Erica OKelly

Discussion Question #1
January 21, 2017
Question #1

Dunstan Ramsey is the main character of the novel Fifth Business and after reading the

article about himself in the school paper he felt compelled to write his autobiography. Dunstan

does so because he feels he is described as a man who has no experiences away from the

classroom. This portrayal could not be farther from the truth as shown through Dunstans

pre-teaching journey, which is both tragic and enchanting. This complex story has Dunstan

witnessing the damaging effects of mental instability from Mrs. Dempster as well as neglect from

his mother before he has matured in turn shaping his character differently than most. He holds

little value for the idea of family, but finds comfort in the presence of Mrs. Dempster.

I am Born Again shows the rebirth of Dunstan to Dunny after he is injured in the war

which he enlisted into right after school. Through meeting Diana Dunstan reconstructs himself

with her help and changes into who we know for the rest of the novel as Dunny. He meets Percy

again, a childhood enemy who later becomes a friend, who has changed himself into Boy after

marrying Leola. Their civil relationship is a constant back and forth of strained comments all

holding a certain message for the other. Dunny looking to understand Boy and Boy talking down

to Dunny. Dunny comforted Boys wife Leola after Boy lost interest in her just as he did for Mrs.

Dempster except he felt Leola was week for falling prey to Boy and Mrs. Dempster a saint for

being herself.

We are introduced to the character Fifth Business, which is really another name for

Dunstan in the novel. Fifth Business is neither the hero or villain of the story, but is still essential

to the plot around them. This idea is established by the event of the thrown snowball at Mrs.

Dempster. Dunstan ducking away from the snowball did not make him guilty to the actions from
that night, but they still shaped the lives of every character in the story. In the span of the novel

he fights in WW1, loses a leg, becomes reborn, becomes a teacher, travels for information on

saints, meets the circus crew connecting with people from the past, becomes a famous writer,

and finally figures out from Liesel his true purpose a fifth business. All of this does not sound like

the life of a retiring teacher who knew nothing other than what happened inside his classroom.

The novel complexifies the depth of its characters by playing with the stereotypical ideas

for how each person should act. Mrs. Dempster was considered a saint in Dunstans eyes but

committed adultery. Mrs Ramsey was a caring and considerate person to everyone other than

her children straying from the social standards of mothers being nurturing to their children. As

well as straying from stereotypes the novel also has a rebirth for many of its characters. There

is Dunstable to Dunstan to Fifth Business, Percey to Boy, and Paul to Eisengrim. Almost every

character in the novel grows from how they were introduced and each offers their own influence

on Dunstan. It makes the audience question their original opinion on a character because once

they are given more information on each character in the novel they begin to question

assumptions made when they were first introduced.