One of the most prominent examples of this is Dunstan’s relationship with his childhood friend, Boy Staunton. While Dunstan is drawn to the spiritual and intellectual aspects of Presbyterianism, Boy sees religion as a means of gaining power and control over others. This fundamental difference in their beliefs ultimately leads to a tragic end for Boy. Davies discusses several themes in the novel, perhaps the most important being the difference between materialism and spirituality. Davies asserts religion is not necessarily integral to the idea—demonstrated by the corrupt Reverend Leadbeater who reduces the Bible to mere economic terms. I have read all of the Davies' trilogies ( The Deptford, The Cornish and The Salterton) and I can recommend two — The Cornish and the Salterton — to David Lodge and even P.G. Wodehouse fans. But I recommend The Deptford Trilogy — composed of Fifth Business, The Manticore and World of Wonders — to everyone who can read English. There is sectarianism in Deptford dividing the frontier townsfolk between five Christian churches that do not associate with each other under normal circumstances. It takes emergency situations for them to lend aid to each other, but this is conditional aid based on the assumption that certain moral codes will be preserved regardless of faith. For instance, Mary Dempster is a daft-headed girl who habitually flouts the norms of the society, and so she finds herself ostracised and ridiculed by it, evidenced by the fact that no one comes to her aid when her son runs away. However, she is the only member of Deptford society that Dunstan views as truly 'religious' in her attitude because she lives according to a light that arises from within (which he contrasts with her husband's 'deeply religious' attitude, which 'meant that he imposed religion as he understood it on everything he knew or encountered' (46)). One of the most common themes in critical responses to The Deptford Trilogy is the idea of personal transformation. The novels follow the lives of several characters who undergo significant changes throughout the course of the story. For example, in Fifth Business, the protagonist Dunstan Ramsay must confront his past and come to terms with his role in a tragic event that occurred in his youth. In The Manticore, David Staunton embarks on a journey of self-discovery and learns to confront his own demons. And in World of Wonders, Magnus Eisengrim transforms himself from a shy, awkward boy into a charismatic performer.

As part of our problems with our identity is our place in the world. Boy Staunton is very concerned with this and his second wife, who pushes to have him appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario. Staunton compares his place with that of Ramsay, a lowly schoolmaster, unmarried at that. Eisengrim feels it very strongly, too, though in a different way. He felt excluded as a child when the local village children taunted him because his mother was a “hoor”, he felt it in the World of Wonders fair, in Sir John’s theatre and continues to feel it despite his success. Eisengrim/dempster’s father, a minister, feels it too when he is found unsuitable to be a minister because of his wife’s actions. This is, of course, the perennial artist-in-society theme, a staple theme of literature from Shakespeare via Dostoievsky up to Joyce, though perhaps less prevalent nowadays. Like most writers, Davies comes to the not very original conclusion that artists are different from the rest of us. This section possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. ( October 2016) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)

In the mid-1990s, there were plans for Jim Henson Pictures to make a film adaptation of The Deptford Mice, which would be based on the story of The Dark Portal and feature animatronic puppets. [19] [20] The project was ultimately abandoned for reasons unknown. Qué razón lleva a personas de todo el mundo y de todas las épocas a anhelar maravillas que no se puedan calificar según los hechos verificables?

Fichtelberg, Susan (2007). Encountering Enchantment: A Guide to Speculative Fiction for Teens. Libraries Unlimited. p.154. ISBN 9781591583165. Fifth Business here is Dunstan Ramsey, a pedantic old schoolteacher given to traipsing around Europe looking at statues of saints. He's unreliable, possibly as a narrator of events, certainly as a judge of himself. On his retirement he's been condescendingly eulogized as "a senile, former worthy who has stumbled through forty-five years of teaching...with a bee in his bonnet about myth;" this book is a rambling letter meant as a rebuttal, but which accidentally succeeds in proving the eulogy. Furthermore, the word “epic” in the title suggests that this is not just a simple story, but rather a grand adventure with larger-than-life characters and themes. The use of the word “journey” also implies that there will be obstacles and challenges to overcome, making the story all the more compelling. I cannot remember a time when I did not take it as understood that everybody has at least two, if not twenty-two, sides to him.”To be sure The Fifth Business by Robertson Davies seems in many ways a rather old-fashioned book, the 1st part of the author's Deptford Trilogy, a tale involving the curiously prolonged linkage of Percy Boyd "Boy" Stanton & Dunstan Ramsay, for whom "Boy" Stanton represents a lifelong friend and a lifelong enemy. What drives the story is the fact that while the two characters are so very different in almost every way, their lives seem oddly inseparable. Overall, The Deptford Trilogy is a rich and complex work of literature that draws on a wide range of literary traditions and influences. It is a testament to Davies’ skill as a writer that he was able to weave together these different strands into a cohesive and compelling narrative. The trilogy remains a landmark work of Canadian literature and a testament to the power of the written word. The Critical Responses to The Deptford Trilogy