Fifth Business Summary

The book is based upon the premise that Dunstan Ramsay is writing a letter to the headmaster of the school he taught at for 40 years complaining that the article about his retirement made him sound insignificant.  He then proceeds to write the book detailing his life, so that the headmaster understands that he is important.

Dunstable Ramsay was born in Deptford, Canada, a small religious town.  He witnessed his friend, Percy Boyd Stauton, throw a snowball which struck a pregnant woman, Mary Dempster, causing her to go into labor prematurely.  Dunstable then watches after Mrs. Dempster, the Baptist minister’s wife, and her baby, Paul, at his mother’s request.  He grows quite close to Mary, even though she is considered insane by the town.  As Paul grows older, Dunstable teaches him magic tricks, but when Reverend Dempster finds out, he bans Dunstable from seeing their family ever again.  Then Mrs. Dempster goes missing, and Paul helps find her.  They find her having sex with a tramp because he seemed to desperately want it.  Mary is then further ostracized, and Reverend Dempster keeps her tied up in her home.  Dunny begins to visit regularly, and their close friendship is renewed.

Dunny’s brother falls ill, and when Dunny is afraid he has died, he runs and gets Mary Dempster.  Although the brother lives, Dunny’s mother is furious that he retrieved Mrs. Dempster and not a doctor or his mother.  This fight leaves Dunny so angry that he enlists in the army.  During training he has a short affair with Percy Boyd Stauton’s girlfriend, Leola.  He then ships out.

While in the trenches of WWI, Dunny reads the Bible many times over.  One night he is sent to raid a machine gun nest, and is wounded in the process.  He successfully clears the nest, and then faints in front of a statue of the Virgin Mary.

He wakes in a hospital in Great Britain.  His leg has been amputated, and he receives a Victorian Cross for heroism.  He enters a relationship with his nurse, Diana, and she inspires him to get an education.  Although she wanted to marry him, Dunstable decides to return to Canada alone for his education.  Upon his return he discovers that both his parents and brother are dead and sells off their assets.  He begins studying saints obsessively and reunites with Percy Boyd Staunton, who has changed his name to Boy Staunton.  At this time, Dunstable changes his name to Dunstan.  After completing school he begins teaching at a boarding school.

Boy Staunton has married Leola.  While Boy keeps climbing the social ladder and has become a very powerful man, Leola has not outgrown her country upbringing.  They have two kids, but the home is not happy.  Dunstan often visits, but rarely defends Leola. 

Dunstan happens upon Mary Dempster’s tramp, and finds him a new man.  The tramp runs a charity.  Dunstan considers this the second of Mrs. Dempster’s miracles, the first being bringing Dunstan’s brother back to life.  He begins to think of her as a fool-saint.  Dunstan then seeks her out and begins a new friendship with her.

            While researching saints in Europe, Dunstan finds Paul Dempster travelling with a circus and performing magic tricks.  He decides not to tell Mary Dempster for fear it will upset her.

Boy is now quite rich because he sells solace during the Depression.  Christmas of one year, Leola discovers an affair Boy is having and attempts to seduce Dunstan.  Dunstan however has no feeling for her other than pity.  Leola is so upset, she attempts suicide, but fails.

The aunt caring for Mary Dempster dies, and leaves Mary to Dunstan’s care.  Because he is short on funds, he places Mary in a public hospital.

Dunstan returns to Europe, this time visiting a group of Jesuits.  He meets with Padre Blazon, who reminds Dunstan not to blame himself for Mary Dempster’s fate.

            Leola dies, perhaps of her own choosing.  Boy doesn’t come home to aid his family, so Dunstan takes care of the funeral and the children.  Dunstan is named temporary Headmaster of his school after the previous dies unexpectedly.  He remains Headmaster through WWII, until Boy, a member of the Board of Directors, asks him to step down.  He does so under the condition that he may travel once more before resuming his post as a history teacher.

