"Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do” (Voltaire). Dunstan Ramsay from Robertson Davies’s Fifth Business life revolves around his inner guilt by impacting his decisions, actions and his relations to others. Dunstan lives his whole with the guilt of the destruction of an innocent family. Ever since he decided to be smart and dodge the snowball that was meant for the back of his head but instead hitting an innocent pregnant lady Mrs.Dempster, he was linked to that family for life from that moment. From the shock of the snowball Mrs.Dempster is forced to give an early birth to her premature son Paul. Mrs.Ramsey being concerned for the Dempsters, forces Dustan to be the guardian of Mrs.Dempster and the premature baby Paul. Dustan
…show more content…
The simple child and caretaker relationship mutated into a one-sided love for her. "I know I was in love with Mrs.Dempster, but in a painful and immediate fashion."(Davies 23). Dunstan loved her out of the guilt he had to care for her. The love he has for Mrs.Dempster is painful to him because he knows it is weird and irregular to love a woman that is a great deal older than himself. His love also shows some traits of the Oedipus complex due to his mother issues. Dunstan began to love Mrs.Dempster more than his own mother. He starts visioning her as his mother figure because he dislikes his own mother. Even after the incident where she gave herself to another man and the Dempster name getting spoiled and out casted he did not change his view of her. Dunstan could not wait a moment to be with Mrs.Dempster and so he would sneak into her house with no one seeing him to go visit her. His love for her is great enough to disobey the village rules as Milo described it. “We used to see your skin over there after school and climb through the window to see her and Paul.”(Davies 104). Dunstan is disobeying his parent and village by running to …show more content…
After Boy losing to Dunstan in a race, Boy being a sore loser and tries to throw the snowball at Dunstan but hits Mrs.Dempster. The guilt that should have belonged to Boy is given to Dunstan. Boy gets Dunstan to bare his guilt for him by denying it hit Mrs.Dempster and making Dunstan be fearful of telling the truth to anyone ever. Boy takes advantage of Dunstan weakness and uses him to be his every own guilt-scapegoat. Dunstan knowingly stays close to Boy even though he is being blackmailed. Dunstan remains his friend even though he is be treated badly. Boy befriends Dunstan because he could keep secret and so he could confess his sins and relieve the guilt he had on to Dunstan, thus making Dunstan an escape goat. Their relationship starts in an unhealthy competitive relationship to begin with. Both of them always wants to outdo the other in everything. Boy has a need to be on top of Dunstan at everything and so would do it at any cost. When Dunstan was going to war, he was getting a lead in the game of life and so Boy felt that he could not be outdone so also went to join the war too. When Dunstan discovers that Boy also contributes in the war too, he feels angry and disappointed in himself and towards Boy. He describes how he feels by saying “Percy Boyd was the sixth…I grinned and clapped, my stomach burned with jealousy” (Davies 97). Dunstan is upset because Boy stole his
The simple child and caretaker relationship mutated into a one-sided love for her. "I know I was in love with Mrs.Dempster, but in a painful and immediate fashion."(Davies 23). Dunstan loved her out of the guilt he had to care for her. The love he has for Mrs.Dempster is painful to him because he knows it is weird and irregular to love a woman that is a great deal older than himself. His love also shows some traits of the Oedipus complex due to his mother issues. Dunstan began to love Mrs.Dempster more than his own mother. He starts visioning her as his mother figure because he dislikes his own mother. Even after the incident where she gave herself to another man and the Dempster name getting spoiled and out casted he did not change his view of her. Dunstan could not wait a moment to be with Mrs.Dempster and so he would sneak into her house with no one seeing him to go visit her. His love for her is great enough to disobey the village rules as Milo described it. “We used to see your skin over there after school and climb through the window to see her and Paul.”(Davies 104). Dunstan is disobeying his parent and village by running to …show more content…
After Boy losing to Dunstan in a race, Boy being a sore loser and tries to throw the snowball at Dunstan but hits Mrs.Dempster. The guilt that should have belonged to Boy is given to Dunstan. Boy gets Dunstan to bare his guilt for him by denying it hit Mrs.Dempster and making Dunstan be fearful of telling the truth to anyone ever. Boy takes advantage of Dunstan weakness and uses him to be his every own guilt-scapegoat. Dunstan knowingly stays close to Boy even though he is being blackmailed. Dunstan remains his friend even though he is be treated badly. Boy befriends Dunstan because he could keep secret and so he could confess his sins and relieve the guilt he had on to Dunstan, thus making Dunstan an escape goat. Their relationship starts in an unhealthy competitive relationship to begin with. Both of them always wants to outdo the other in everything. Boy has a need to be on top of Dunstan at everything and so would do it at any cost. When Dunstan was going to war, he was getting a lead in the game of life and so Boy felt that he could not be outdone so also went to join the war too. When Dunstan discovers that Boy also contributes in the war too, he feels angry and disappointed in himself and towards Boy. He describes how he feels by saying “Percy Boyd was the sixth…I grinned and clapped, my stomach burned with jealousy” (Davies 97). Dunstan is upset because Boy stole his