Childhood Experiences In Fifth Business By Robertson Davies

A person’s psyche is shaped by the events that are lived out in day-to-day life. As the young mind and identity are still in development, children become more susceptible to the influence that these early experiences have on their lives. In the novel Fifth Business, written by Robertson Davies, the narrator Dunstan Ramsay recounts how a single, seemingly harmless, moment changes the course of his life for its remainder. The narrative is set into motion following the throwing of a snowball on a fateful winter’s day. This event determines the life trajectories of both Dunstan Ramsay and Paul Dempster, and, eventually, returns to require realization from Percy Boyd Staunton. Davies’ illustrates the psychological impact of a traumatic memory on a young mind that continues to mold their personality as they transition into adulthood and onwards. At any given time, free will or pivotal life events can cause someone to repress their unconscious or accept it and transform themselves. This is illuminated through the lives of the three Deptford boys. The consequential suffering that has evolved from the snowball incident demonstrates the powerful influence that childhood experiences have on the development of the conscious and unconscious mind.

As a young boy, Dunstan is exposed to a traumatic incident that has a lasting impact on the development of his mind. Although Percy is the one to throw the snowball, he denies his part in the tragedy, leaving Dunstan to bear [his] guilt [alone], and it [tortures him]. [Dunstan is] a Presbyterian child and [he knows] a good deal about damnation. […] [He is] of the damned […] but though [Dunstan does] not really suffer much physically [he] suffer[s] greatly in [his] mind, for a reason connected with [his] time of life. [He is] just upon eleven, and [he] mature[s] early, so that some of the earliest changes of puberty were beginning in [him]. (Davies 17)

Dunstan is tormented by his feelings of responsibility and this becomes evident as the novel progresses. Although Dunstan matures early, his developing mind is still affected by the overwhelming guilt that he experiences. As a boy in the early stages of puberty, he is impressionable to external influences. The diction of being “of the damned” demonstrates how Dunstan connects religion to his culpability. Throughout his life, he seems to believe that all the hardships he faces are atonement for this original sin. Dunstan adheres to the strict religious code exposed to him as a child in his hometown of Deptford but continues to shape his beliefs in a way that helps him to cope. It is evident that his guilt becomes intertwined with his developing identity and entangled with his religious ideals. This keeps him spiritually bound to Deptford for the better part of his life. Another tie that continuously connects him to his hometown and his guilt is his relationship with Mrs. Dempster. Following being hit in the head with a snowball, Mrs. Dempster is rendered “simple” (Davies 19). In the “Introduction to Fifth Business”, M.G. Vassanji investigates how “Ramsay’s sense of sin and guilt [is] compounded by Mrs. Dempster’s dreadful fate subsequent to his departure. As a boy and later adult he attributes intercessional powers to her and comes to believe that she is a saint” (Vassanji xiii). It is out of his guilt that a deep connection between Dunstan and Mrs. Dempster is able to form. He feels obligated to care for her and her son, Paul Dempster. Although most of the town thinks she has descended into insanity, Dunstan sees her as being wise, but not necessarily intellectually wise. Out of his guilt he places a capacity for religious wisdom upon her. Instead of preaching as did her husband, Mary seems to embody a religious figure. Dunstan believes that she “live[s] by a light that arises] from within” (Davies 46). After he witnesses her bring Willie back from the dead, Dunstan is convinced of her sainthood. He, later, sees her face on the statue of the Virgin Mary while dying on the battlefield. Mary Dempster guides him through hardship, but her constant presence in his subconscious disallows him to sever connections with his past. This further perpetuates his guilt, which has effectively kept him stagnant, deeply tied to the place of his birth and upbringing. Eventually, Dunstan is able to gain insight into Mary and her condition after talking to others about her sainthood. It is almost as if he begins to see her suffering as more of a human quality, rather than one of a saint. The maturation of his understanding of the snowball incident occurs when he has insightful conversations with those who can provide a differing perspective. In order to truly grow as a person, Dunstan must come to realize his role in the incident and shift the guilt away from himself. The only people who seem to be able to change Dunstan’s perception are Padre Blazon and Liesl. Padre Blazon’s religious views differ marginally from those presented in Deptford. He provides Dunstan with a more malleable template for religion that allows him to forgive himself, recognize Mary as a saint, and re-define religion on his own terms. In “Dialectic, Morality, and The Deptford Trilogy” by Marco LoVerso, the author states that, aside from Blazon, the person able to “convince Ramsay of his pride and sinfulness is the devil himself, represented by Liesl” (LoVerso par. 12). Liesl is symbolic of the devil and is a projection of Dunstan’s shadow. The shadow archetype is explained as “the self-willed, self-seeking part of human nature, which in Western morality is looked upon as unequivocally evil” (Fontana 16). These represent traits that an individual often suppresses and contradict positive views of oneself. Liesl is the one who best helps Dunstan understand that in order to emotionally mature, he must come to terms with his flaws and accept, rather than suppress them. When she offers to have sex with Dunstan, she is challenging him to accept the sinful part of himself. The physical confrontation that takes place between them is symbolic of the conflict between Dunstan’s decency and his immorality. When he eventually gives in to Liesl’s request, it is a manifestation of Dunstan embracing his long-repressed sins. Afterward, Dunstan realizes that he has never “known such deep delight or such an aftermath of healing tenderness” (Davies 218). It is through Liesl, an unlikely companion, that he achieves real peace of the mind. Dunstan learns how to recognize and even appreciate his shadow without surrendering his morality. This demonstrates an important step in Dunstan’s transformation towards self-realization and understanding his unconscious mind.

