- Of the four pieces included (essay of place, character sketch, extended metaphor poem, and persuasive essay), which did you like the most and why?
The extended metaphor poem was my favourite, because I love the style of the poem and I really enjoyed when I was writing it
- Which of the four pieces had the strongest connection to the quotation? What made the connection do strong?
The persuasive essay had the strongest connection to the quotation. Since the persuasive essay was discussing the quotation, it had the connection directly, which other ones don’t.
- What suggestions do you have for the author?
The author should talk less about the religious things and use less allusion to the religions. Because most of the people are not every good with religions, too much allusion to religions will create difficulties for readers to understand.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Table of Content for Daisy's ISU
1. Inquiry Questions
2. Novel/Poem Compare and Contrast
3. Reenactment Criteria Guide & Poem
4. Hypertext Web Page
5. Guiding Questions For Feedback
6. Chapter Summaries of “Fifth Business”
7. Newspaper Article. Dead Hero Come Back to Life
8. Newspaper Article. Shame kills a High-Popularity Lawyer
9. Newspaper Article. The Curious Case of Boy Staunton
10. Reflective Essay on the theme. Guilt Controls People?
11. Preresearch Report on “Toronto Harbour”
2. Novel/Poem Compare and Contrast
3. Reenactment Criteria Guide & Poem
4. Hypertext Web Page
5. Guiding Questions For Feedback
6. Chapter Summaries of “Fifth Business”
7. Newspaper Article. Dead Hero Come Back to Life
8. Newspaper Article. Shame kills a High-Popularity Lawyer
9. Newspaper Article. The Curious Case of Boy Staunton
10. Reflective Essay on the theme. Guilt Controls People?
11. Preresearch Report on “Toronto Harbour”
Preresearch Report on "Toronto Harbour"
Calleja, Frank. "Harbour steeped in boating history." Toronto Star (Canada); 05/17/2002 (2002): B02.
Terauds, John. "16 provocative variations on a theme of Toronto." Toronto Star (Canada); 03/22/2001 (2001): W014.
Gillespie, Kerry. "Here's a little more T.O.." Toronto Star (Canada); 08/06/2003 (2003): B04.
Borcea, Dana. "SAFE HARBOUR, SAFE HOME; WHEN A GREAT LAKES CARRIER WAS TOWED HERE, ITS CARETAKER CAME, TOO." Hamilton Spectator, The (ON); 12/27/2007 (2007): A01.
Unknown. "The Toronto Port Authority." Toronto Star (Canada); 05/06/2006 (2006): B05.
Crew, Robert. "Shay Hahn lights fire under Toronto history." Toronto Star (Canada); 03/31/2005 (2005): G08.
Mayers, Adam. "How Toronto looked in 1818." Toronto Star (Canada); 07/18/2007 (2007): A14.
Stewart, Andrew. "City's history unappreciated ." Toronto Star (Canada); 08/22/2007 (2007): A07.
Cobb, Sara. "We failed to notice ferry could help T.O.." Toronto Star (Canada); 03/07/2004 (2004): A12.
Unknown, "From vision to reality on our waterfront." Toronto Star (Canada); 10/22/2000 (2000): ED01.
Scrivener, Leslie. "City's rich historystuck in storage." Toronto Star (Canada); 01/21/2007 (2007): A06.
"Toronto Harbout." Wikipedia. 25 May 2009. Wikipedia. 29 Jul 2009.
From the sources I found above, I think I can apply source number 2, 4, 7, 8, and10 into my essay about “Toronto Harbour”. Since they were all came from newspaper, I assume they are accurate. And the topics of those sources are in common, they are relevant together.
Since those sources talked about the history of Toronto Harbour and Toronto Harbour in modern days, so I will set my thesis as “the change of Toronto Harbour from history to modern days”. And the main focus will be how Toronto Harbour was in the history, how Toronto Harbour is in modern days, and what is the change or difference between the old Toronto Harbour and the new Toronto Harbour.
Terauds, John. "16 provocative variations on a theme of Toronto." Toronto Star (Canada); 03/22/2001 (2001): W014.
Gillespie, Kerry. "Here's a little more T.O.." Toronto Star (Canada); 08/06/2003 (2003): B04.
Borcea, Dana. "SAFE HARBOUR, SAFE HOME; WHEN A GREAT LAKES CARRIER WAS TOWED HERE, ITS CARETAKER CAME, TOO." Hamilton Spectator, The (ON); 12/27/2007 (2007): A01.
Unknown. "The Toronto Port Authority." Toronto Star (Canada); 05/06/2006 (2006): B05.
Crew, Robert. "Shay Hahn lights fire under Toronto history." Toronto Star (Canada); 03/31/2005 (2005): G08.
Mayers, Adam. "How Toronto looked in 1818." Toronto Star (Canada); 07/18/2007 (2007): A14.
Stewart, Andrew. "City's history unappreciated ." Toronto Star (Canada); 08/22/2007 (2007): A07.
Cobb, Sara. "We failed to notice ferry could help T.O.." Toronto Star (Canada); 03/07/2004 (2004): A12.
Unknown, "From vision to reality on our waterfront." Toronto Star (Canada); 10/22/2000 (2000): ED01.
Scrivener, Leslie. "City's rich historystuck in storage." Toronto Star (Canada); 01/21/2007 (2007): A06.
"Toronto Harbout." Wikipedia. 25 May 2009. Wikipedia. 29 Jul 2009
From the sources I found above, I think I can apply source number 2, 4, 7, 8, and10 into my essay about “Toronto Harbour”. Since they were all came from newspaper, I assume they are accurate. And the topics of those sources are in common, they are relevant together.
Since those sources talked about the history of Toronto Harbour and Toronto Harbour in modern days, so I will set my thesis as “the change of Toronto Harbour from history to modern days”. And the main focus will be how Toronto Harbour was in the history, how Toronto Harbour is in modern days, and what is the change or difference between the old Toronto Harbour and the new Toronto Harbour.
Hypertext Web page
Quote of Place:
Our cillage never seemed to me to be like that. It was more varied in what it offerd to the observer than people from bigger and more sophistivated place generally think...(Fifth Business, page 8)
Quote of Relationship:
If you think her a saint, she is a saint to you. (Fifth Business, page 162)
Quote of Metaphor:
The great terror was the mud. (Fifth Business, page 64)
Quote of the Novel:
And you must have Fifth Business because he is the one who knows the secret of the hero’s birth, or comes to the assistance of the heroine when she thinks all is lost, or keeps the hermitess in her cell, or may even be the cause of somebody’s death if that is part of the plot. (Fifth Business, page 214)
Reenactment Criteria Guide & Poem
What event or scene had the most action?
The war
What action gave rise to the most drama?
Dunny’s accidental meeting with Paul
What event or scene had more that 1 or 2 characters involved in the action?
The event when people in the town all went to search for Mrs. Dempster.
What event or scene made you laugh?
The event when the Spaniard who lived downstairs thought Dunstable and Liesl were on their honeymoon.
What event or scene made you cry or gave you a lump in your throat?
The event when Dunny was the only person who attended Mrs. Dempster’s funeral.
What event or scene surprised or shocked you?
Boy’s death.
What event or scene do you select to write and perform a poem for?
The event when Dunny woke up from 6 months of unconsciousness.
Angle
I wake up,
from a long terrible dream
back into the reality.
When I open my eyes,
I see an angle.
Am I already in heaven?
I ask for drink.
Angel looks at me
and ask for my name.
Suddenly I realize
I am not dead,
I am still alive.
The war
What action gave rise to the most drama?
Dunny’s accidental meeting with Paul
What event or scene had more that 1 or 2 characters involved in the action?
The event when people in the town all went to search for Mrs. Dempster.
What event or scene made you laugh?
The event when the Spaniard who lived downstairs thought Dunstable and Liesl were on their honeymoon.
What event or scene made you cry or gave you a lump in your throat?
The event when Dunny was the only person who attended Mrs. Dempster’s funeral.
What event or scene surprised or shocked you?
Boy’s death.
What event or scene do you select to write and perform a poem for?
The event when Dunny woke up from 6 months of unconsciousness.
Angle
I wake up,
from a long terrible dream
back into the reality.
When I open my eyes,
I see an angle.
Am I already in heaven?
I ask for drink.
Angel looks at me
and ask for my name.
