Robertson Davies

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…

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…

dictates and defines the society as well as the societal norms of which it consists. The OED defines social norms as the common standards within a social group regarding socially acceptable or appropriate behaviour in particular social situations, the breach of which has social consequences. Robertson Davies explores the idea of religion and its effects on personality within the novel Fifth Business. He depicts the changes caused by religion within the society of Deptford as well as the personal…

"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…

Emma Fifth Business Essay 1. Setting and character portrayal, not plot, are the essential elements of fiction. Referencing the two works, how far can you agree with this statement? Two classic pieces of literature, Jane Austen’s Emma and Robertson Davies’ Fifth Business challenge one of writing’s most conventional ideas, that plot is the essential element to writing. However that is not the case in these two fictitious novels, where the essential elements are setting and character…

Feminism is the act of achieving equal rights between men and women in the political, social, personal and economic aspects of life. The inequality between females and males has been an issue since the beginning of time and can be observed in many types of literature. Throughout the novel Fifth Business by Robertson Davies, it is quite evident that feminism is not practiced as the female characters are often subservient to the male characters. Furthermore, the female characters are portrayed as…

Throughout the novel Fifth Business, one can clearly see the main character, Dunstan constantly searching for himself in various forms of self identity. Whether it be consuming himself in the world of saints, feeling tremendous guilt for a childhood accident, or falling in and out of love with various woman, Dunstan is constantly searching for a way to create identity for himself. In the novel, the character that truly helps Dunstan find himself is Liesl. By bringing out Dunstan’s suppressed…

Hero nor Heroine, Confidante nor Villain, but which were none the less essential to bring about the Recognition or the denouement.” Dunstan Ramsay follows this role throughout the novel. Associated with the archetypal title of the “Rich Young Ruler”, Boy Staunton is another essential character in the novel. He is known due to his greed for materialism.. His views of religion as being primitive, and his claim of Jesus being a businessman “makes an atheist out of him,” Boy provides a perfect…

A Little History of Canada by H.V. Nelles gives a concise and relatively basic view on Canadian History that would be an excellent starting point for anyone looking to learn about Canadian History. At 268 pages A Little History is short and engaging enough to keep the attention of readers who may want to gain more knowledge about the history of Canada without having to read more dry scholarly articles or long drawn out history books. This is especially important as the tone of the book suggests…

Willie Ramsay was a citizen of Deptford, who “began to have spells of illness marked by severe internal pain” (Davies 52) after an accident at a newspaper plant. Suddenly, “he became restless and hot, … he began to twist and moan, … and his twisting became jerking and convulsion” (Davies 53-54). Mary was called to help by Willie’s younger sibling Dunstan, who claimed that Willie was no longer breathing and no longer had a pulse. Upon arrival, she “knelt by the bed and took [Willie’s] hands in…