Robertson Davies conveyed truth and reality very well throughout the entire novel, The Manticore. He did this especially well throughout the five most meaningful events in the novel. Davies writings are easily translated into real life events which can apply to a reader of any age, gender or race. And since many of his themes are undying, the truths of his work will never die either. .
David's trip to Montreal may be more easily related to than one might think. Although most people have never had to deal with their father setting up their first real sexual experience many, many people do have fathers who often try too hard and don't fully understand the wants and needs of their sons. Despite Boy's awful parenting, David still respects him as a father and considers him a role model. This suggests the innocence of youth and their often bad choices for role models. This can still be applied today with children's role models often being sports heroes with drug addictions or anorexic super models. This is showing children's ignorance of true character. .
Dunstable Ramsey's throwing of the stone off a cliff is symbolic but still conveys a strong message of reality. The stone is a source of David's problems and can't be thrown away as easily as it was acquired. Although the physical representation of his problems is gone something solid like a rock will live forever as will the imprint of the stone emotionally in his mind (i.e. caves are made of rock). The Egyptians used huge bricks of stone to build pyramids for their tombs so that even after their legacy was forgotten a physical manifestation of their greatness will always be remembered. David's problems can't just be thrown away and lost forever, somewhere deep inside him it will stay as it is with humans. .
David's dream involves him walking through a cave and seeing a painting of himself as a manticore (a lion with the head of a human and the tail of a scorpion).