Suddenly I realize
I am not dead,
I am still alive.
A Fifth Business
What is a Fifth Business? “And you must have Fifth Business because he is the one who knows the secret of the hero’s birth, or comes to the assistance of the heroine when she thinks all is lost, or keeps the hermitess in her cell, or may even be the cause of somebody’s death if that is part of the plot.”(Fifth Business, page 214) said by Robertson Davies, in the novel Fifth Business. I believe this quote is “The Quotation of the Book”, because it captures the story’s essence and this passage should be saved if the book were ever lost or destroyed.
The quote, “And you must have Fifth Business because…the cause of somebody’s death of that is part of the plot” captures the true meaning of the novel, Fifth Business by defined the meaning of the title of the novel and gives a explanation of who was the Fifth Business in the novel. It makes the whole novel more understandable to the readers and makes the readers start to understand the significance of the title and how it applied through out the whole novel. After the readers read the passage, they will compare and contrast between the qualities of Dunstable Ramsay and the qualities of the Fifth Business. This makes the readers understand the whole point of the novel.
Since the quote is very important, so it should be saved if the book were ever lost or destroyed. As I previously mentioned, this quote defined the meaning of the title of the novel. Although the novel’s title is “Fifth Business”, but the word “Fifth Business” had never been mentioned until this quote. This quote is the first time and the only time the word “Fifth Business” has been mentioned and explained. It was the whole point of the novel, without this passage, the whole novel will not make any sense. Therefore, this passage should be saved even if the book was lost or destroyed.
Also, there is another reason why this quote should be saved if the book were ever lost or destroyed, which I have also mentioned before, it gives an explanation of who was the Fifth Business in the novel. Since this quote happened when Liesl was having a conversation with Dunstable and saying that she thought he was a Fifth Business. This tells the readers that who was the title of the novel referring to and how the title connects to the novel. Because as a reader, I did not feel any connection between the title and the novel until I read this passage. Therefore, this quote should be saved even if the book was lost or destroyed.
In conclusion, the quote, “And you must have Fifth Business because he is the one who knows the secret of the hero’s birth, or comes to the assistance of the heroine when she thinks all is lost, or keeps the hermitess in her cell, or may even be the cause of somebody’s death if that is part of the plot.”(Fifth Business, page 214) from the novel Fifth Business was “The Quotation of the Book”. Because it captures the story’s essence and this passage should be saved if the book were ever lost or destroyed.
The quote, “And you must have Fifth Business because…the cause of somebody’s death of that is part of the plot” captures the true meaning of the novel, Fifth Business by defined the meaning of the title of the novel and gives a explanation of who was the Fifth Business in the novel. It makes the whole novel more understandable to the readers and makes the readers start to understand the significance of the title and how it applied through out the whole novel. After the readers read the passage, they will compare and contrast between the qualities of Dunstable Ramsay and the qualities of the Fifth Business. This makes the readers understand the whole point of the novel.
Since the quote is very important, so it should be saved if the book were ever lost or destroyed. As I previously mentioned, this quote defined the meaning of the title of the novel. Although the novel’s title is “Fifth Business”, but the word “Fifth Business” had never been mentioned until this quote. This quote is the first time and the only time the word “Fifth Business” has been mentioned and explained. It was the whole point of the novel, without this passage, the whole novel will not make any sense. Therefore, this passage should be saved even if the book was lost or destroyed.
Also, there is another reason why this quote should be saved if the book were ever lost or destroyed, which I have also mentioned before, it gives an explanation of who was the Fifth Business in the novel. Since this quote happened when Liesl was having a conversation with Dunstable and saying that she thought he was a Fifth Business. This tells the readers that who was the title of the novel referring to and how the title connects to the novel. Because as a reader, I did not feel any connection between the title and the novel until I read this passage. Therefore, this quote should be saved even if the book was lost or destroyed.
In conclusion, the quote, “And you must have Fifth Business because he is the one who knows the secret of the hero’s birth, or comes to the assistance of the heroine when she thinks all is lost, or keeps the hermitess in her cell, or may even be the cause of somebody’s death if that is part of the plot.”(Fifth Business, page 214) from the novel Fifth Business was “The Quotation of the Book”. Because it captures the story’s essence and this passage should be saved if the book were ever lost or destroyed.
Chapter Summaries of "Fifth Business"
Part One. Mrs. Dempster
Summary:
- Boy Staunton threw a snowball which intentionally to hit Dunstable Ramsay, but accidentally hit the pregnant Mrs. Dempster.
- The event caused premature birth of Paul Dempster.
- Paul was born premature and Dunstable's mother helped Dr. Staunton take care of him.
- Mrs. Dempster had become simple-mindedness.
- Dunstable felt guilty for the accident even though he didn't throw the snowball.
- Dunstable started to fall in love with Mary and ended up defending her when people made fun of her.
- When Dunstable showed him coin tricks to Paul, Paul took the coins and did the tricks better than he did.
- Paul was good with his hands so Dunstable started to teach Paul how to do the tricks.
- Mr. Dempster told Dunstable never to come near any of his family again.
- Mrs. Dempster disappeared one night.
- Dunstable found Mrs. Dempster in the tall grass having sex with a tramp.
- Mr. Dempster kept his wife Mary tied to something in the house so she couldn't leave again.
- Dunstable went to visit Mrs. Dempster when Mr. Dempster was at work.
- Boy Staunton and Mabel Hughinton got caught by Mabel’s mother in the sexual act.
- People blamed the actions of Mrs. Dempster for the actions of the young people in town.
- Dunstable’s brother, Willie was in an accident and was seriously ill.
- While Dunstable was taking care of Willie, Willie quite breathing. Dunstable thought he was dead so he ran to Mrs. Dempster for help.
- Mrs. Dempster prayed over Willie and he started to move and breath again.
- Dunstable believed Mrs. Dempster had brought Willie back to life, but the villagers thought he was going crazy just like Mrs. Dempster.
- Dunstable’s mother asked Dunstable to choose between her and Mrs. Dempster.
- Dunstable chose the third way, he joined the army.
- While he was waiting to head off to war, Leola from school and Dunstable started dating.
- Before Dunstable left Leola told him the she loved him.
Interpretation:
Part one is entirely set in Deptford, a small town in Western Ontario. It tells the readers about boyhood of the protagonist, Dunstable Ramsay, from age 10 to age 17. This part built up the conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist, which are Dunstable and Boy. And the conflict applied though out the whole novel. Also, Dunstable’s deep guilt towards Mrs. Dempster had also been built up in this part. Since Mrs. Dempster figures most prominently in this section of the novel, part one was named after her.
Part Two. I Am Born Again
Summary:
- Dunstable was a member of the Second Canadian Division and later the Canadian Corps.
- Dunstable found the army very boring, because he was cut off from everything that could make life sweet.
- The only book Dunstable could read was the New Testament.
- He imitated Charlie Chaplin and after that they called him Charlie.
- Dunstable was in at the Third Battle of Ypres.
- Dunstable was in a small group of soldiers who had to crawl across the field and take out the German machine guns.
- Dunstable had killed three German soldiers.
- Dunstable’s left leg has been hit by a fragment of shell, and seriously injured.
- The last thing Dunstable saw before he lost his consciousness was a statue of the Virgin and Child, which the face of the Virgin was exactly like that of Mrs. Dempster.
- Dunstable woke up about 6 months after.
- Dunstable was in a hospital in Buckinghamshire, England.
- A nurse named Diana Marfleet had been taking care of him.
- Dunstable’s left leg had been amputated.
- Dunstable had been presumed dead
- The V.C. had been awarded to him for bravery in killing the three Germans.
- Dunstable’s parents had both died in the infuenze epidemic in 1918.
- Diana was a romantic girl and they could talk about anything.
- Dunstable received his Victoria Cross from the King.
- Dunstable had sex for the first time, with Diana.
- Diana was expecting an engagement proposal from Dunstable but he felt the relationship wouldn't work.
- They discussed their relationship and parted as friends.
- Diana renamed him as Dunstan
- Dunstan returned to Deptford where he was given a hero’s welcome.
- Boy and Leola announced their engagement.
- Dunstan found out Mr. Dempster had died and Mrs. Dempster’s Aunt had came and taken her away.
- Paul Dempster had run off and joined the circus and people hadn't seen him since.
