Dunstan's Act Of Heroism

1.During Dunstan’s war years, he feels bored and scared. He was a part of the infantry and during that time, he is excruciatingly bored, so much so that he is “bored till every bone in my body was heavy with it” (Davies). Later on when he sees a fair share of action, his loneliness is replaced with fear, he describes his fear as this, “I was, in a mute, controlled, desperate fashion, frightened for the next three years” (Davies). This gives the reader an understanding that Dunstans war experiences were an extremely sad and depressing part of his life.

2. Dunstan believes the Bible is true, but not true in factual truth, instead, psychologically true. He relates the Bible to a book he's read, stating, “Religion and Arabian Nights were true …show more content…
Dunstan’s act of heroism is killing the three German soldiers that were operating the machine gun nest, clearing the way for the Canadians. The scene in which Dunstan performs his act of heroism does not sound very heroic, instead it sound very messy and lucky, “I found myself in the German Machine-gun nest… I shot all three at point-blank range” (Davies). Before Dunstan falls unconscious due to his injuries, Mrs. Dempster performs her third miracle. Just as he begins doubting her wisdom, he looks up and sees a statue and then describes that “what hit me worse than the blow of the shrapnel was that the face was Mrs. Dempster’s face” (Davies). The moment Dunstan does not think of Mrs. Dempster as a saint, she appears, causing Dunstan to believe once again that she is in fact …show more content…
Diana was a very educative experience for Dunstan because he showed him that there was more to his life and she showed him what it meant to be loved but in the end, he doesn't want to marry her because she appears more of a mother figure than a lover to him. When the two get into a fight and are close to ending things, Dunstan acknowledges that “I shall always be grateful to her for teaching me what the physical side of love was” (Davies), but realizes that “what was wrong between Diana and me was that she was too much a mother to me” (Davies). Although the two are lovers, Dunstan feels that Diana has turned him into her image and raised him like a mother and cannot bear the thought of, in his words, “being anyone's own dead laddie, ever again” (Davies). Dunstan wants to feel more in control in his own life

7. Dunstable changed his name to Dunstan because of Diana. After Diana accepts the fact that they are not getting married and they separate, she pleads Dunstan, “let me rename you… Why don't you change it to Dunstan? St Dunstan was a marvellous person and very much like you. Mad about learning. Terribly stiff and stern and scowly, and an absolute wizard at withstanding temptation” (Davies). The religious significance of this name is in that, like St Dunstan, Dunstable is able to withstand the temptation from all the women in his life (comparable to the devil in St Dunstan's life) with the exception of