            While traveling in Mexico, Dunstan sees Paul.  Paul still performs as a magician; however he is much more accomplished now.  Liesl, a member of Paul’s troupe, becomes a confidante for Dunstan.  She never promises secrecy, but he tells her everything.  He lusts over another troupe member, Faustina.  When he sees her kissing Liesl, he becomes depressed.  Then Liesl tries to seduce Dunstan, he responds by breaking her nose.  When she returns, she claims she was provoking him so that he would release his pent up anger.  Then he has sex with Liesl.  It is at this point he realizes he is not the main character of his story, but “Fifth Business”. 

            Upon his return to Canada, Dunstan finally tells Mary Dempster that he has seen Paul.  She is so upset that she is moved to a higher security ward.  Shortly after being transferred to a private hospital, Mary dies.

            Dunstan yet again visits Europe.  Blazon approves of Dunstan’s self discoveries.  Dunstan finds his Madonna statue.

Paul travels to Toronto with his show, and following the performance, he meets with Dunstan and Boy.  All of the grudges and secrets of the book come out.  Dunstan presents the two with the rock Boy hid in the snowball that hit Mary Dempster, but the rock goes missing.  Dunstan suspects that Paul stole it.  Boy refuses to admit any guilt in the incident.  Boy is then found dead, under peculiar circumstances, with what appears to be the same rock in his mouth.

During a show of Paul’s an audience member asks “Who killed Boy Stauton?”, which gives Dunstan a heart attack.  And so the letter ends.

Hamlet - Summary

Hamlet, prince of Denmark, returns to Denmark after the death of his father, the King, also named Hamlet.  Upon his return, his uncle, Claudius, becomes king and marries his mother, Gertrude.  Hamlet talks to the ghost of his father, who tells him that Claudius murdered Old Hamlet and had an affair with Gertrude.  Hamlet swears to avenge his father, and to distract the others, he will pretend to be insane.  To investigate his insanity, Claudius and Polonius, Claudius’s closest friend, make Ophelia, Polonius’s daughter and Hamlet’s lover, confront Hamlet.  Hamlet yells at her and ends their relationship. Hamlet bypasses an opportunity to kill Claudius because he is praying and would go to heaven.  He then has actors act out Old Hamlet’s death in front of Claudius, which enrages Claudius.  Polonius then asks Gertrude to confront Hamlet.  Hamlet notices Polonius watching the exchange and kills him thinking he was killing Claudius.  Gertrude then promises to be loyal to Hamlet and not Claudius.  Hamlet is sent to England with his old schoolmates to be killed.  He rewrites the letter and has them killed instead.  Hamlet returns to Denmark to kill Claudius.  Ophelia has killed herself because of her father’s death and her brother Laertes wants revenge.  Hamlet and Laertes fight over Ophelia’s grave.  Then Laertes and Claudius request a duel between Laertes and Hamlet, but they have poisoned Laertes blade and Hamlet’s wine.  Gertrude drinks the wine to protect Hamlet from it.  Laertes strikes Hamlet, Hamlet strikes Laertes with his own sword, thus they are both poisoned.  Hamlet stabs and kills Claudius when he sees his mother die.  Horatio, Hamlet’s best friend, consoles Hamlet as he dies, then gives Denmark to Fortinbras, a neighboring ruler, because all of the royal family is dead.

Death of a Salesman - Summary

Death of a Salesman follows Willie Loman, a man who cannot climb the social ladder. His wife continually supports him although he cheated on her and treats her poorly.  His sons, Biff and Happy have not had success in life.  Willy insists that Biff will be the one to turn their life around, and pays little attention to Happy.  Happy is always searching for a new quick success job, and objectifies women.  Although he continually says he wants to marry, he doesn’t seem to be searching for a woman he could marry.  Biff has recently returned from travelling out west.  He searched for a job using his hands, but he returned to help the family. He resents his father for making him come home, and cheating on his mother.  Biff lost his scholarship to college because he failed to make up classes after discovering his father cheating.  The family is being financially supported by their neighbor, Charley.  His son is Biff’s age and quite successful.  Willy continually has flashbacks to “the good old times” when Biff was a football star.  His flashbacks feature his brother, Ben, a self made man.  Eventually the pressure of his failure gets to him and he kills himself.  His family and Charley attend his funeral.