Interpretation:
This part talked about Dunstable’s life in battlefield and his affair with Diana in England, and also his return as a veteran and hero to Deptford. Notice that the title “I Am Born Again” symbolized two things. The first one is his escape from death on the battlefield. After he regained his consciousness, Diana took care of him like his mother. The second thing is his rename by Diana, which symbolized him born twice.
Part Three. My Fool-Saint
Summary:
- Dunstan studied history in University College in the University of Toronto.
- Dunstan sold his family home and business and Boy helped him invest his money so he could make a profit.
- After university Dunstan took a job, schoolmastering at Colbourne College.
- Boy married Leola at the Presbyterian Church in Deptford and Dunstan was the best man.
- Dunstan was on the same ship as the Stauntons, since he was going to Europe and the Stauntons were on their honeymoon.
- Dunstan was in search of the little Madonna he had seen when he was injured.
- Schoolmastering kept him busy when he returned from his trip. He was also an assistant housemaster.
- Boy was a rising young entrepreneur in the sugar business.
- Within one year, the Stauntons had their first child and named him Edward David Staunton.
- Boy and Leola left the Presbyterian Church and became Anglicans.
- Dunstan discovered that Mr. Surgeioner was the same man he saw with Mrs. Dempster. Mr. Surgeioner told Dunstan he didn't rape Mrs. Dempster, and described his encounter with Mrs. Dempster was a miracle.
- Dunstan went back to Deptford and found out the name of the Aunt who took Mrs. Dempster after Mr. Dempster died.
- Dunstan went to see the priest while he was in Deptford. They discussed his past and his new interest in saints. The priest called him a fool-saint.
- Dunstan went to Weston to see Mrs. Dempster.
- Mrs. Dempster didn't remember the past.
- Miss Bertha Shankin asked Dunstan to come back and visit and get to know Mrs. Dempster over again as her friend.
- Dunstan went on a great hunt starting in England working his way across France, Austria to Czechoslovakia.
- His journeys led to him writing his book "A hundred saints for Travelers".
- While he was in Tyrol he attended a circus.
- When he watched the show he realized Paul Dempster was on the stage and doing the magic tricks.
- Paul was named Faustus Legrand by that time.
- Paul didn't want to discuss his past.
- When Dunstan left he realized Paul had stolen his wallet.
Interpretation:
This part focused on Dunstan’s study on history and saint. It started with Dunstan’s enrolment at the University of Toronto, and ended with his accidental meeting with Paul Dempster in the Tyrol. This part is called “My Fool-Saint” because Dunstan’s study of saints leaded him to think Mrs. Dempster might be one. However, he has been told if Mrs. Dempster was anything, she was a “fool-saint”.
Part Four. Gyges and King Candaules
Summary:
- Boy made a lot of money during the depression.
- Boy always talked to Dunstan about Leola.
- Boy was constantly trying to mold Leola into the perfect executive's wife.
- Boy felt he was getting better and better everyday but Leola just stayed the same and never improved.
- Dunstan went to visit Mrs. Dempster every two weeks.
- Mrs. Shanklin died in 1932, and she had appointed Dunstan as Mrs. Dempster's guardian.
- Dunstan put Mrs. Dempster into a public hospital for the insane.
- Dunstan spent his time teaching and watching Boy’s destruction of Leola as well as taking care of Mrs. Dempster.
- Dunstan became involved with the Bollandists.
- Dunstan had sent the Bollandists some of his notes on saints and was asked to write for their magazine the Analecta.
- Mr. Padre Ignacio Blazon was the editor for the magazine and belonged to the Jesuits of the Societe des Bollandists.
- Dunstan and Ignacio spent time together discussing saints and Dunstan’s past.
- Ignacio told Dunstan that Mrs. Dempster was a saint because Dunstan felt she was.
- Dunstan visited Mrs. Dempster forty Saturdays a year.
- Dunstan finished his first book called "A Hundred Saints for Travellers".
- Boy would always invite Dunstan for Dinner when he was having guests.
- Boy's private life fascinated Dunstan. Boy would always hire young clean cut men in his companies and have meetings with them in private.
- After one dinner party Boy and Leola had a fight and Boy told her he was leaving her.
- Leola was in a deep depression and finally ended up trying to kill herself on Christmas Day.
- Leola left a suicide letter to Dunstan saying she always loved him.
Interpretation:
This part was mainly talking about the relationship between the protagonist of the novel, Dunstan Ramsay, and the antagonist of the novel, Boy Staunton. It began with Boy Staunton’s financial success in the Great Depression, and talked about the family struggle in the Staunton family. Since Dunstan was a very close friend to this family, he was kind of involved in the conflict. The part concluded with Leola’s near-suicide. The part was called “Gyges and King Canduales” because Dunstan’s study of myths made him thought his relationship with Boy was like the modern-day version of the legend “Gyges and King Canduales”.
Part Five. Liesl
Summary:
- During the World War II Boy became the Minister of Food in the coalition Cabinet.
- Leola had become more and more depressed and died in 1942.
- Dunstan took on the temporary position of Headmaster during the war
- After the war they found someone else and asked Dunstan to resign as they though that someone who chases saints shouldn't be in the position of Headmaster.
- Dunstan agreed when then gave his a six month leave of absences.
- Dunstan was in Guadalupe checking the churches for saints.
- Dunstan went to a magic show performed by Magnus Eisengrim.
- Dunstan discovered the Magnus Eisengrim was Paul Dempster.
- Dunstan met with Paul and his lovely assistant Faustina.
- When Liesl and Paul started to argue in German they though Dunstan wouldn't understand them. When he answered in German they were surprised.
- Dunstan became a member of Magnus Eisengrim's entourage.
- They wanted Dunstan to write an autobiography on Magnus but everything would have to be made up and he couldn't use his name as the author.
- Dunstan agreed, but had to be given shares in the company.
- Liesl and Paul would consult Dunstan on how to make the show better.
- Dunstan suggested them a "Brazen Head", the foretold the future.
- The "Brazen Head" was a huge success.
- Liesl and Paul discussed things that Liesl wanted in the autobiography.
- Paul found that he was telling things he had never told anyone else to Liesl.
- Dunstan and Lisel had a fight which ended up with Liesl getting a banged up nose. Dunstan had taken off his leg so it was difficult for him to get around.
- After a few minutes there was a tap on his door and it was Liesl, she offered him a drink.
- Dunstan invited Liesl in and cleaned up her cuts. They spent the night talking.
- Liesl told Dunstan he should shake hands with his devil and change his foolish life.
- Liesl told Dunstan he was the Fifth Business.
Interpretation:
This part was mainly talked about Dunstan’s life with Magnus Eisengrim’s magic show in Mexico. Also, the title of the novel has been explained in this part. The Fifth Business is the odd man out, the person who has no opposite of the other sex. And Dunstan was because he is the one who knows the secret of the hero's birth (Paul), or comes to assist the heroine when she thinks all is lost (Leola), or keeps the hermitess in her cell (Mrs. Dempster), or may even be the cause of somebody's death (Boy). This part was named after Liesl because Liesl’s advice has brought Dunstan’s life into a new stage.
Part Six. The Soiree of Illusions
Summary:
- Dunstan completed the Autobiography of Magnus Eisengrim and it was a great success.
- Liesl insisted that Paul sign a banker’s note to support his mom monthly.
- At the end of the war Dunstan had Mrs. Dempster transferred to a private hospital.
- When Dunstan went to see her he told her about Paul and she seemed to go mad.
- She thought there was a plot to deprive her of her little son and Dunstan was its agent.
- Boy remarried.
- Boy attempted to become the leader of the Conservative party.
- Boy’s new wife’s name was Denyse and she tried to push him into more politics.
- Caroline and David hated Denyse.
- The failure of not winning re-election seemed to devastate Boy.
- Boy felt he had done everything he had ever wanted to do.
- Boy told Dunstan he wished that he could get in his car and drive away from everything.
- Mrs. Dempster died the year after Boys' second marriage.
- Dunstan begged for forgiveness because even though he had done is best he didn't think he loved enough.
- The following summer Dunstan went to Europe and visited the Bollandists.
- Dunstan went to visit the old Padre Blazon in the hospital.
- After visiting with Blazon he went to the see a exhibition in the Cathedral and there at last was his Little Madonna he had seen the bad night at Passchendaele.
