Robertson Davies

Morality In Fifth Business: A Study of Good and Evil Is there a difference between good and evil? Throughout Fifth Business, Robertson Davies attempts to address this seemingly simple question. Davies writes against the simple system of good vs. evil, instead arguing that there is a spectrum of morality that governs our actions instead of definitive rights and wrongs. Davies conveys this through plot and style devices woven into the narrative of the life experiences of Dunstan “Dunny” Ramsey,…

achieve equal rights between women and men politically, socially, and economically. Feminist literary criticism began in the 1960’s during the second wave feminist movement that focused on voting rights, property rights, domestic violence, etc. Robertson Davies’s Fifth Business took place before the first wave feminist movement and is set from androcentric view which means a masculine point of view dominates culture and society. The book provides a very accurate representation of the…

“Sometimes you have to kind of die inside in order to rise from your own ashes and believe in yourself to love yourself to become a new person”. (Way). Throughout Robertson Davies’ Fifth Business, several characters reinvented themselves, but not always with success. Dunstable Ramsay was renamed as Dunstan Ramsay and endured; Leola Cruikshank was unable to become Leola Staunton and died tragically; Paul Dempster reinvented himself to become a magician known as Magnus Eisengrim and was…

or withdrawal. Its manifestations are silly conduct, lying, anguish, absence of self-regard, and in great cases, musings of suicide. It is guilt. In The Fifth Business and The Manticore by Robertson Davies, guilt is a reoccurring topic all through both books and it is a noteworthy power in one's life. Davies exhibits this by having both characters feeling guilt. Through these two books, it is evident how simple it is for the guilt…

and are the root of their husbands accomplishments. For this and many other reasons, people believe women should be the leaders of society. In Robertson Davies’ influential novel, Fifth Business, women are seen to be or should be, the superior gender. Through many of his character’s and their actions, Davies’ displays women in highly cable meanor. Davies’ character’s such as Mary Dempster, Mrs. Ramsay and Dunstan Ramsey provide evidence that the book is of feminine empowerment. Despite the male…

In the last year of high school, students of Ontario should only be educated on Canadian literature within English courses. Even though other writers from all cultures provide excellent teaching tools to assist with the provinces educational curriculum, the focus should be related to Canadian literature and it’s writers. As a matter of fact, the direr need for students to become accustomed with the literacy of Canada is greatly important. In all honesty, three reasons are; requiring to…

Robertson Davies explores in Fifth Business the conflict between love of others and love of ourselves. The characters in the novel are not attached to only one person in physically or spiritually, because they only love themselves and just seek for their own pleasures. Ironically, people want to love and also want freedom. Human’s behaviors are in order to satisfy their own desires, that shows love is selfish. Dunstan’s love to Mary Dempster is selfless because he does not want to get anything…

of ancient and modern women. These comparisons have one thing in common, and that is the multifaceted roles of women in the ancient and modern society. This comparison is evident in two works of literature centuries apart; Fifth Business by Robert Davies and Hamlet by William Shakespeare. The main characters are haunted by the imprudence of the women in their lives, which causes them further problems with any other women they meet. The main characters fear and distrust women, but as the story…

Analysing Essay Deconstruction The quality, format, and use of communication conventions determines the effectiveness of a formal literary essay. In the essay Studying Literature in Grade 12, by Mrs. Phillips, the text demonstrates an example of a improper persuasive essay. This is shown through the content, incorrect language conventions, MLA citation and plagiarism, as well as the essay structure. Without these details one cannot achieve an effective essay. Mrs. Phillips…

Guilt is “an unpleasant feeling of remorse or sadness regarding a past action” (GoodTherapy). Guilt that occurs because of a wrongdoing can lead one to experience greater sympathy for others, and take responsibility for their actions. In Robertson Davies’s Fifth Business, the guilt of Dunstan, Percy, and Paul begins with an incident in which a snowball thrown by Percy misses Dunstan and instead hits a pregnant Mrs. Dempster. As a result of this, Mrs. Dempster gives premature birth to her baby,…