ipl-logo

Progression Of Dunstan's Guilt In Fifth Business By Robertson Davies

472 Words2 Pages

By examining the progression of Dunstan’s guilt, in Robertson Davies’ Fifth Business, that one can never escape their dark past, which leads to irrationality later in life, resulting in a life-altering ripple effect. The fateful incident on December 27th, 1908, marked the day of eternal devotion and commitment to Mrs. Dempster after the unforeseen took over. This stroke of fate casts Dunstan aside as the main character in his life, promoting Mary and Paul Dempster to this role. Thus proving fate determining the star of his life and demoting him to an extra as he describes, “I have been cast by fate and my own character for the vital though never glorious role of fifth business. Who could not, indeed, comprehend what fifth business is, even …show more content…

But as fate would have it, he runs into Paul years later to discover he has run away to a circus to perform magic professionally. These events further burden Dunstan with the guilt regarding the Dempsters, that even after running away twice he still cannot dismiss the havoc of his past. When Dunstan returned to Deptford he discovered that, “When the circus was here, autumn of ‘eighteen, he run away with one of the shows…it was the best thing Paul ever done, in a way…but Mary Dempster took it very bad and went clean off her head. Used to yell out the window at kids going to school, ‘Have you seen my son Paul?’” (Davies 99). The fact that Paul had ‘run away with one of the shows’ creates an even heavier burden on Dunstan as his guilt grows immensely, while Mary gets worse. As well, Dunstan tries to run around the world on his saint hunts, but ends up revisiting haunting events from his past, which demonstrates how he can never escape. These recurrences lead him to make irresponsible decisions such as attempting to prove Mary as a saint for his peace of mind. Everything in Dunstan’s life relates back to his tragic past, that continues to affect his future endeavours, leading to a path he should not be following. Paul’s running caused Dunstan substantial amounts of guilt, in Robertson Davies’ Fifth

Show More
Related
501 Words | 3 Pages

Thirdly, throughout the play Judge Danforth is gullible to Abigail’s manipulations and lies. One of the instance where Danforth’s gullibility towards Abigail is shown is when Abigail blatantly accuses Reverend Hale’s wife to be in alliance with Lucifer (The Crucible) to which he replies that “it is not possible for a minister’s wife to be associated with the devil” (the crucible). Here Abigail is proven wrong by Judge Danforth because he is certain that a minister’s family can never be approached by the devil as per the commandments. Despite this, he chooses to believe that Abigail has probably mistaken to identify the woman associated with Lucifer. This shows that he totally believes in Abigail and that, all her previous accusations are valid.

Read More
1158 Words | 5 Pages

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale commits a mortal sin by having an affair with a married woman, Hester Prynne. As a man of the cloth in Puritan society, Dimmesdale is expected to be the embodiment of the town’s values. He becomes captive to a self-imposed guilt that manifests from affair and his fear that he won’t meet the town’s high expectations of him. In an attempt to mitigate this guilt, Dimmesdale acts “piously” and accepts Chillingworth’s torture, causing him to suffer privately, unlike Hester who repented in the eyes of the townspeople. When Dimmesdale finally reveals his sin to the townspeople, he is able to free himself from his guilt.

Read More
1265 Words | 6 Pages

As a result of dealing with their guilt, these characters all experience changes in who they are. Robert Davies’ Fifth Business is a novel that investigates the quest to find the meaning of life; this helps the reader understand the theme in the novel of how appropriate approaches to coping with guilt are necessary in living a healthy life. Both enlightenment and guilt, which are thoroughly explored in the novel, forces readers to think about their own lives and educates them to refrain from avoiding their

Read More
288 Words | 2 Pages

Earliest to 1990, wrongful beliefs produced only minor interest. The well-known writer of the “Perry Mason” legal crime novel, Erle Stanley Gardner, produced an informal type of last resort in the 1950s to examine and create a more accurate way to pursue the failures of justice. However, the community, as well as most juries and criminal attorneys, were influenced that a very scarce quantity of truly innocent individuals were ever convicted. When the Supreme Court prolonged defendants’ trial constitutional rights in the 1960s, for instance, the motivation given was not to make the criminal justice system more accurate in defining guilt and innocence but to prevent government domination. Some type of earlier funding did increase the issues of

Read More
1718 Words | 7 Pages

... He longed to speak out, from his own pulpit, at the full height of his voice, and tell the people what he was. His deception over the people increases his stress level which add onto his decline of health. Dimmesdale’s suffering and guilt drives him to physically abuse himself.