- Boy Staunton was found dead in his car in the Toronto harbour.
- Dunstan tells of his meeting with Paul, Boy and himself when they discussed the past and what happened to Mrs. Dempster.
- Boy insisted he didn't remember any of it.
- Dunstan kept the rock in a box with the engraving.
- It mysteriously disappeared and was found in Boys mouth when he died.
- Dunstan went off to Switzerland and joined the Basso and the Brazen Head.
Interpretation:
This part was the ending of the novel, which basically gave a resolution to every conflict through out the novel. The story ends with Dunstan telling the head master that Boy’s death created and uproar and that he went off to Switzerland and joined the Basso and the Brazen Head. It was called “The Soiree of Illusions” because that was the name of Eisengrim’s show, and it also refers to an evening in which illusions are shattered.
Summary:
- Boy Staunton threw a snowball which intentionally to hit Dunstable Ramsay, but accidentally hit the pregnant Mrs. Dempster.
- The event caused premature birth of Paul Dempster.
- Paul was born premature and Dunstable's mother helped Dr. Staunton take care of him.
- Mrs. Dempster had become simple-mindedness.
- Dunstable felt guilty for the accident even though he didn't throw the snowball.
- Dunstable started to fall in love with Mary and ended up defending her when people made fun of her.
- When Dunstable showed him coin tricks to Paul, Paul took the coins and did the tricks better than he did.
- Paul was good with his hands so Dunstable started to teach Paul how to do the tricks.
- Mr. Dempster told Dunstable never to come near any of his family again.
- Mrs. Dempster disappeared one night.
- Dunstable found Mrs. Dempster in the tall grass having sex with a tramp.
- Mr. Dempster kept his wife Mary tied to something in the house so she couldn't leave again.
- Dunstable went to visit Mrs. Dempster when Mr. Dempster was at work.
- Boy Staunton and Mabel Hughinton got caught by Mabel’s mother in the sexual act.
- People blamed the actions of Mrs. Dempster for the actions of the young people in town.
- Dunstable’s brother, Willie was in an accident and was seriously ill.
- While Dunstable was taking care of Willie, Willie quite breathing. Dunstable thought he was dead so he ran to Mrs. Dempster for help.
- Mrs. Dempster prayed over Willie and he started to move and breath again.
- Dunstable believed Mrs. Dempster had brought Willie back to life, but the villagers thought he was going crazy just like Mrs. Dempster.
- Dunstable’s mother asked Dunstable to choose between her and Mrs. Dempster.
- Dunstable chose the third way, he joined the army.
- While he was waiting to head off to war, Leola from school and Dunstable started dating.
- Before Dunstable left Leola told him the she loved him.
Interpretation:
Part one is entirely set in Deptford, a small town in Western Ontario. It tells the readers about boyhood of the protagonist, Dunstable Ramsay, from age 10 to age 17. This part built up the conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist, which are Dunstable and Boy. And the conflict applied though out the whole novel. Also, Dunstable’s deep guilt towards Mrs. Dempster had also been built up in this part. Since Mrs. Dempster figures most prominently in this section of the novel, part one was named after her.
Part Two. I Am Born Again
Summary:
- Dunstable was a member of the Second Canadian Division and later the Canadian Corps.
- Dunstable found the army very boring, because he was cut off from everything that could make life sweet.
- The only book Dunstable could read was the New Testament.
- He imitated Charlie Chaplin and after that they called him Charlie.
- Dunstable was in at the Third Battle of Ypres.
- Dunstable was in a small group of soldiers who had to crawl across the field and take out the German machine guns.
- Dunstable had killed three German soldiers.
- Dunstable’s left leg has been hit by a fragment of shell, and seriously injured.
- The last thing Dunstable saw before he lost his consciousness was a statue of the Virgin and Child, which the face of the Virgin was exactly like that of Mrs. Dempster.
- Dunstable woke up about 6 months after.
- Dunstable was in a hospital in Buckinghamshire, England.
- A nurse named Diana Marfleet had been taking care of him.
- Dunstable’s left leg had been amputated.
- Dunstable had been presumed dead
- The V.C. had been awarded to him for bravery in killing the three Germans.
- Dunstable’s parents had both died in the infuenze epidemic in 1918.
- Diana was a romantic girl and they could talk about anything.
- Dunstable received his Victoria Cross from the King.
- Dunstable had sex for the first time, with Diana.
- Diana was expecting an engagement proposal from Dunstable but he felt the relationship wouldn't work.
- They discussed their relationship and parted as friends.
- Diana renamed him as Dunstan
- Dunstan returned to Deptford where he was given a hero’s welcome.
- Boy and Leola announced their engagement.
- Dunstan found out Mr. Dempster had died and Mrs. Dempster’s Aunt had came and taken her away.
- Paul Dempster had run off and joined the circus and people hadn't seen him since.
Interpretation:
This part talked about Dunstable’s life in battlefield and his affair with Diana in England, and also his return as a veteran and hero to Deptford. Notice that the title “I Am Born Again” symbolized two things. The first one is his escape from death on the battlefield. After he regained his consciousness, Diana took care of him like his mother. The second thing is his rename by Diana, which symbolized him born twice.
Part Three. My Fool-Saint
Summary:
- Dunstan studied history in University College in the University of Toronto.
- Dunstan sold his family home and business and Boy helped him invest his money so he could make a profit.
- After university Dunstan took a job, schoolmastering at Colbourne College.
- Boy married Leola at the Presbyterian Church in Deptford and Dunstan was the best man.
- Dunstan was on the same ship as the Stauntons, since he was going to Europe and the Stauntons were on their honeymoon.
- Dunstan was in search of the little Madonna he had seen when he was injured.
- Schoolmastering kept him busy when he returned from his trip. He was also an assistant housemaster.
- Boy was a rising young entrepreneur in the sugar business.
- Within one year, the Stauntons had their first child and named him Edward David Staunton.
- Boy and Leola left the Presbyterian Church and became Anglicans.
- Dunstan discovered that Mr. Surgeioner was the same man he saw with Mrs. Dempster. Mr. Surgeioner told Dunstan he didn't rape Mrs. Dempster, and described his encounter with Mrs. Dempster was a miracle.
- Dunstan went back to Deptford and found out the name of the Aunt who took Mrs. Dempster after Mr. Dempster died.
- Dunstan went to see the priest while he was in Deptford. They discussed his past and his new interest in saints. The priest called him a fool-saint.
- Dunstan went to Weston to see Mrs. Dempster.
- Mrs. Dempster didn't remember the past.
- Miss Bertha Shankin asked Dunstan to come back and visit and get to know Mrs. Dempster over again as her friend.
- Dunstan went on a great hunt starting in England working his way across France, Austria to Czechoslovakia.
- His journeys led to him writing his book "A hundred saints for Travelers".
- While he was in Tyrol he attended a circus.
- When he watched the show he realized Paul Dempster was on the stage and doing the magic tricks.
- Paul was named Faustus Legrand by that time.
- Paul didn't want to discuss his past.
- When Dunstan left he realized Paul had stolen his wallet.
Interpretation:
This part focused on Dunstan’s study on history and saint. It started with Dunstan’s enrolment at the University of Toronto, and ended with his accidental meeting with Paul Dempster in the Tyrol. This part is called “My Fool-Saint” because Dunstan’s study of saints leaded him to think Mrs. Dempster might be one. However, he has been told if Mrs. Dempster was anything, she was a “fool-saint”.
Part Four. Gyges and King Candaules
Summary:
- Boy made a lot of money during the depression.
- Boy always talked to Dunstan about Leola.
- Boy was constantly trying to mold Leola into the perfect executive's wife.
- Boy felt he was getting better and better everyday but Leola just stayed the same and never improved.
- Dunstan went to visit Mrs. Dempster every two weeks.
- Mrs. Shanklin died in 1932, and she had appointed Dunstan as Mrs. Dempster's guardian.
- Dunstan put Mrs. Dempster into a public hospital for the insane.
- Dunstan spent his time teaching and watching Boy’s destruction of Leola as well as taking care of Mrs. Dempster.
- Dunstan became involved with the Bollandists.
- Dunstan had sent the Bollandists some of his notes on saints and was asked to write for their magazine the Analecta.
- Mr. Padre Ignacio Blazon was the editor for the magazine and belonged to the Jesuits of the Societe des Bollandists.
