Religion In Robertson Davies Fifth Business

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The different type of Religion in Fifth Business Expressed in many ways, religion is a substantial motif in Robertson Davies Fifth Business. Even when hidden in deep meaning, It is represented through many distinct characters, events and themes. It is a crucial part all through out Dunny 's life and every thing he experiences circulates back to his spirituality. However, Dunny is not the only character intrigued by the divine. Amasa and Boy Staunton are characters used to signify two other major types of religion: Fundamentalism and scripture twisting. Fundamentalism, scripture twisting and spirituality are three ways religion is conveyed in Robertson Davies Fifth Business to show readers the different types of religion and how they can be …show more content…
Coming from a Presbyterian family, Boy converts to the Anglican church for unknown reasons causing his mother and father to no longer visit. "Doc Staunton and his wife never visited Boy and Leola, on what I suppose to be called religious grounds. Boy and Leola had left the Presbyterian church and became Anglicans." (119) The explanation behind the conversion of denominations is peculiar considering that Boy seemed to embrace the teachings of George Leadbeater a few pages before. Leadbeater is the priest who marries Boy and Leola, while also forming a special bond with Boy. The pair distort the bible and misrepresent Jesus as a materialistic man who indulges into elegant and luxurious objects. For example, Leadbeater claims when Mary Magdalene washes Jesus ' feet with her hair and oil he only was thankful because of the high quality of the oils. Being materialistic and conceited, they create God into their own image and to how they want him to be. According to Freud, they represent the self serving, conceited, and sex driven "id." Deep down, Boy and Leadbeater are aware that what they practice isn 't concordant to how the bible is, however they can not face their shadow since they are too prideful to admit to their own faults. This is especially evident when Boy can not confess to being responsible for the snow ball incident. Leadbeater and Boy make religion into a life of materialism and vanity. "Leadbeater - he wants me to call him George...but the things that really impress me is that George is such a good dresser...he says God made beautiful and seemly things, and not to take advantage of them is to miss what God meant." (114) Boy 's extravagant life of egotism and misrepresentation of God eventually diminishes leaving him baffled as to how this came to be. Being blunt, Dunny explains that, "You created a God in your own image, and when you

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