Fifth Business Illusion Vs Reality Quotes
Collisions with Reality
Padre Blazon, a character in the novel Fifth Business, said: “If you think her a saint, she is a saint to you.” (Davis 165). This quote implies that what a person may believe as true in their mind will only remain true in their mind. This quote reveals the theme of illusions verses realities in the novel Fifth Business written by Robertson Davis. The conflict between illusions and realities is the most established theme in the novel. It prevails through aspects of faith verses reality, psychological truth verses reality, and myth verses reality.
A psychological truth Dunstan Ramsay posses in the novel is the belief that Mary Dempster is a saint. Even at a young age, Dunstan believed that “She lived by a light that arose from within.” (46). As a result of this belief Dunstan had, he then got interested in saints and continued to study it until he became an expert in hagiology. But his efforts are futile, because later on he learns that Mary Dempster is merely a fool-saint. A fool-saint is someone who seems to have all the qualities of a saint, except for Prudence. But Dunstan chooses to ignore this fact and continued on with believing that she is …show more content…
Near the end of the novel, Boy Staunton said: “But sometimes I wish I could get into a car and drive away from the whole damned thing.” (232). He proclaims that he wants to run away from everything that is going around him. Dunstan then tells Boy that it is “A truly mythological wish.” (232). Then later implies because Boy have been so obsessed with the materialistic world he have failed to find out what is the meaning of life. Instead of being his own god, Boy should find a God. This myth of Boy running away from everything in a car becomes a reality later on in the book. It became a reality because that is how Boy died. It is made evident to the reader that the death of Boy is caused partially by the fact that he was his own
Padre Blazon, a character in the novel Fifth Business, said: “If you think her a saint, she is a saint to you.” (Davis 165). This quote implies that what a person may believe as true in their mind will only remain true in their mind. This quote reveals the theme of illusions verses realities in the novel Fifth Business written by Robertson Davis. The conflict between illusions and realities is the most established theme in the novel. It prevails through aspects of faith verses reality, psychological truth verses reality, and myth verses reality.
A psychological truth Dunstan Ramsay posses in the novel is the belief that Mary Dempster is a saint. Even at a young age, Dunstan believed that “She lived by a light that arose from within.” (46). As a result of this belief Dunstan had, he then got interested in saints and continued to study it until he became an expert in hagiology. But his efforts are futile, because later on he learns that Mary Dempster is merely a fool-saint. A fool-saint is someone who seems to have all the qualities of a saint, except for Prudence. But Dunstan chooses to ignore this fact and continued on with believing that she is …show more content…
Near the end of the novel, Boy Staunton said: “But sometimes I wish I could get into a car and drive away from the whole damned thing.” (232). He proclaims that he wants to run away from everything that is going around him. Dunstan then tells Boy that it is “A truly mythological wish.” (232). Then later implies because Boy have been so obsessed with the materialistic world he have failed to find out what is the meaning of life. Instead of being his own god, Boy should find a God. This myth of Boy running away from everything in a car becomes a reality later on in the book. It became a reality because that is how Boy died. It is made evident to the reader that the death of Boy is caused partially by the fact that he was his own