Read More
1270 Words | 6 Pages

Dunstan’s mother wants to be in control and for him to know that she is. She tries to control Dunstans relationship with Mrs. Dempster. “One day, after a particularly wretched supper, she concluded by demanding that I make a choice between her and “that woman” (Davies 59). This experience of a maternal role in Dunstan’s life shapes him into a person who wants to be in control of his own life and the decisions that he makes. He does not want anyone dominating him and having power over him.

Read More
582 Words | 3 Pages

When we keep secrets we also keep guilt and guilt will destroy us from the inside. In the book of scarlet letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and how one woman who committed adultery with a character named dimmesdale who is the town revered. Dimmesdale kept secrets to maintaining his reputation but actions the guilt eats him from the inside. Dimmesdale the town revered for the puritan religion. He commits adultery with Hester and has a child, but instead of facing his sin he keeps inside for no one to know.

Read More
449 Words | 2 Pages

The Relationship Between Guilt and Preservation Many people in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible pretend to be guilty for the preservation of self and others are truly guilty. Abigail confesses to her charges falsely for her life , and lies to the court to aid her in her determined way to obtain John Proctor’s hand. John proctor is guilty of adultery, and deals with the consequences for things he didn’t do. Tituba confesses to calling the devil , so she won’t be hanged.

Read More
445 Words | 2 Pages

One action, a split second decision can undo all good deeds in a person 's life. This often occurs in novels such as The Crucible by Arthur Miller or The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne where characters make a life altering decision that causes them pain in the end. These character traits are used so often it becomes something of a stereotype, similar to the characters’ personalities in these iconic novels. The authors use cliches to express the idea that kind hearted people can become sinners despite their goodness.

Read More
1980 Words | 8 Pages

Out of all the emotions humans experience, guilt is one of the least pleasant. Nearly everyone has experienced it in some way or form. Often times, it is because of minor mistakes like forgetting to take out the trash. Other times it can be more serious such as seriously injuring a friend or family member. Either way, that guilt gnaws at one’s inside, chipping away at their sanity bit by bit.

Read More
696 Words | 3 Pages

Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale have both committed a dreadful sin with torturous consequences. They contrast one another by their different responses to the outcome. Hester courageously accepted sin and the punishments, causing her to be content in living her life. On the other hand, Dimmesdale denied his sin, which triggered an illness that eventually leads to his death. This denial of sin induces effects of guilt that can be lethal and detrimental to a person.

Read More
474 Words | 2 Pages

The need for Macbeth’s trial stands due to the given evidence for the charges against humanity, murder, and treason. He ruthlessly killed King Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff’s family. Their deaths are in vain if we do not indict him. Macbeth needs a prosecution because he willingly took the immoral path of aimless slaughter and selfish ambition. Even if Lady Macbeth pressured Macbeth, he killed King Duncan impelled by his own selfish ambition and lethal thoughts.

Read More
363 Words | 2 Pages

Power is something that allows the one with it to control and oppress others. In the play The Crucible by author Arthur Miller, use characters from the play to show power. However the character with the most power is Judge Danforth. The reason Judge Danforth is the most powerful out of all the characters in The Crucible is because, Judge Danforth has the power of speaking, the power of speaking is where Judge Danforth decides who is able to speak or who is able to be heard, where Judge Danforth says “Turn your back.

Read More
872 Words | 4 Pages

Guilt is emotional torture that transforms one's psychological operation. In the play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, before the Salem witch trials emerge, John Proctor cheats on his wife Elizabeth Proctor, with young Abigail. Causing him to live with an eternal shame that generates dispute. Proctor’s endeavour is to elude from his wrongdoing, but he cannot because of the disgrace he feels himself to be when around Elizabeth. Miller shows that John Proctor's emotional and behavioral conflict rises from his guilt.

Read More
1045 Words | 5 Pages

Human emotions are very fragile and have extreme consequences on the human psyche. Guilt is one the emotions that can have the most harmful effect on individuals. In Raskolnikov’s case in drove him insane. Raskolnikov feels immediate guilt whenever his rationale for committing the murder is put into question, particularly when he is he kills Lizaveta. The second murder causes Raskolnikov’s guilt, the immediate response was his physical illness, but as that subsided he became increasingly paranoid, especially when something cause him to question his reasoning.

Read More

More about Progression Of Dunstan's Guilt In Fifth Business By Robertson Davies

Related Topics

Open Document