- Dunstan and Ignacio spent time together discussing saints and Dunstan’s past.
- Ignacio told Dunstan that Mrs. Dempster was a saint because Dunstan felt she was.
- Dunstan visited Mrs. Dempster forty Saturdays a year.
- Dunstan finished his first book called "A Hundred Saints for Travellers".
- Boy would always invite Dunstan for Dinner when he was having guests.
- Boy's private life fascinated Dunstan. Boy would always hire young clean cut men in his companies and have meetings with them in private.
- After one dinner party Boy and Leola had a fight and Boy told her he was leaving her.
- Leola was in a deep depression and finally ended up trying to kill herself on Christmas Day.
- Leola left a suicide letter to Dunstan saying she always loved him.
Interpretation:
This part was mainly talking about the relationship between the protagonist of the novel, Dunstan Ramsay, and the antagonist of the novel, Boy Staunton. It began with Boy Staunton’s financial success in the Great Depression, and talked about the family struggle in the Staunton family. Since Dunstan was a very close friend to this family, he was kind of involved in the conflict. The part concluded with Leola’s near-suicide. The part was called “Gyges and King Canduales” because Dunstan’s study of myths made him thought his relationship with Boy was like the modern-day version of the legend “Gyges and King Canduales”.
Part Five. Liesl
Summary:
- During the World War II Boy became the Minister of Food in the coalition Cabinet.
- Leola had become more and more depressed and died in 1942.
- Dunstan took on the temporary position of Headmaster during the war
- After the war they found someone else and asked Dunstan to resign as they though that someone who chases saints shouldn't be in the position of Headmaster.
- Dunstan agreed when then gave his a six month leave of absences.
- Dunstan was in Guadalupe checking the churches for saints.
- Dunstan went to a magic show performed by Magnus Eisengrim.
- Dunstan discovered the Magnus Eisengrim was Paul Dempster.
- Dunstan met with Paul and his lovely assistant Faustina.
- When Liesl and Paul started to argue in German they though Dunstan wouldn't understand them. When he answered in German they were surprised.
- Dunstan became a member of Magnus Eisengrim's entourage.
- They wanted Dunstan to write an autobiography on Magnus but everything would have to be made up and he couldn't use his name as the author.
- Dunstan agreed, but had to be given shares in the company.
- Liesl and Paul would consult Dunstan on how to make the show better.
- Dunstan suggested them a "Brazen Head", the foretold the future.
- The "Brazen Head" was a huge success.
- Liesl and Paul discussed things that Liesl wanted in the autobiography.
- Paul found that he was telling things he had never told anyone else to Liesl.
- Dunstan and Lisel had a fight which ended up with Liesl getting a banged up nose. Dunstan had taken off his leg so it was difficult for him to get around.
- After a few minutes there was a tap on his door and it was Liesl, she offered him a drink.
- Dunstan invited Liesl in and cleaned up her cuts. They spent the night talking.
- Liesl told Dunstan he should shake hands with his devil and change his foolish life.
- Liesl told Dunstan he was the Fifth Business.
Interpretation:
This part was mainly talked about Dunstan’s life with Magnus Eisengrim’s magic show in Mexico. Also, the title of the novel has been explained in this part. The Fifth Business is the odd man out, the person who has no opposite of the other sex. And Dunstan was because he is the one who knows the secret of the hero's birth (Paul), or comes to assist the heroine when she thinks all is lost (Leola), or keeps the hermitess in her cell (Mrs. Dempster), or may even be the cause of somebody's death (Boy). This part was named after Liesl because Liesl’s advice has brought Dunstan’s life into a new stage.
Part Six. The Soiree of Illusions
Summary:
- Dunstan completed the Autobiography of Magnus Eisengrim and it was a great success.
- Liesl insisted that Paul sign a banker’s note to support his mom monthly.
- At the end of the war Dunstan had Mrs. Dempster transferred to a private hospital.
- When Dunstan went to see her he told her about Paul and she seemed to go mad.
- She thought there was a plot to deprive her of her little son and Dunstan was its agent.
- Boy remarried.
- Boy attempted to become the leader of the Conservative party.
- Boy’s new wife’s name was Denyse and she tried to push him into more politics.
- Caroline and David hated Denyse.
- The failure of not winning re-election seemed to devastate Boy.
- Boy felt he had done everything he had ever wanted to do.
- Boy told Dunstan he wished that he could get in his car and drive away from everything.
- Mrs. Dempster died the year after Boys' second marriage.
- Dunstan begged for forgiveness because even though he had done is best he didn't think he loved enough.
- The following summer Dunstan went to Europe and visited the Bollandists.
- Dunstan went to visit the old Padre Blazon in the hospital.
- After visiting with Blazon he went to the see a exhibition in the Cathedral and there at last was his Little Madonna he had seen the bad night at Passchendaele.
- Boy Staunton was found dead in his car in the Toronto harbour.
- Dunstan tells of his meeting with Paul, Boy and himself when they discussed the past and what happened to Mrs. Dempster.
- Boy insisted he didn't remember any of it.
- Dunstan kept the rock in a box with the engraving.
- It mysteriously disappeared and was found in Boys mouth when he died.
- Dunstan went off to Switzerland and joined the Basso and the Brazen Head.
Interpretation:
This part was the ending of the novel, which basically gave a resolution to every conflict through out the novel. The story ends with Dunstan telling the head master that Boy’s death created and uproar and that he went off to Switzerland and joined the Basso and the Brazen Head. It was called “The Soiree of Illusions” because that was the name of Eisengrim’s show, and it also refers to an evening in which illusions are shattered.
Deptford, A Place Where Everything Began
In the novel Fifth Business, written by Robertson Davies, there was a very important setting called Deptford. Deptford was the place where the novel started with and it was also where the main characters of the novel came from.
Deptford was a small town located in Western Ontario, Canada, it laid on the Thames River about fifteen miles east of Pittstown, the country town and nearest big place. Deptford had an official population of about five hundred, and the surrounding farms probably brought the district up to eight hundred souls, and everybody knew everybody.
There were five churches in Deptford, Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, and Roman Catholic. The Anglican was poor but believed to have some mysterious social supremacy. The Presbyterian was solvent and thought–chiefly by itself–to be intellectual. The Methodist was insolvent and fervent. The Baptist was insolvent and saved. The Roman Catholic was mysterious to most of people in town but clearly solvent. Deptford was dominated by Christian morals.
Deptford had one lawyer, who was also the magistrate; one banker in a private bank; two doctors, Dr. McCausland who was reputed to be clever, and Dr. Staunton, who was also clever, but in the realm of real estate–he was a great holder of mortgages and owned several farms; one dentist, a wretch without manual skill; a veterinarian, who drank but could rise to an occasion. There was a canning factory, which operated noisily and feverishly when there was anything to can; one sawmill and a few shops in Deptford.
Deptford was dominated by the rich Athelstan family, who had done well out of lumber early in the nineteenth. They owned the only three-storey house in Deptford, which stood by itself on the way to the cemetery. Most of the houses in Deptford were of wood, and some of them stood on piles, for the Thames had a trick of flooding.
Since Deptford was a typical small town and with low population, the relationships between neighborhoods were good, everybody knew everybody. This was the good side of small town life. A real community would pull together when there is an emergency. For example, when Willie Ramsay, the son of the owner and editor of the local weekly paper, was seriously ill, needs constant nursing, many people freely offer assistance to the Ramsay family. Also, when Mrs. Dempster was lost, a volunteer search party was quickly organized.
Although the village of Deptford has many of the sterling, moral characteristics associated with small-town living. However, in its heart lurks much darkness and evil as well, which can be shown through the example of Mrs. Dempster. Since everybody knew everybody in Deptford, people didn’t really have privacies. When Mrs. Dempster has been caught of having sex with a tramp, everybody knew about it, and people started to make rude jokes about Mrs. Dempster, which had made a big damage to the Dempster family.
After all, Deptford was a quaint, old-fashioned Canadian village in the novel Fifth Business, written by Robertson Davies. It had both good and bad side of small-town living. And it was the place where everything started.
Deptford was a small town located in Western Ontario, Canada, it laid on the Thames River about fifteen miles east of Pittstown, the country town and nearest big place. Deptford had an official population of about five hundred, and the surrounding farms probably brought the district up to eight hundred souls, and everybody knew everybody.