Similarly to Dunstan Ramsay, the character of Paul Dempster is able to overcome the harsh realities of his childhood and find the capacity for self-reflection. Paul is the youngest of the three Deptford boys and his premature birth is one of the consequences of the snowball incident. He is born into the home of a devoutly religious father and a mother unable to properly care for him. Mr. Dempster always tells Paul it is “[his] birth that robb[s] [Mrs. Dempster] of her sanity […] [Paul] cannot feel guilt now. But [he] can call up in an instant what it [feels] like to be the child of a woman everybody jeer[s] at and [thinks] a dirty joke” (Davies 251). Mr. Dempster places an immense amount of guilt on his son at a young age. Although Paul does not feel this guilt, it is evident that Amasa Dempsters’s religion blinds him to all else and serves as a controlling factor in his life. His religious beliefs and associated actions lead him to treat his wife and son badly. It is the young Dunstan, feeling a sort of responsibility towards Paul, who teaches him magic. Paul has a natural talent for the sleight-of-hand tricks, but Amasa’s strong religious views reject magic as a sin and he forbids Paul from practicing it. He forces innocence onto Paul in the form of religion, which impedes the development of his identity. Aside from his parents’ neglect and bullying, the other children of Deptford mock Paul’s mother. He still feels the humiliation of being the son of a woman considered to be a “hoor” (Davies 250). Paul is isolated as a child, unable to gain strength among those who belittle him for his circumstances. It becomes increasingly apparent that Paul never truly feels a home within Deptford or with his parents, which leads him to run away to the circus. Paul is entranced with Willard the Wizard and begs him to take him away so he can practice magic. However, when Paul truly finds “out what travelling with Willard mean[s], he [already has] [him] in slavery […] [he is] chained to Willard by fear; [Paul is] his thing and his creature” (Davies 249). It is because of the isolation in his early life that Paul searches for some sense of belonging and connection. This is what he finds upon meeting Willard, who manipulates Paul into joining the circus. Paul has spent most of his life repressing his love for magic and the possibility of having a mentor and fatherly-figure is exciting for him. However, upon his reflection, it becomes evident that their relationship is unhealthy. It is motivated by fear and devotion rather than love and admiration. Willard comes to represent a devil-like character who tempts Paul out of his innocence with the allure of magic. Although Willard “work[s] to enslave [Paul] in a prison of ignorance, self-doubts, and cynicism; on the other hand, the compassionate lovers of humanity in his life have provided the key to self-fulfillment by showing him that he is of value […] this new sense of self-worth […] [and confidence] develop[s] a more solid identity in himself” (LoVerso par. 37). Although much of Paul’s life story is omitted from Fifth Business, Davies further explores his characterization in the third book of the Deptford Trilogy: The World of Wonders. As detailed by LoVerso, it is the influence of compassionate friends that transforms Paul into a man with confidence and strength. He now has achieved the human consciousness necessary to teach and aid others in need. This “more solid identity” culminates in his transition into the great Magnus Eisengrim. His character growth is associated with magic and, ultimately, it is his love and devotion to the art form that has provided a foundation for which he can develop upon. For Paul, magic is redemptive, similar to that of faith. Paul’s change of name represents his rebirth into that of a “wolf” (Davies 252). The wolf is symbolic of intelligence, compassion, strength, and spirituality, all traits which Magnus is now able to embody. Despite his harsh upbringing, Magnus is able to objectively look at his past and consciously choose a course of action that leads him towards self-realization and healing.

