Robertson Davies' Fifth Business

597 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The problem of religion and magic

Robertson Davies' Fifth Business

In the novel 'Fifth Business', the author Robertson Davies is successfully able to relate both the themes of magic and religion throughout. He achieves this relationship between the themes primarily through the characters and their actions. Dunstan Ramsay, Paul Dempster, Mary Dempster and Liselotte Vitzliputzli all help to illustrate the close relationship between magic and religion.

One of the characters that Davies uses to relate the theme of magic and religion is Dunstable Ramsay. Dunny was brought up in a Scottish Presbyterian family in Deptford, Ontario. While in the war, he kept himself busy by reading the New Testament and states 'Arabian Nights and the Bible were getting pretty close', referring to both magic and religion. After servicing in the war, Dunstable is renamed Dunstan by Diana after Saint Dunstan. Dunstan's study of saints becomes his passion and he later travels around the world in search of information about several living saints. During his search for saints, Dunstan coincidentally comes across Le grande Cirque forain de St. Vile and Illusions, a circus where Paul Dempster preformed magic. This clearly indicates how Dunstan is related to both magic and religion.

Paul Dempster, another character in the novel illustrates the relationship between magic and religion. Paul is the son of Mary Dempster who Dunstan considered to be a saint. His father, Amasa Dempster is the Baptist parson of Deptford and is considered ...

Show More
Related

  • Free Essays - Religious Motifs in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    723 Words  | 2 Pages

    Upon completion of this novel, a clearly prevalent and outstanding motif is that of religion and biblical reference. The frequent references to religion come in varied forms from that of biblical role-playing, to that of the fate of our current society. Another related argument that occurs can be the relationship of biblical role-playing and character domination. When all are combined appropriately, a very strong and prominent key motif in this novel is produced. Mary Shelley might have used religion reference as a method of showing us how something that happened during the creation of the earth can be related and brought to us via modern day fantasy creations. It is important for us to realize this connection because it will help us to understand an important deeper meaning of this work.

    Read More

  • Tocqueville, S Views Of Women And Women's Role In Society

    1601 Words  | 4 Pages

    Gender has played specific roles in societies all over the place. Men are usually seen as the dominant gender and therefore appear to be more important to society but women still have an important role. It was not that long ago that women did not have many rights or play an important role at all. In America, laws were put in place to make men and women equal and today many women have filled jobs thought of as a man’s job but there is still a common thought of women being less important in society than men. Before deciding if a woman’s role in society is complimentary or not, the role of all humans must be examined. A woman could appear to have a terrible role but maybe that’s because everybody has a terrible role in that type of society. Same

    Read More

  • Neo-Romanticism In Kevin Gaines's American Africans In Ghana

    1822 Words  | 4 Pages

    Neo-Romanticism, means to romanticize something in a new way. Gaines shows how African Americans did this to Africa. African Americans no longer romanticize Africa in the same way that they did during Marcus Garvey’s time. They do not think that Africa was once this great place of civilization, and now African Americans need to save it from colonialism. However, African Americans now see Africa as a place of liberty, freedom, and equality. This is a new romanticism of Africa that has not been seen until this time. For example, Murray says, “American Negros visiting Africa discovers there that his peculiar history and unending search for unqualified acceptance have made him uniquely American. African Americans are able to see the American dream of freedom and equality as they are unable to see the American dream of freedom and equality in America” (124). African Americans went to Africa and saw it as progressive. Africa was embracing ideal such as freedom and liberty when African American were not experiencing the same in their home country. African Americans no longer thought about Africa in the same way that earlier Black Nationalist thought about. They are romanticizing Africa, to be this place that is far more advance than America, in terms of freedom and democracy for black people. It is strange to consider that African Americans can see the American dream, outside of America but they cannot see it in America. This idea is a new romanticism of Africa, one that suggest that Africa was a former civilized and advance society, to say that Africa is still an advance society and may be more advanced than

    Read More

  • Fifth Business - Character Foils Of Dunstan Ramsay And Percy

    672 Words  | 2 Pages

    	Robertson Davies’ novel, Fifth Business, revolves around guilt, competition, and two men who are foils of each other. Although Dunstan Ramsay and Percy Boyd Staunton are parallels to each other, they contrast in a great number of ways. Their awkward relationship plays a significant role in the number of elements which make Fifth Business such an interesting story.

