Natural selection is the favouring of specific traits in an environment. Organisms able to adapt, or who are born with favoured traits, have a better chance of survival over others. In Robertson Davies’ Fifth Business, the main characters model the process of natural selection. When Dunstan Ramsay is reborn after the war, he is better suited to the environment of Deptford. Paul Dempster faces many challenges in Deptford. The reason he survives is because he moves into an environment that better suits his skills and traits. Percy “Boy” Staunton is the only character who does not adapt, therefore he perishes. Dunstan, Paul, and Percy model the process of natural selection where individuals who adapt and experience rebirth survive and individuals
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Dunstan’s experience in the war leaves him with a wounded leg. At the hospital, he receives a prosthetic leg and healing for his other injuries. Like in a natural habitat, Dunstan adapts to his new injuries and they are no longer a weakness to him. In England, Dunstan meets Diana Marfleet, and she helps him in his rebirth. Aside from helping Dunstan with his physical injuries, she helps Dunstan mature. She helps him with “[the] important step towards the completion of [his] manhood” (Davies 76), and she helps him shed his childhood name Dunstable. His new name rebirths him emotionally because he can live the rest of his adult life without the reminder of his negative relationship with his mother. Later, Lisel Vitzlipützl exposes another weakness in Dunstan’s character that works against his odds of survival. She tells him that his negative attitude is an attribute of his guilt and secrecy from his childhood. Lisel explains that “[he] has paid such a price, and [as a result] he looks like a man full of secrets” (Davies 204). The price that he pays is his weakness in his environment. He creates negative relationships with others and because of this, he risks being a target of Paul’s revenge. In his adulthood, he tries to mend old relationships with Paul and Percy. In Fifth Business, Dunstan Ramsay sheds his guilt and immaturity from his youth. After the war, …show more content…
He maintains his childish ways which do not benefit him in the adult environment and ultimately causes his death. Percy changes his name to Boy to represent his youthful spirit. Dunstan describes the significance of his new name as “the glory of youth” (Davies 99). Percy’s name symbolizes his youth and his inability to mature like Dunstan. His immaturity is the reason he mistreats his wife Leola and Paul. During his youth, Percy is a bully and he mocks Paul for his mother and his rejection from the village. When Paul leaves Deptford, Percy claims his next victim, Leola, and becomes an abusive partner to her. Dunstan observes that she “love[s] him abjectly, but she [is] the one person on whom he spen[ds] none of his sexual force—except in the negative form of bullying” (Davies 171). This horrible treatment of his wife stems from his youth spent bullying his peers, instead of making friends. Since Percy never matures, he continues to bully those around him, including his wife, because he never learns how to stop. Furthermore, during his youth, Percy is a proud and arrogant child because his family is wealthier than many others in Deptford. During the winter, he mocks Dunstan for having an old sled. Although Dunstan’s sled is older, it works better than Percy’s and this makes him angry. Instead of accepting that his new sled is not as good as Dunstan’s; he resorts to throwing a snowball at Dunstan. He
Dunstan’s experience in the war leaves him with a wounded leg. At the hospital, he receives a prosthetic leg and healing for his other injuries. Like in a natural habitat, Dunstan adapts to his new injuries and they are no longer a weakness to him. In England, Dunstan meets Diana Marfleet, and she helps him in his rebirth. Aside from helping Dunstan with his physical injuries, she helps Dunstan mature. She helps him with “[the] important step towards the completion of [his] manhood” (Davies 76), and she helps him shed his childhood name Dunstable. His new name rebirths him emotionally because he can live the rest of his adult life without the reminder of his negative relationship with his mother. Later, Lisel Vitzlipützl exposes another weakness in Dunstan’s character that works against his odds of survival. She tells him that his negative attitude is an attribute of his guilt and secrecy from his childhood. Lisel explains that “[he] has paid such a price, and [as a result] he looks like a man full of secrets” (Davies 204). The price that he pays is his weakness in his environment. He creates negative relationships with others and because of this, he risks being a target of Paul’s revenge. In his adulthood, he tries to mend old relationships with Paul and Percy. In Fifth Business, Dunstan Ramsay sheds his guilt and immaturity from his youth. After the war, …show more content…
He maintains his childish ways which do not benefit him in the adult environment and ultimately causes his death. Percy changes his name to Boy to represent his youthful spirit. Dunstan describes the significance of his new name as “the glory of youth” (Davies 99). Percy’s name symbolizes his youth and his inability to mature like Dunstan. His immaturity is the reason he mistreats his wife Leola and Paul. During his youth, Percy is a bully and he mocks Paul for his mother and his rejection from the village. When Paul leaves Deptford, Percy claims his next victim, Leola, and becomes an abusive partner to her. Dunstan observes that she “love[s] him abjectly, but she [is] the one person on whom he spen[ds] none of his sexual force—except in the negative form of bullying” (Davies 171). This horrible treatment of his wife stems from his youth spent bullying his peers, instead of making friends. Since Percy never matures, he continues to bully those around him, including his wife, because he never learns how to stop. Furthermore, during his youth, Percy is a proud and arrogant child because his family is wealthier than many others in Deptford. During the winter, he mocks Dunstan for having an old sled. Although Dunstan’s sled is older, it works better than Percy’s and this makes him angry. Instead of accepting that his new sled is not as good as Dunstan’s; he resorts to throwing a snowball at Dunstan. He