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Fifth Business

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Erio Zucchet Mrs. Zakowski ENG 3U1-07 Monday, May 30, 2011 Fifth Business: Origin, Nature and Burden of Guilt In Robertson Davies’s Fifth Business, the concept of guilt is an important component in the development of many major characters within the novel. Guilt is defined as a feeling of responsibility for some offense or crime. Throughout the novel, Robertson Davies utilizes the motif of guilt in order to express the feelings of certain characters. He also employs the logic behind their decision-making. The concept of guilt influences many characters, especially in the lives of Percy Staunton, Paul Dempster, and Dunstable Ramsay. The way in which these characters cope with the guilt they have combined in their lives, is also an essential part in their rebirths. In Robertson Davies’s Fifth Business, the concept of guilt directly influences the events, characterizations, decisions, and transformations of Percy Staunton, Dunstable Ramsay and Paul Dempster. The element of guilt proves to be properly portrayed through the description of Percy Staunton. Percy Staunton is an important figure in emphasizing the importance of guilt within the novel. It is also a prime example in showing how guilt influences a person’s decision-making process. During the first stages of the book, guilt is introduced when Percy throws a snowball at Dunny, which ends up hitting Mrs. Dempster. This shows the reader the moral values and methods of Percy dealing with guilt, which he develops as a child. When Dunny talks to Percy about the snowball incident, Percy answers, “You bet that’s what I think . . . and it’s what you’d better think too, if you know what’s good for you” (Davies 17). When Percy says this, he denies that he threw the snowball in the direction of Mrs. Dempster, and proceeded to threaten Dunny to

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