the writer is similar to that of the main character. I believe Davies’ point of view is that this story can entertain and inform his readers. It is largely about guilt, specifically the guilt Dunstan feels, and so he tailors his writing to better encompass this point of view. Davies attempts to teach the readers a lesson as well, using archetypal characters and plot elements. His point of view as he wrote, therefore, was affected, because he is trying to convey a message. He connects with the character, so his

These all provide the author with considerable bias. In fact, the main character seems to be quite similar on almost all counts. Davies writes with a tone that seems to have a favourable bias towards the main character. For instance, it seems as if Dunstan's apology for not treating Boy with respect is enough to justify this act. This is biased writing, because a similar action by Boy would be judged harshly by the protagonist. In this way, Davies is biased towards the character, perhaps because Dunstan shares so many worldviews with him.

What, in the real world, connects to this story, these characters?

One real-world event that connects to this story is the First World War. The terrible events described by the protagonist are obviously based on real events that transpired during actual battles, and seem to be based on accounts from veterans of shell shock. The main character seems to connect to Robertson Davies' actual childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. Dunstan mirrors many of Davies' real life choices, and grows up in a similar environment. These characters are useful in the real world are useful for studying Jungian archetypes, while the story is also used as a learning tool for the heroic quest pattern. This was partly Davies' intention as he wrote the novel, and so he drew from the real world for this piece of

The main character is completely changed by the places he visits. His time in his small-town home shapes his adult life very obviously. The residents are stereotypical small-town inhabitants, out of place if the story was set in the city or suburbs. More importantly, however, is the time. The author acknowledges this several times throughout the novel, writing passages like "…but this was far less common in those days than it is now." The time during which the protagonist grows up is heavily charged with change and war. Growing up ten years later or earlier might have meant missing out on the Great War or even having his parents survive the Spanish flu. These are both major events that shaped Dunstan's life, and their nonexistence would have resulted in a completely different