Anyway, the novel centers about Dunstan Ramsey, a retiring history at an exclusive Canadian school after 45 years. The present headmaster published a tribute to the teacher, and this novel is the teacher’s conversation with the headmaster to set the record straight writing what amounts to a defense of his life.
It is actually late in the novel when the character, Lisle explains to Dunstan who he really is, namely fifth business.
"Who are you? Where do you fit into poetry and myth? Do you know who I think you are, Ramsay? I think you are Fifth Business. Here are Mr. Davies wonderful words:
"You don't know what that is? Well, in opera in a permanent company of the kind we keep up in Europe you must have a prima donna --always a soprano, always the heroine, often a fool; and a tenor who always plays the lover to her; and then you must have a contralto, who is a rival to the soprano, or a sorceress or something; and a basso, who is the villain or the rival or whatever threatens the tenor.
"So far, so good. But you cannot make a plot work without another man, and he is usually a baritone, and he is called in the profession Fifth Business, because he is the odd man out, the person who has no opposite of the other sex. And you must have Fifth Business because he is the one who knows the secret of the hero's birth, or comes to the assistance of the heroine when she thinks all is lost, or keeps the hermitess in her cell, or may even be the cause of somebody's death if that is part of the plot. The prima donna and the tenor, the contralto and the basso, get all the best music and do all the spectacular things, but you cannot manage the plot without Fifth Business! It is not spectacular, but it is a good line of work, I can tell you, and those who play it sometimes have a career that outlasts the golden voices. Are you Fifth Business? You had better find out."
I look at my life - nearly divorced, not really wanting to date - and I wonder if I am a fifth business. I am not sure I want to be the heroine, the sorceress, the lover. Maybe I am the one who keeps the story together for others. I am the fun aunt, half girl, half woman. The one adult who will kick off her shoes and play in sprinklers. The one who tells stories of their parents; how their parents were not always all knowing and perfect. Love the saucer-unbelieving eyes.
Fifth business can be lonely business, even if it is a good line of work.
3. My Stories. Yeah, I have a few erotic stories here. I know, they are not all that good, but they were fun to write. Don't read them if this offends you (and they represent less than 1% of the content here). These stories have elements of truth and fantasy, some more true than others. Complain about something that is a bit more substantive if you must complain. I have lots of faults.
6 comments:
well written thought, but i doubt you are fifth business. Especially since the 5th seldome stars in a dram scene (they get to interject in them =P ) that was my attempt at a joke. It was kinda lame. Sorry about that.
Glad to see you (in type) back and writting :)
Or, you could look at it like you have a new open, blank page to start filling in.
Welcome back to blogging!
I am not quite yet newly divorced, but I am definitely not wanting to date. I think that being cautious and taking some time to regroup is a good thing. And it doesn't have to be permanent. Besides, what's wrong with kicking off shoes and playing in sprinklers?
(Feel free to email if you'd like an invite to my other blog... the one I moved private to get it out of the eyes of my almost-ex who found it.)
Xmichra: I am thinking of starting a book soon. I really need to just sit down and write it.
Knot: My new blank page does not have as much room as my original canvas.
Zephyr: I know what you mean. I joined a dating site recently, and I feel pressured to date. I just don't want to date. Not most of the time.
I like the idea of the Fifth Business, very interesting.
Sheen: thanks, sweetie. Yeah, that paragraph made the book that much more special.
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