There were five churches in Deptford, Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, and Roman Catholic. The Anglican was poor but believed to have some mysterious social supremacy. The Presbyterian was solvent and thought–chiefly by itself–to be intellectual. The Methodist was insolvent and fervent. The Baptist was insolvent and saved. The Roman Catholic was mysterious to most of people in town but clearly solvent. Deptford was dominated by Christian morals.
Deptford had one lawyer, who was also the magistrate; one banker in a private bank; two doctors, Dr. McCausland who was reputed to be clever, and Dr. Staunton, who was also clever, but in the realm of real estate–he was a great holder of mortgages and owned several farms; one dentist, a wretch without manual skill; a veterinarian, who drank but could rise to an occasion. There was a canning factory, which operated noisily and feverishly when there was anything to can; one sawmill and a few shops in Deptford.
Deptford was dominated by the rich Athelstan family, who had done well out of lumber early in the nineteenth. They owned the only three-storey house in Deptford, which stood by itself on the way to the cemetery. Most of the houses in Deptford were of wood, and some of them stood on piles, for the Thames had a trick of flooding.
Since Deptford was a typical small town and with low population, the relationships between neighborhoods were good, everybody knew everybody. This was the good side of small town life. A real community would pull together when there is an emergency. For example, when Willie Ramsay, the son of the owner and editor of the local weekly paper, was seriously ill, needs constant nursing, many people freely offer assistance to the Ramsay family. Also, when Mrs. Dempster was lost, a volunteer search party was quickly organized.
Although the village of Deptford has many of the sterling, moral characteristics associated with small-town living. However, in its heart lurks much darkness and evil as well, which can be shown through the example of Mrs. Dempster. Since everybody knew everybody in Deptford, people didn’t really have privacies. When Mrs. Dempster has been caught of having sex with a tramp, everybody knew about it, and people started to make rude jokes about Mrs. Dempster, which had made a big damage to the Dempster family.
After all, Deptford was a quaint, old-fashioned Canadian village in the novel Fifth Business, written by Robertson Davies. It had both good and bad side of small-town living. And it was the place where everything started.
A Saint to Me, My Mom
In Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary seventh edition, the definition of the word “saint” is “a person that the Christian Church recognizes as being very holy, because of the way they have lived or died” or “a very good, kind or patient parson”. The first one is too holy to me, and I am pretty sure that I have not encountered a saint that has recognized by the Christian Church yet in my life. So I choose the second definition, “a very good, kind or patient person”. Yes, I know a person is such a saint, and I live with her, she is my mom.
In the novel Fifth Business, written by Robertson Davies, Mary Dempster had made three miracles which she saved people three times. The three miracles made Dunstable Ramsay thought she was a saint. For me, my mom also has three miracles, which she had saved me three times.
Many years ago, when I was not even one year old, I had a major pneumonia. Pneumonia is a serious illness for babies. It could place a baby’s life in danger. Many babies die because of pneumonia. My mom was the first person who discovered my condition. She decided to take me to the hospital promptly. It was on a weekend night, most of the hospitals were closed. She grabbed a taxi and took me to the kids’ hospital, it was almost the only one stayed open and it was very far away from our house. She worried about me a lot until the doctor told her that I would be fine after their treatment. She stayed at the hospital for the whole night to take care of me, and didn’t sleep at all. My mom snatched me from the hand of death.
Every girl wants to be a pretty princess, so do I. But princesses don’t have twisted teeth. When I came to the age of changing teeth, my mom was concerned a lot about my teeth. On a national long holiday, she found that two of my old teeth were moving and were ready to be pulled out. Since it was on a national holiday, most of the hospitals were closed. Only one hospital was opened, and it only opened for a morning section. By the time my mom found out about my teeth, it was already 11 o’clock. She drove me to the hospital as fast as she could. We arrived at the hospital at 11: 20, and finally got my teeth pulled out. My mom said to me: “Now, you can still be a pretty princess with perfect teeth.”
I have always been a straight-A student since kindergarten. In grade three, I received the first B in my life. I was very upset about my mark and ready for the censure from my mom. Unexpectedly, she did not blame me at all. Instead, she helped me to find the mistakes that I made on the test, and studied with me. She taught me the right way to deal with failure. She taught me the true meaning of “failure is the mother of success”, since I got an A plus on the next test. She did not hurt my feeling when she knows my bad mark. On the other hand, she encouraged me to do batter. She saved me from losing my self-confidence.
Therefore, from the three miracles, I can prove that my mom is a saint, at least to me. She saved me from different areas of life. She is the best mom in the world. To me, she is my saint.
In the novel Fifth Business, written by Robertson Davies, Mary Dempster had made three miracles which she saved people three times. The three miracles made Dunstable Ramsay thought she was a saint. For me, my mom also has three miracles, which she had saved me three times.
Many years ago, when I was not even one year old, I had a major pneumonia. Pneumonia is a serious illness for babies. It could place a baby’s life in danger. Many babies die because of pneumonia. My mom was the first person who discovered my condition. She decided to take me to the hospital promptly. It was on a weekend night, most of the hospitals were closed. She grabbed a taxi and took me to the kids’ hospital, it was almost the only one stayed open and it was very far away from our house. She worried about me a lot until the doctor told her that I would be fine after their treatment. She stayed at the hospital for the whole night to take care of me, and didn’t sleep at all. My mom snatched me from the hand of death.
Every girl wants to be a pretty princess, so do I. But princesses don’t have twisted teeth. When I came to the age of changing teeth, my mom was concerned a lot about my teeth. On a national long holiday, she found that two of my old teeth were moving and were ready to be pulled out. Since it was on a national holiday, most of the hospitals were closed. Only one hospital was opened, and it only opened for a morning section. By the time my mom found out about my teeth, it was already 11 o’clock. She drove me to the hospital as fast as she could. We arrived at the hospital at 11: 20, and finally got my teeth pulled out. My mom said to me: “Now, you can still be a pretty princess with perfect teeth.”
I have always been a straight-A student since kindergarten. In grade three, I received the first B in my life. I was very upset about my mark and ready for the censure from my mom. Unexpectedly, she did not blame me at all. Instead, she helped me to find the mistakes that I made on the test, and studied with me. She taught me the right way to deal with failure. She taught me the true meaning of “failure is the mother of success”, since I got an A plus on the next test. She did not hurt my feeling when she knows my bad mark. On the other hand, she encouraged me to do batter. She saved me from losing my self-confidence.
Therefore, from the three miracles, I can prove that my mom is a saint, at least to me. She saved me from different areas of life. She is the best mom in the world. To me, she is my saint.
Life is ?
Life is a tour,
every scenery needs to be cherished.
Life is a platform,
the intention is to leave and move on.
Life is a movie,
every scene is meant to be played.
Life is a flame,
burning everything off to be bright.
Life is a river,
sometimes quiet, sometimes crazy.
Life is a sandglass,
every second is falling, never stop.
Life is a struggle,
which was designed to beat the losers.
every scenery needs to be cherished.
Life is a platform,
the intention is to leave and move on.
Life is a movie,
every scene is meant to be played.
Life is a flame,
burning everything off to be bright.
Life is a river,
sometimes quiet, sometimes crazy.
Life is a sandglass,
every second is falling, never stop.
Life is a struggle,
which was designed to beat the losers.
Guilt Controls People?
Guilt, the strongest damage to people who have morel. It can make people fidget, can control people’s life, even kill the people. In the novel Fifth Business, written by Robertson Davies, guilt is the most important theme. It appealed through out the whole novel, and it is the most important element that helps the plot move. In Fifth Business, nearly all of the main characters have tied to this theme. The examples of this can be Paul Dempster, Boy Staunton, and Dunstable Ramsay.
Paul Dempster’s guilt towards his mother, Mary Dempster, had caused a great change in his life. When he was old enough to understand, he blamed himself for causing his mother’s simple-mindedness because he has been told that it was his birth that did it. Also, people in the town have worsened his guilt by keeping a distance from him. This can be shown in the quote, “Paul was not a village favourite, and the dislike so many people felt for his mother–dislike for the queer and persistently unfortunate–they attached to the unoffending son.”(Fifth Business. page 32) Also, this quote shows Paul has been looked down upon because of his mother’s simple-mindedness. After Mary Dempster was caught in the act of having sex with a tramp, which was also blamed on her simple-mindedness, people started to make rude jokes about her. This made Paul felt even guiltier about his mother, and chose to run away from home. It was a great change of Paul’s life, and eventually he became a famous magician. Therefore, in Paul Dempster’s case, guilt changed his life.
