Character Analysis Of Paul Dempster In Fifth Business

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“A boy is a man in miniature, although he may sometimes exhibit noble virtue, as well as characteristics that seem to be charming because they are childlike, he is also a schemer, self-seeker, traitor, Judas, crook, and villain – in short, a man.” (Davies 8) Through out the novel Fifth Business the theme of being twice born is prevalent and strongly shown by the life of one of the novel's character's, Paul Dempster. Through the change in his name, the creation of his magic show, and the realization of his past, Paul becomes a man twice-born. The transformation that Paul completes during the course of the novel, comes first circle, as later in life it is shown that everyone becomes their original self, the self they were as a young child.…show more content…
A person's name is one's true identity, and the changing of such an important piece of ones self can completely alter one's self image, and persona. It can solidify a change within a person and remove barriers that can be associated with the past. A change in name can also cause one to not be recognized without much thought. “But this was Paul, without a doubt, so self-assured, so polished, so utterly unlike the circus conjurer with the moustache and beard and shabby clothes I had met more than fifteen years before.” (Davies 204) Paul appeared to have completely changed, from his quiet, shy and less confident self, to a man with confidence and poise who could captivate a room. The change in his name allowed him to be who he wished he could have been all those years ago in Deptford, a magician, while also preventing his past to come back and haunt him. With the change of a name it is difficult to track a person down, and even more difficult to solidify if a person is who you think they are after so many years and a different name. “My real name is Magnus Eisengrim; that is who I am and that is how the world knows me. But before I found out who I was, I was called Paul Dempster, and I remember you very well.” (Davies 264) Paul holds the control in situations where his past could be a…show more content…
As a man with no emotional ties to the woman who once raised and cared for him, Paul could keep his past aside. This prevented his emotions surrounding his guilt and broken heart from destroying his future and focus on magic. It was a priority for Paul to avoid his relationship with his mother. He used his magic and busy schedule to escape it. “I spoke of his mother; told him that I had seen her not long before I came aboard. He did not answer.” (Davies 146) However it is also this relationship that causes a large shift in the ways of Magnus. The man who once did not care about his mother and her well being, suddenly became defensive and slightly emotional once he learns some much needed truth. It was a rough subject in Paul's mind that could not be healed. “She is a 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 weight of my mother's madness as something that was my own doing.” (Davies 148) Paul had believed his whole life that Mary's insanity was caused by his birth, and once the truth came out, Paul was no longer guilty. The lift of guilt allowed him to feel again, something he was not able to do for a very long time. After the truth is learned about Mary

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