    Read More

  • Gender Roles and Women Empowerment: A Historical Perspective

    867 Words  | 2 Pages

    Since the beginning of civilization, the role of men and women have been portrayed by their capabilities. During wars, men were asked to fight against enemies because they had the necessary strength to combat. On the other hand, women were asked to take care of the household chores and to give birth to increase the overall population of the country. This concept of roles has been highly present in our societies. Women fighting against the gender inequality have created a stir among the dominant group which are men. Since men are still more dominant and keep reigning in this world, often women are restricted from getting fair opportunities to achieve in their goals. Till now, women are forced to be obedient to men in certain societies. From past few decades, this perspective is slowly coming to an end in most of the society. Women are now being empowered by ideologies which is reshaping their identity in many societies.

    Read More

  • Individualism In Fifth Business

    1382 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fate and my own character for the vital though the never glorious role of Fifth Business!” (Davies, 7)

    Read More

  • The Dark Side of Shakespeare's Macbeth

    1896 Words  | 4 Pages

    Much of the approach and detail was carried over, particularly the clash between religious purity and black magic. Purity was embodied by Duncan, very infirm (in 1974 he was blind), dressed in white and accompanied by church organ music, set against the black magic of the witches, who even chanted 'Double, double to the Dies Irae. (283)

    Read More

  • Images and Imagery within Shakespeare's Macbeth

    3072 Words  | 7 Pages

    Much of the approach and detail was carried over, particularly the clash between religious purity and black magic. Purity was embodied by Duncan, very infirm (in 1974 he was blind), dressed in white and accompanied by church organ music, set against the black magic of the witches, who even chanted 'Double, double to the Dies Irae. (283)

    Read More

  • Gender Roles

    855 Words  | 2 Pages

    While I was growing up, gender roles were highly defined by my parents and teachers as well as all other societal influences. Boys were taught to do 'boy' things and girls were taught to do 'girly' things. The toys that children play with and the activities that are encouraged by adults demonstrate the influence of gender roles on today's youth.

    Read More

  • Witchcraft Oracle And Magic Among The Azande Chapter Summary

    2680 Words  | 6 Pages

    Over the centuries, the concept of Witchcraft, as it presented within religion and society, evoked a variety of responses and attitudes that permeated throughout the cultures of the world. Christianity incited wars and hysteria and chaos in the name of extinguishing the practice of Witchcraft. Today there are prominent religions within many cultures that uphold the practice of witchcraft as a feasible manifestation of spirituality. The term conjures a variety of images for a diverse range of people. To the Azande, witchcraft and oracles and magic existed in everyday life as permeation of the Zande culture. In Witchcraft, Oracles, and Magic Among the Azande, E.E. Evans-Pritchard focuses on the beliefs associated with witchcraft and how they manifest in the social structure of the Community.

    Read More

  • The Human Desire to Tie a Supernatural Element into Their Life

    2009 Words  | 5 Pages

    Stein, Philip L., and Rebecca L. Stein. The Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft. 3rd. Upper Sadle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2011. Print.

    Read More

  • Shakespeare's Macbeth - Macbeth's Dark Quality

    2741 Words  | 6 Pages

    Much of the approach and detail was carried over, particularly the clash between religious purity and black magic. Purity was embodied by Duncan, very infirm (in 1974 he was blind), dressed in white and accompanied by church organ music, set against the black magic of the witches, who even chanted 'Double, double to the Dies Irae. (283)

    Read More

  • Strategic Planning: The Managerial Agenda

    1117 Words  | 3 Pages

    "An article by Beecroft (1999) entitled "The role of quality in strategic management" discusses the significance of quality considerations in the development of effective strategic plan. One primary concern the author saw was the relationship between quality, short and long-term objectives, and bottom line profits. According to the author, "Conformance to design and customer requirements translates to quality, therefore higher conformance is higher quality. Higher quality results in lower costs and increases competitiveness, leading to an increase in sales and market share, more jobs and improved profitability" (p.

    Read More

  • FedEx and Operations Management

    2118 Words  | 5 Pages

    For operations management to be successful, the function of the operation must be first be defined. The degree to which this is achieved is a measure of effectiveness, the key objective of operations management. Efficiency is less important since there is no point in which carrying out an irrelevant, or worse damaging, activity effectively. Effectiveness means achieving objectives, efficiency means consuming minimum resources. While both are desirable, the former is of overriding importance.

    Read More

  • Use of Supernatural Elements in Literature

    3356 Words  | 7 Pages

    Supernatural elements – religious figures and activities, ghosts, witches, and anthropomorphized animals among others – have been used throughout the history of literature from its origins in oral folktales to Shakespeare’s plays to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series. Throughout the history of literature, supernatural elements have been useful in developing themes that reflect the nature of humanity. Supernatural elements are often used to outline and comment on conflict and power struggles: both within the plot of the work and within society at the time of the work’s publication. These otherworldly components are also commonly used to adapt, expand upon, and make a work of literature more applicable to its settings. Supernatural elements also play a r...

    Read More

More about Robertson Davies' Fifth Business

Open Document