Reality is the state of being true and existing, while an illusion is a false idea or belief that is not true. Fifth Business portrays the battle between illusion and reality, which reveals the theme of guilt. Illusion and reality are represented by several characters in the novel such as Dunstan Ramsay, Percy Boyd Staunton and Paul Dempster. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The theme of guilt is revealed when Dunstan decides to take care of Mary Dempster after the snowball incident. The snowball, thrown by Boy Staunton, was aimed at Dunstan but accidentally hit Mary Dempster who was pregnant at the time. This incident led to the premature birth of Paul Dempster, which Dunstan believes he was wrong to do. Even though the snowball wasn't thrown by Dunstan, he still felt guilty about what happened. Dunstan could have walked away from Mary and assumed that nothing had happened, but he couldn't. Instead, he attempts to redeem himself for his actions by accepting the responsibility of caring for Mary Dempster, both personally and financially. “A form of piety. An unexpected sense of guilt. Indolence. I've always wanted to put them in the right place, but I haven't found it yet." Dunstan lived in the illusion of the Mary Dempster incident his entire life until he decided to let go of the guilt by revealing the truth about the snowball incident. Paul Dempster, another important character who becomes an expert in illusions. Paul was born prematurely due to the snowball incident in which Mary Dempster was present. Paul eventually becomes a famous magician and illusionist. Being a magician, Paul trains in illusions. “She is part of a past that cannot be recovered or changed by anything I can do now. My father always told me that it was my birth that robbed her of her sanity, so as a child I had to carry the burden of my mother's madness as something that was my fault. And I had to endure the cruelty of people who thought his kind of madness was funny. It's over for me, and if she dies crazy, who won't say she's better off dead?". Paul eventually runs away from home hoping to free himself from his guilt. Dunstan Ramsay and Boy Staunton were both inspired to make something different from each other. The boy, who lives in reality, was only interested in how much money he could earn and materialistic objects. On the other hand, Dunstan was living in an illusion. The pursuit of wealth as an end in itself did not interest him at all. Instead, he was interested in things of spirituality such as saints. Dunstan believed that Mary Dempster was a saint even though others thought she was simply a "silly saint." Furthermore, traveling to different countries to find saints gave him better psychological insight. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay To conclude, illusion versus reality, which revealed the theme of guilt, is evident throughout the novel Fifth Business by Robertson Davies. The author portrayed illusion and reality through the characters' personalities and reactions to the events that occurred.