Unlike Paul Dempster, whose guilt had been lived with him since he found out his situation, Boy Staunton’s guilt had not been found until his 60’s. When he was young, he was a boy who lack with responsibilities. He threw the snowball, and it accidentally hit Mrs. Dempster, and caused premature birth of Paul and Mrs. Dempster’s simple-mindedness. But he refused to admit that by saying, “I threw a snowball at you, and I guess it gave you a good smack.”(Fifth Business. page 14) This quote shows Boy seriously thought he did not hit Mrs. Dempster which resulted in no guilt until 50 years later. By the time Boy Staunton was 60, he totally forgot about the snowball incident, even the Dempsters. So when Dunstable told him about the snowball and the rock inside the snowball, he went through many different feelings, and they were mostly negative emotions. Boy’s repressed guilt damaged and recoiled himself. Since Boy was a person with good moral, his realization of what he has done triggered his idea of suicide. Therefore, Boy Staunton’s guilt killed himself.
And lastly, Dunstable Ramsay, who suffered from his guilt through out the whole novel. His guilt was not as extreme as Boy Staunton’s, but much deeper. Since Dunstable has been raised in a strict Presbyterian family, he has been taught that he should feel guilty about many minor things. So when the snowball, which initially meant to hit him, accidentally hit the pregnant Mrs. Dempster, and caused the premature birth of Paul Dempster, Dunstable had fell into the maelstrom of guilt. The quote, “I had never heard an adult cry in pain before and the sound was terrible for me.”(Fifth Business. page 2) shows the beginning of his continuous guilt towards Mrs. Dempster. His choice of taking care of Mrs. Dempster was a great example of his continuous guilt. Also, Dunstable’s idea of seeing Mrs. Dempster as a saint might also cause by his continuous guilt. His guilt has made him never forget about Mrs. Dempster. And it had not released until he told the truth of the snowball incident to both Boy Staunton and Paul Dempster. Although he released from his guilt towards Mrs. Dempster, but he had fallen into his guilt towards Boy Staunton, because he thought he had killed his best friend, Boy indirectly. Therefore, Dunstable Ramsay’s life has been controlled by guilt through out the whole novel.
In conclusion, the theme guilt played a really important role in the novel Fifth Business, written by Robertson Davies. Most of the characters have tied to this theme, for example, Paul Dempster, Boy Staunton, and Dunstable Ramsay. Guilt has made big changes for their life, and even killed someone. Therefore, guilt is the strongest thing that can change people’s life.
Paul Dempster’s guilt towards his mother, Mary Dempster, had caused a great change in his life. When he was old enough to understand, he blamed himself for causing his mother’s simple-mindedness because he has been told that it was his birth that did it. Also, people in the town have worsened his guilt by keeping a distance from him. This can be shown in the quote, “Paul was not a village favourite, and the dislike so many people felt for his mother–dislike for the queer and persistently unfortunate–they attached to the unoffending son.”(Fifth Business. page 32) Also, this quote shows Paul has been looked down upon because of his mother’s simple-mindedness. After Mary Dempster was caught in the act of having sex with a tramp, which was also blamed on her simple-mindedness, people started to make rude jokes about her. This made Paul felt even guiltier about his mother, and chose to run away from home. It was a great change of Paul’s life, and eventually he became a famous magician. Therefore, in Paul Dempster’s case, guilt changed his life.
Unlike Paul Dempster, whose guilt had been lived with him since he found out his situation, Boy Staunton’s guilt had not been found until his 60’s. When he was young, he was a boy who lack with responsibilities. He threw the snowball, and it accidentally hit Mrs. Dempster, and caused premature birth of Paul and Mrs. Dempster’s simple-mindedness. But he refused to admit that by saying, “I threw a snowball at you, and I guess it gave you a good smack.”(Fifth Business. page 14) This quote shows Boy seriously thought he did not hit Mrs. Dempster which resulted in no guilt until 50 years later. By the time Boy Staunton was 60, he totally forgot about the snowball incident, even the Dempsters. So when Dunstable told him about the snowball and the rock inside the snowball, he went through many different feelings, and they were mostly negative emotions. Boy’s repressed guilt damaged and recoiled himself. Since Boy was a person with good moral, his realization of what he has done triggered his idea of suicide. Therefore, Boy Staunton’s guilt killed himself.
And lastly, Dunstable Ramsay, who suffered from his guilt through out the whole novel. His guilt was not as extreme as Boy Staunton’s, but much deeper. Since Dunstable has been raised in a strict Presbyterian family, he has been taught that he should feel guilty about many minor things. So when the snowball, which initially meant to hit him, accidentally hit the pregnant Mrs. Dempster, and caused the premature birth of Paul Dempster, Dunstable had fell into the maelstrom of guilt. The quote, “I had never heard an adult cry in pain before and the sound was terrible for me.”(Fifth Business. page 2) shows the beginning of his continuous guilt towards Mrs. Dempster. His choice of taking care of Mrs. Dempster was a great example of his continuous guilt. Also, Dunstable’s idea of seeing Mrs. Dempster as a saint might also cause by his continuous guilt. His guilt has made him never forget about Mrs. Dempster. And it had not released until he told the truth of the snowball incident to both Boy Staunton and Paul Dempster. Although he released from his guilt towards Mrs. Dempster, but he had fallen into his guilt towards Boy Staunton, because he thought he had killed his best friend, Boy indirectly. Therefore, Dunstable Ramsay’s life has been controlled by guilt through out the whole novel.
In conclusion, the theme guilt played a really important role in the novel Fifth Business, written by Robertson Davies. Most of the characters have tied to this theme, for example, Paul Dempster, Boy Staunton, and Dunstable Ramsay. Guilt has made big changes for their life, and even killed someone. Therefore, guilt is the strongest thing that can change people’s life.
Monday, July 27, 2009
The Curious Case of Boy Staunton
November 4, 1968
Daisy Yao
Staff Reporter
Today, at 4 o’clock on the morning, police dredged a Cadillac convertible up from the waters pf Toronto Harbour, with Boy Staunton’s dead body in the driver’s seat.
With preliminary investigation, the Cadillac convertible has been confirmed as Boy Staunton’s car. And police identified the sink of Staunton’s Cadillac was because it had been driven very fast off the end of the concrete pier.
Strange facts can be found in this case. Firstly, the car was full-filled with water, but the windows and the roof were closed. Secondly, Boy Stauton’s hands griped the wheel so tightly that is was very difficult for the police to remove him from the car.
But the most curious fact of all was that the police found a stone in Boy Staunton’s mouth. It was an ordinary piece of pinkish granite about the size of a small egg. “It could not possibly be there unless Stauton himself, or someone unknown, had put it there.” says Dylan Humphrey, a police investigator.
New revelation shows Boy Staunton was about to appointed the Lieutenant- Governor of Ontario within a few days. Was a man with Boy Staunton’s high concept of service likely to have killed himself under such circumstances? “I don’t believe Boy would commit suicide, he was such a responsible person. This must be a murder!” says Denyse Stauton, Boy Stauton’s wife.
Was Boy Stauton’s death a suicide? Or was it a murder? Police don’t have an answer yet. Was it murder? But how could anyone want to murder someone who had done so much for the nation? Was it suicide? But why would the head of Alpha Corporation, one of the richest men in Canada, handsome and still youthful-looking, want to kill himself? Murder or suicide? Let’s wait for the truth to come out.
Daisy Yao
Staff Reporter
Today, at 4 o’clock on the morning, police dredged a Cadillac convertible up from the waters pf Toronto Harbour, with Boy Staunton’s dead body in the driver’s seat.
With preliminary investigation, the Cadillac convertible has been confirmed as Boy Staunton’s car. And police identified the sink of Staunton’s Cadillac was because it had been driven very fast off the end of the concrete pier.
Strange facts can be found in this case. Firstly, the car was full-filled with water, but the windows and the roof were closed. Secondly, Boy Stauton’s hands griped the wheel so tightly that is was very difficult for the police to remove him from the car.
