A Young Literary History
Canada boasts many internationally-recognized and respected authors from Margaret Atwood to Lawrence Hill to Michael Ondaatje; yet the country's literary history is relatively young. To many, it might seem that the stuff of legend belongs in the libraries of countries with a richer, longer recorded history.
Robertson Davies, however, would appear to disagree. His Deptford Trilogy - consisting of Fifth Business, The Manticore and The World of Wonders - follows characters from Deptford, a village in small-town Canada, into the wider world of myth and magic. His books examine the effects of these tropes on the human psyche; but perhaps what resonates most with his compatriot readers is his specific examination of how the fantastical stories and histories of other countries, times, and cultures, manifest themselves in Canadian identity and consciousness.
Traditional Narratives
Fifth Business is narrated by Dunstable Ramsay as he reflects on his life. Now a history teacher, he traces the connections between one event in his childhood to all those that follow. The story moves along familiar lines, bringing to light narratives from many tales past: a romance between soldier and nurse; best friends battling for a childhood sweetheart; the madwoman in the attic; the crippled boy ostracized by his schoolmates.
Soon, however, these narrative are shaken up, as though such traditional tales cannot thrive in the harsh Canadian climate. Boy Staunton, Ramsay's childhood friend, creates his own image after that of British Royalty; but when Edward VIII abdicates, Boy's identity, marriage and life crumble with it. Meanwhile, Mrs. Dempster, the madwoman from Deptford that haunts Ramsay's life, is imprisoned - literally and figuratively - by the strain of her husband's strict religiosity.
Ramsay's priest friend makes explicit the implicit warning in Boy's and Mrs. Dempster's fates. The priest chastises Ramsay's reliance on dogma in interpreting sainthood, encouraging Ramsay to follow his own heart and imagination in determining whether Mrs. Dempster is indeed a saint: "If you think her a saint," he says, "she is a saint to you."
A New Mythology
From this point forward, Ramsay's life philosophy consists of a unique blend of psychology, history, myth and magic. It is almost like Canada itself: multicultural and fluid, a mix of religious tradition and secular modernity.
Then Ramsay meets Paul Dempster, the once awkward and physically-disabled son of Mrs. Dempster. Paul, too, has developed his own worldview, building himself into Magnus Eisengrim, a mysterious and intriguing magician, along with his sidekick Liesl, a monstrous-looking, yet impossibly charming, woman. Both threw aside their traditional destinies as outcasts, and instead created an alluring realm of myth, legend and magic that captivates audiences around the world.
Ramsay joins Magnus and Liesl on their adventures abroad. They all thrive together, feeding on each other's imaginations and senses of myth, magic and history. The novel climaxes near its end with the trio's return to Canada - a visit that ultimately leads to the destruction of the unhappy Boy Staunton. Fifth Business closes with the flight of Magnus and Liesl from Canada and their tempting offer to Ramsay for him to join.
Survivors or Refugees?
While the characters who mimic narratives of past places and times ultimately perish, Ramsay and Magnus survive, though perhaps a little worse for wear. However, in the end, they are expelled from their home country. While Davies may be indicating that the Canadian psyche has the potential to manufacture its own unique myths, the question remains: Can these new legends ever truly find a home in a country founded on the histories of others?
Bibliography
Davies, Robertson. "Fifth Business." The Deptford Trilogy. 1985. Published by Viking Penguin Inc, 1999. ISBN 0140118594.
Carolyn Psutka - MA in English and self-professed bibliophile.
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