In contrast, Percy Boyd Staunton’s viewpoints remain narrow and unchangeable upholding a perception of reality that he formed in childhood. He is the instigator of the tragic snowball incident and is unable to accept responsibility upon himself as a young child. Just days after the original accident he has removed himself from the story, leaving Dunstan with the burden of guilt. It is later revealed that Percy has repressed the memory. Dunstan “can hardly believe he [speaks] the truth, but as [they talk] on [Dunstan has] to accept it as a fact that he [has] so far edited his memory of his early days that the incident of the snowball [has] quite vanished from his mind” (Davies 251). Percy has long denied his guilt in the situation and has no recollection of the moment. As a child, he is portrayed as being ignorant to the suffering of others and the consequences of his actions. This becomes increasingly evident as he grows older. Percy continues to profit off of others losses, seemingly unaware of their pain. For example, during the Great Depression, Percy continues to make obscene amounts of money by providing the world desserts. He uses people’s weaknesses against them and succeeds. While the guilt from the snowball incident has crippled Dunstan, Percy, in contrast, is able to thrive. The fact that Percy never recognizes his place in the incident and remains ignorant until his death demonstrates that he is still the same young boy who grew up in Deptford and threw the snowball. Further illustrating his inability to progress beyond his boyhood years, is Percy’s change of names. Instead of Percy Boyd Staunton, “he [is] now Boy Staunton and it suit[s] him admirably […] because he sum[s] up in himself so much of the glory of youth in the postwar period” (Davies 102-103). Percy’s regression to Boy demonstrates the importance of names and how, in the novel, they can summarize a person’s character. Boy is thriving in the years following the war and is wealthy, attractive, and popular. He is focused on these aspects of his life which represent external success. This seems to foreshadow that his inner-selfhis spirit and mindwill suffer in the long run. His failure to be introspective further stagnates him within the role of a child. His name change to Boy also makes blatant reference to a young man. Boy is overtly masculine, sometimes to the point of toxicity. In terms of Jungian archetypes, Boy has repressed his anima; the feminine side of the male psyche. Technically, this would deem him psychologically unbalanced. He overcompensates for his anima by projecting it onto women, emotionally abusing them. Boy’s wife Leola is never able to live up to his criteria of success and he continuously humiliates her. Aside from his marital relationship, Boy also projects his toxic masculinity onto his son, who he pushes to become outwardly masculine as well. He bullies those around him and buys his way up the social hierarchy. Although he is able to attain an obscene amount of wealth, Boy remains emotionally underdeveloped. He is unable to reach self-fulfillment because he cannot reflect meaningfully on his life. Marco LoVerso believes that the struggle for self-knowledge [is present throughout] the entire Deptford trilogy, and it is related to the theme of moral responsibility. The link between these two themes is made clear in the last section of Fifth Business, where Ramsay accuses Boy Staunton of not knowing himself completely […] [he is] a self-centered materialist who remains frozen in his spiritual development. In effect, he does not grow because he has not benefited from the kind of self-analysis that stems from productive dialogue with others. And when he seeks his own death, he obviously removes himself completely from his responsibilities and from the possibility of participating in dialectic and of achieving self-knowledge. (LoVerso par. 15)

Throughout his life, Boy has “made a God of [himself]” (Davies 254). His personal achievements have left him with an inflated ego, unable to accept his wrong-doings. It is his God complex that disallows him from ever being able to reflect upon his life and thus, can never mature from the productivity of introspection. Instead, when the past comes to confront him for his childhood and human fallibility, he rejects it. Boy’s suicide is symbolic of his denial. He is found with the stone from the snowball incident inside of his mouth, refusing to swallow/acknowledge the past.

Childhood experiences shape the psyche in profound ways. These experiences can be deeply imbedded within the unconscious mind, but can still influence a person’s beliefs and actions, either hindering their personal progress or leading them towards transformation. This is demonstrated through the lives of the three Deptford boys, Dunstan Ramsay, Paul Dempster, and Percy Boyd Staunton. The traumatic snowball incident has resulted in psychological consequences for those involved, which shows how early experiences shape the developing mind.