Fifth Business Guilt Quotes

Robertson Davies novel, Fifth Business is a first person narrative following the life of Dunstan Ramsay. Fifth Business begins with a 10-year-old Ramsay, who encounters life-changing incidents, as observed through his interaction with the characters Percy Boyd Staunton, Mary Dempster and her son Paul Dempster. As Ramsay's interaction with these three characters develops, it is evident that guilt is a main recurring theme throughout the novel.
Percy is a constant figure that has been present in Dunstan's life since day one. When Percy threw a snowball containing a rock it caused Mrs Dempster to go into labour prematurely. Dunstan, who was meant to be hit by the snowball, later on, harbours a lot of guilt for causing Mary to go into labour, which he struggles dealing with throughout his life. "Then- a madwoman! Struck by a snowball. I don't suppose you have any idea who threw it, have you? No, I didn't Imagine you
After being told he can no longer see her, Dunstan's brother Willie falls ill to the point of death, Dunstan rushes over to call Mary where she then prays over Willie's body, in which Dunstan's claims she brought him back to life. "... finding him just as I had left him, white and cold and stiff. Mrs Dempster looked at him solemnly, but not sadly, then she knelt by the bed and took his hands in hers and prayed..."Willie", said she in a low, infinitely kind, and indeed almost cheerful tone... Willie sighed and moved his legs a little. I fainted" (53-54). This is one of the three miracles Mary performs which lead to Dunstan believing that Mary is, in fact, a saint. Dunstan is familiarised with two of the three miracles throughout his childhood leading him to, later on, study more about hagiology, where he also changes his name from Dunstable to Dunstan, solidifying the change in