But the most curious fact of all was that the police found a stone in Boy Staunton’s mouth. It was an ordinary piece of pinkish granite about the size of a small egg. “It could not possibly be there unless Stauton himself, or someone unknown, had put it there.” says Dylan Humphrey, a police investigator.
New revelation shows Boy Staunton was about to appointed the Lieutenant- Governor of Ontario within a few days. Was a man with Boy Staunton’s high concept of service likely to have killed himself under such circumstances? “I don’t believe Boy would commit suicide, he was such a responsible person. This must be a murder!” says Denyse Stauton, Boy Stauton’s wife.
Was Boy Stauton’s death a suicide? Or was it a murder? Police don’t have an answer yet. Was it murder? But how could anyone want to murder someone who had done so much for the nation? Was it suicide? But why would the head of Alpha Corporation, one of the richest men in Canada, handsome and still youthful-looking, want to kill himself? Murder or suicide? Let’s wait for the truth to come out.
Shame Kills a High-Popularity Lawyer
February 25, 1932
Daisy Yao
Staff Reporter
Yesterday, in Weston, Ontario, a well-known local family lawyer committed suicide in his hunting activity, whose name was Orpheus Wattenhall.
Police wanted to keep this information secret, but eventually it leaked out. Police said Orpheus Wattenhall has been killed by a hunting accident, but actually he committed suicide because of the disclosure of his debts.
Orpheus Wattenhall was a famous local family lawyer of the old school. He looked after a number of estates for farmers and people who had not learned about new ways of doing business.
Wattenhall had been paying his clients a good unadventurous return on their money for years, but he had been investing that the same money in the stock market for big returns. When crash came, he was unprepared, and since 1929 he had been paying out quite a lot of his own money to keep his affairs on an even keel.
But two weeks ago, one of Wattenhall clients died because of pneumonia, this had made his affairs impossible to go on, and his failure of investment would have to come to light. He could not bear the shame, so he committed suicide.
Although there were old people whose money Wattenhall had spent who would now be destitute, but people had liked him so much and felt sorry for him. “I am so sorry for him. He was such a good and cheerful man. He should not die” says Rita Woods, one of Wattenhall’s clients, “Ms. Shanklin should not die so soon, otherwise Mr. Wattenhall would not commit suicide.”
Daisy Yao
Staff Reporter
Yesterday, in Weston, Ontario, a well-known local family lawyer committed suicide in his hunting activity, whose name was Orpheus Wattenhall.
Police wanted to keep this information secret, but eventually it leaked out. Police said Orpheus Wattenhall has been killed by a hunting accident, but actually he committed suicide because of the disclosure of his debts.
Orpheus Wattenhall was a famous local family lawyer of the old school. He looked after a number of estates for farmers and people who had not learned about new ways of doing business.
Wattenhall had been paying his clients a good unadventurous return on their money for years, but he had been investing that the same money in the stock market for big returns. When crash came, he was unprepared, and since 1929 he had been paying out quite a lot of his own money to keep his affairs on an even keel.
But two weeks ago, one of Wattenhall clients died because of pneumonia, this had made his affairs impossible to go on, and his failure of investment would have to come to light. He could not bear the shame, so he committed suicide.
Although there were old people whose money Wattenhall had spent who would now be destitute, but people had liked him so much and felt sorry for him. “I am so sorry for him. He was such a good and cheerful man. He should not die” says Rita Woods, one of Wattenhall’s clients, “Ms. Shanklin should not die so soon, otherwise Mr. Wattenhall would not commit suicide.”
Dead Hero Come Back to Life
May 13, 1918
Daisy Yao
Staff Reporter
Yesterday, in a special hospital in Buckinghamshire, England, a Canadian soldier who has been presumed died in the Third Battle of Ypres in November, 1917, regained his consciousness.
Dunstable Ramsay, a Canadian soldier who has killed three German soldiers in the Third Battle of Ypres in Passchendaele. His left leg was seriously injured and lost conscious on the battlefield. Since his identification disks had been burned up, people presumed him as sacrificed during the battle.
After almost six months, he regained his consciousness, and still could remember his name and everything else that had happened. “This is incredible! I thought he will lay unconscious forever!” says Diana Marfleet, the nurse who takes care of Dunstanle Ramsay.
It is reported that Dunstable Ramsay’s left leg was hit by a fragment of exploding shell and his chest and left side were badly burned by a flare. “He was a lucky man! Although his left leg had been amputated, but he survived!” says Bill House, Dunstable Ramsay’s doctor.
Since Ramsay regained his consciousness, so the Victoria Cross that had been awarded to him posthumously could be presented to him in person. The medal was award to him for bravery in killing the three Germans. “Ramsay is a hero, and his bravery should be honored!” says the spokesman of King George V, “We hope he recover soon, to be able to attend the ceremony at Buckingham Palace.”
Daisy Yao
Staff Reporter
Yesterday, in a special hospital in Buckinghamshire, England, a Canadian soldier who has been presumed died in the Third Battle of Ypres in November, 1917, regained his consciousness.
Dunstable Ramsay, a Canadian soldier who has killed three German soldiers in the Third Battle of Ypres in Passchendaele. His left leg was seriously injured and lost conscious on the battlefield. Since his identification disks had been burned up, people presumed him as sacrificed during the battle.
After almost six months, he regained his consciousness, and still could remember his name and everything else that had happened. “This is incredible! I thought he will lay unconscious forever!” says Diana Marfleet, the nurse who takes care of Dunstanle Ramsay.
It is reported that Dunstable Ramsay’s left leg was hit by a fragment of exploding shell and his chest and left side were badly burned by a flare. “He was a lucky man! Although his left leg had been amputated, but he survived!” says Bill House, Dunstable Ramsay’s doctor.
Since Ramsay regained his consciousness, so the Victoria Cross that had been awarded to him posthumously could be presented to him in person. The medal was award to him for bravery in killing the three Germans. “Ramsay is a hero, and his bravery should be honored!” says the spokesman of King George V, “We hope he recover soon, to be able to attend the ceremony at Buckingham Palace.”
Inquiry Questions
Guide Questions:
- What is the authour's cultural and personal background?
http://www.nwpassages.com/bios/davies.asp
Davies was a Canadian writer, and well-educated.
- What about the author's background qualifies him or her to write this novel?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robertson_Davies
Davies' achievement in literature study helped him to write this novel.
- How does the author's personal and cultural background tie into the storyline?
http://www.athabascau.ca/writers/rdavies.html
Fifth Business was a sami-autobiography, the settings in the novel were similar to his real life experience. For example, Deptford can be seen as Davies' home town, Thameswille.
- How can the author's background tie into poetry and performance?
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0002151
Davies' achievement in literature helped him with the performance of Shakespear's play.
Selected Questions:
- How do the main characters in this book reflect characters in the author’s real life?
- What characters were made up and what characters were real?
- Why did the author choose to write this novel?
- What aspects of the author’s experiences are in the book?
- How much was this author’s life like a novel?
Additional Questions:
- What technique did the author use to catch reader’s attention?
- Why did the author use first person point if view?
- How dose the novel connect to the moral in society?
- How dose the novel connect to the events that happened when the novel was written?
- Why did the author divide the novel in the way it was divided?
- What is the authour's cultural and personal background?
http://www.nwpassages.com/bios/davies.asp
Davies was a Canadian writer, and well-educated.
- What about the author's background qualifies him or her to write this novel?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robertson_Davies
Davies' achievement in literature study helped him to write this novel.
- How does the author's personal and cultural background tie into the storyline?
http://www.athabascau.ca/writers/rdavies.html
Fifth Business was a sami-autobiography, the settings in the novel were similar to his real life experience. For example, Deptford can be seen as Davies' home town, Thameswille.
- How can the author's background tie into poetry and performance?
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0002151
Davies' achievement in literature helped him with the performance of Shakespear's play.
Selected Questions:
- How do the main characters in this book reflect characters in the author’s real life?
- What characters were made up and what characters were real?
- Why did the author choose to write this novel?
- What aspects of the author’s experiences are in the book?
- How much was this author’s life like a novel?
Additional Questions:
- What technique did the author use to catch reader’s attention?
- Why did the author use first person point if view?
- How dose the novel connect to the moral in society?
- How dose the novel connect to the events that happened when the novel was written?
- Why did the author divide the novel in the way it was divided?
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