Reactions to Guilt in Fifth Business.
There are many people in today=s society who have felt guilty about something that they have said or done. There are many different ways to handle guilt. Anybody who has ever experienced the awful feeling of guilt can relate to at least one of the methods described by Robertson Davies in Fifth Business. Each individual=s guilt stemmed from one snowball which led to a premature birth and loss of sanity. Dunstan Ramsay allowed his guilt to take over his life. Percy Boyd Staunton tried to avoid his feelings throughout his life but learned that it was not possible. Paul Dempster spent his entire life trying to run from his feelings. Each character handled their guilt differently, however, in the end it was clear that the snowball incident had a similarly destructive influence on each one=s life. .
.
Dunstan Ramsay lived his whole life based on the snowball incident from his past. He allowed it to rule his entire life. Dunstan believed he was guilty because the snowball was meant to hit him and if he had not ducked to avoid it, it would never had hit Mrs. Dempster. Even as a child he knew how serious the situation was. When Percy denied that he had any part in the accident, Dunny expressed that, AI was alone with my guilt, and it tortured me@ (Davies 16). One of Dunstan=s greatest fears was damnation. His family had a book which had vivid pictures of what would happen to sinners. After Percy denied everything, Dunstan spoke of the pictures as he realized his fate, ANow I know that they showed the reality of my situation, and what lay beyond this life for such a boy as I. I was of the damned@ (Davies 16). Dunstan was raised to take responsibility for his actions but was too afraid of the consequences, so he allowed his guilt to take over his life.
Dunstan=s life was spent taking care of Mrs. Dempster. His guilt drove him to take the name-calling from classmates, work double chores at the Dempster=s house, baby-sit Paul, and to constantly defend Mrs.
There are many people who feel excessive and inappropriate guilt, i.e., guilt for things that are not bad or improper. ... All of this has to do with the specifics events in World War II, and the reactions of the people, or filmmakers, that followed. ... This is often the reaction of men to fear and guilt. ... Even still this guilt is not easily seen. ... This is the kind of guilt that surrounds any war. ...
Guilt is not always controlled by us, one can create guilt. ... Guilt can also be a feeling. ... Raskolnikov suffers from guilt, and he is unable to escape guilt. ... This guilt of Raskolnikov connects to the guilt of Gregor Samsa in The Metamorphosis. ... Before he opens his door, he is curious to see other's reaction to his transformation. ...
Feelings of guilt and shame may appear in the individual. Perhaps the most common reaction to a traumatic situation is feelings of grief and depression. ... Many of these reactions listed are in one way or another connected. ... Hamlet engages in many actions that could be considered impulsive or irrational reactions. ... Granted, Hamlet has every right to be angry, but such a violent reaction is not normal, therefore, this action must be taken into effect when it is decided on whether Hamlet is having a negative reaction to his father's murder. ...
Such thoughts of his guilt and remorse are expressed through his discussions with Lady Macbeth, his unconscious reactions to Banquo's ghost and the "tomorrow and tomorrow" speech. ... The entire country believes he is covered in blood yet the reader is the only one who understands his reactions towards the deeds he has committed. ... He now realizes what he has done is against his own morals, knee deep in guilt, and attempts to figure out his problems with his wife. ... At this point in the book, no guilt is felt on behalf of Lady Macbeth leaving Macbeth resembling a boy crying for hel...
Affirmative Reaction Our Nation (one that prides its self in being the moral conscience of the world) is still torn over an issue that reflects the ignorant prejudice of it's past. ... Lynch (a renowned and prestigious writer on the subject of social issues) compared Affirmative Action to a steam roller that couldn't be stopped by an opposing status qou who condemns the policy due to white guilt, the fear of being labeled racist, and the elusive a...
These emotions and the effects are listed below: Confusion: This is usually the initial reaction of the child. ... On the other hand they experience pain, guilt, and anger for what is being done. ... (Rush, 1980) Guilt: The abused will feel tremendous guilt for a numerous reasons: They feel they did nothing to stop the abuse therefore they are responsible and it should continue. ... The guilt hits the child sohard that they are unable to clearly see reality. Another major source of guilt comes from the mother. ...
Grief can be described as a healthy reaction to any loss. ... I also believe that guilt is a big part of this stage. ... This stage can be very damaging to a person who is grieving and they should try to let go of any guilt they have. A person who gets stuck in the guilt phase will have a very difficult time moving on to acceptance. ... After this stage comes depression which can be just as devastating as guilt. ...
Roger Chillingworth's first reaction to the crime of adultery committed by Hester is one of shock, but he quickly suppresses it. ... Hester Prynne's guilt is the result of her committing adultery, which has a profound effect on her life. ... This isolation marks the beginning of her guilt. Hester's guilt has become very influential in her life making her unable to express herself freely. ... Although, guilt is still the consequence that caused Hester to become and isolated person. ...
Symbolism of Edgar Alan Poe's "The Black Cat" In Edgar Alan Poe's, "The Black Cat", symbolism is used to show the narrator's capacity for violence, madness, and guilt. ... Because of the cats fearful reaction the narrator becomes angry and pokes out one of the cat's eyes. ... The black cat two is symbolic of the narrator's guilt. ... Black cat two following the narrator is symbolic of the guilt that follows the narrator. ... The second black cat gives the reader an insight of the narrators guilt for what he has done to Pluto. ...