Reality is the state of being true and existing, whereas an illusion is a false idea or belief that is not true. Fifth Business depicts 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 Should Not Be Banned'? Get the 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 about. 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 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 feeling of guilt. Indolence. I've always wanted to put them in a suitable place, but I haven't found it yet." Dunstan lived his entire life in the illusion of the Mary Dempster incident until he decided to let his guilt go by revealing the truth about the snowball incident. Paul Dempster, another important character who becomes an expert in illusion. Paul was born prematurely due to the snowball incident in which Mary Dempster was present. Paul eventually becomes a famous magician and illusionist. By being a magician, Paul trains himself 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 him of his sanity, so when I was a child I had to carry the weight of my mother's madness as if it were my own fault. And I had to put up with the cruelty of people who found his kind of madness funny. For me, it's over, and if she dies mad, who won't say it's better for her to be dead? Paul ends up running away from home in hopes of freeing himself from his guilt. Both Dunstan Ramsay and Boy Staunton were inspired to achieve something different from each other. The boy, who lives in reality, only cares about how much money he can earn and materialistic objects. On the other hand, Dunstan lived in an illusion. The pursuit of wealth for himself did not interest him at all. Instead, he was interested in spiritual things such as saints. Dunstan believed that Mary Dempster was a saint, although others thought she was just a "mad saint." Additionally, traveling to several countries to find saints gave him better psychological insight. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay To conclude, the 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 personalities of the characters and their reactions to the events that occurred..