Ceremony - Summary

Ceremony follows Tayo, a young half Native American, experiencing a severe case of PTSD after serving in WWII.  While serving, his cousin that he grew up with is killed, and his uncle, the closest thing he had to a father, dies at home.  After spending time in a Western medicine hospital, Tayo returns to his Aunt’s home.  Auntie always treated Tayo poorly because his he was born out of wedlock to a Non-Native American.  When Tayo doesn’t get better, a medicine man, Ku’oosh, comes to cure him, but cannot.  Tayo slowly becomes functional and begins frequenting the bars with other local Veterans, including Harley, his alcoholic best friend, Emo, a sadistic killer, Pinkie, and Leroy.  Tayo relives his childhood, including his mother’s prostitution, learning in white schools, and his uncle’s girlfriend and Tayo’s sexual experience with her.  Tayo then meets Betonie, and using an updated Native American Ceremony, he goes through the process to reconnect with his heritage and find peace.  Tayo sleeps with Ts’eh, who represented the earth, and Tayo rescuing his stolen cows from the white men.  Tayo then must watch Emo kill Harley, while he hides and completes his ceremony.  The drought that has lasted the whole book is finally over.

Pride and Prejudice - Summary

Elizabeth is one of five daughters.  Mr. Bennet, Elizabeth’s father, does not like their mother, and does not encourage her matchmaking, even though when Mr. Bennet dies, his wife and daughters will lose their home. The eldest, Jane, should be the first to marry, and so when a wealthy man moves to town, their busy-body mother tries to marry Jane to this man, Bingley.  Bingley brings his sisters, his brother in law, and his best friend, Mr. Darcy with him.  Mr. Darcy appears quite pompous and rude.  Jane begins a normal, stable relationship with Mr. Bingley.  A group of soldiers are stationed in town, and the two youngest, Lydia and Kitty, flirt with the soldiers shamelessly.  Mary, the middle child, shows off even though she isn’t very talented.  Elizabeth is courted by Mr. Wickham, a young soldier, who tells her of awful things Mr. Darcy did to him.  Her cousin, Mr. Collins, is set to inherit the Bennet estate.  He proposes to Lizzy, but she says no.  Although her mother is upset, Mr. Bennet supports Lizzy’s decision.  The relationship with Mr. Wickham ends, and Mr. Bingley’s party returns to their city home.  Mr. Bingley ends his relationship with Jane.  Elizabeth goes to visit her friend Catherine, who married Mr. Collins, and sees Mr. Darcy during this trip.  He proposes to her, and proclaims his love, but because of Wickham, she rejects him too.  He then leaves her a letter explaining his side of Wickham’s story.  Elizabeth realizes how wrong she was and is embarrassed, but also that he told Bingley to leave Jane.  She returns home, and then goes on vacation with her aunt and uncle.  During this trip, they visit Pemberley, Darcy’s estate, and see him.  He and Elizabeth renew their affections, but the visit is cut short by Lydia who eloped with Wickham.  Mr. Darcy helps find Lydia and fixed the situation, but doesn’t tell Elizabeth. When she next sees Bingley and Darcy, Bingley proposes to Jane and Darcy proposes to Elizabeth.  And they all live happily ever after.  Except Lydia, who is poor, and trapped in a nasty marriage.

The American Dream - Summary

The play opens on a normal living room.  Mommy, Daddy, and Grandma all discuss seemingly meaningless things.  Through the conversation, it becomes clear that all three are extremely sexually frustrated.  A visitor, Mrs. Barker arrives, saying she was called, although no one remembers who called her or why.  She also appears to be sexually frustrated, and clearly represents a higher class than Mommy, Daddy, or Grandma.  Grandma seems to recognize Mrs. Barker, and tells her that Mommy and Daddy adopted a child through Mrs. Barker, and then maimed and killed the child.  Mrs. Barker does not understand what Grandma has told her.  Grandma begins to move out of the apartment, and takes everything with her.  A young man appears, evidently the twin brother of the murdered child.  Grandma removes herself from the show and joins the audience.  The end implies that history will repeat itself with the young man.